Gordon Strachan is slowly piecing his own Middlesbrough jigsaw together with the help of a few of his old pals from yesteryear in Scotland. The 53-year-old endured a few months of mixed reactions from the Boro faithful but now, after grabbing a few experienced players from north of the border, it looks like he has transformed our team of over-paid and inexperienced players into to a workforce of honest lads and it’s far from the finished article.
The January transfer window was always the one thing that Strachan wanted to utilise to build his own team and from the players we have seen slot into the side we have to be impressed. Stephen McManus has added calmness and authority to our defending since joining us on loan from Celtic and Kyle Naughton, another loan signing, has given the side increased energy down the flanks.
Permanent signings Willo Flood, Chris Kellen, Scott McDonald and Lee Miller have all added that extra bit of hunger to the team as we fight for Premier League football next season. These players are very eager to play top flight football in England and want to make the next step up having played at the top in Scotland.
The best signing has been saved until last. The capture of Barry Robson could prove to be the best signing of the season in the Championship. So far the 31-year-old has started seven games scoring three times and grabbing two man of the match awards along the way.
His engine is unbelievable for a thirty-something and with his desire and leadership in the middle of the park we could be on the move in the league now because I think, despite the loss of Johnson to Manchester City, we have one of the strongest midfields in the Championship – certainly the middle pairing of O’Neil and Robson.
We’ve been desperate for someone as passionate as Robson to fill the boots left by George Boateng two years ago. Many fans could see it last season that the side lacked a certain bite in the middle of the park despite the efforts from Matthew Bates but without players like these a team can crumble in minutes, just like we did in games that eventually resulted in us being relegated from the Premier League last term.
Now we have the fight back in our midfield we can hope for better fortunes in games as we enter the business run-in of the season. Tough games against Cardiff City and Newcastle await but I’m sure our players will be up for the fight.
Follow The Boro Brick Road…
25 comments ↓
Best of luck to the Celtic contingent down the road.
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Great to see Robbo doing well with the boro. Knew he would. He is a quality player and most of us Celtic fans did not want to see him go.
Good luck Barry. Hope you make it to the EPL. Nobody would be more deserving. Heart of a (Scottish) Lion
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Im glad Barry is doing such a good job down there,Im astounded we ever let him go. I hope your ex celts do you proud, to a man they never let us down.
you have a whole new army in the north keeping a close eye on proceedings.
Hail Hail and on the Boro !
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I am glad the players you got in are doing so well… Robson is the pick of the bunch without a doubt however he is very prone to injury and seems to take a long time getting back to match fitness… You got him from Celtic just as he was getting abck to that fitness from an injury. He is a good player and I hope he does well for you. McManus similarly is a passionate guy who had a lot of injury over the past season but can be a bit frail playing against a large bustling attacker or againt a smaller nippy man. His positioning can be badly judged, but he will put his head in where it hurts when required. Flood was very good at Dundee Utd but I was never impressed with him at all at Celtic. I am not sure he has found a league where he can show some value, I would guess League one. Killen lacks pace he spent most of the time under Strachan in our reserves so I was really surprised when he made it to Boro. He had more opportunities in the short few months he had with the present Celtic manager than he did with 3 seasons under Strachan. The best you got was MacDonald for sure, he will be a top player for you.
I would still consider this a honeymoon period for them all including the manager. Strachan can come across very negative and insulting some times and it seems humorous at first but can be a right pain. You will see that when he gets his feet under the table proper especially if there is some pressure on him I reckon.. You can probably guess I was not a fan based on these words. The football under Strachan was extremely boring and he seemed happy to pick up a draw when the fans needed to see wins. This was probably the biggest gripe the fans had with him. He just didnt seem to have their ambition or even expectancy, seemed on a different level to the paying punter.
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Wish Robbo was back up at Celtic. He’s much better than the powder puff we have up here now.. oh and can we have Strachan back too please?
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Best of luck to WGS and all the Ex Celts
A Celtic fan
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Robson was always a thorn in our (Rangers) sides, as was McDonald. Glad to see the back of them to be honest. McManus may not be Baresi, but he’s a better defender than any of those that replaced him.
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How about a straight swap: Strachan for Mowbray?! Most Boro fans had Mowbray as Southgate’s successor and would have loved him back on Teesside but it wasn’t to be. I’m sure it is a case of time for Strachs to build his team here, after all Southgate was given a good go before eventually getting the boot. Whether we’re in the Premier League or not next season I think a shake-up in the summer will be a blessing for us and if we can grab a few more players like the ones we’ve got from Celtic I’m sure we will be in great shape for next season.
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I have been very impressed with Robson. The guy is a box to box master in my eyes and as we saw on Saturday takes a decent spot-kick. I’m still waiting for McDonald’s Boro career to light up but from what I’ve read abou him from a Celtic point of view he will soon be on the goal trail for us. The signings from Celtic were not outrageous like what we’ve been used to in the past, the signings from Strachan have been sensible and at last a dose of common sense has been used in the transfer market.
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just wanted to add to the general sentement on here from other celtic fans.. i was bth surprised and gutted we let robbo go. he has a heart the size of a house which we are missing badly at the moment and a cracking left foot. mcdonald will score goals for you gauranteed because he is an out and out poacher. i am also one of the celtic fans who was a strachan fan and who apreciated what he did for us. i always keep an eye out for boro’s scores now hope you make the play offs and go up.
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Good luck to the Boro,
Was gutted when Robson left Celtic, he practically won us our last title, hopes he gets yo guys back to the prem. How much are we missing him ?
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Can we please have Strachan back?
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Agree with most comments – we didn’t hide it that we thought losing Robson was a mistake, and wee Skippy never let us down over the seasons.
Best of luck to all the ex-Celts, and to Gordon. I always warned my co-fans that sometimes you don’t know what you’ve got til it’s gone. He won us 3 leagues in 4 seasons (losing the other on the last day) and got us into the last 16 twice. Something O’Neil couldn’t do once. Not saying O’Neil wasn’t great for us – he was – I just wished other Celtic fans accepted Strachan more…..
Hail hail and good luck Boro – I look out for ur score now…..
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Robson will soon disappear in to the sea of inadequacy. The reports on here are very much a case of “absence makes the heart grow fonder”. He is too injury prone, has no real finesse and is a bit of a hammer thrower in all honesty. He won’t last a week in the premiership.
McManus…..see all of above. He is a calamity.
Killen…….won’t make his mark with ‘boro either in the Championship or in the EPL.
Flood……read Killen.
McDonald…….good goalscorer who will do well for you. Unsure of his ability to step up to the EPL, but he has a good chance.
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Strachan is no great loss, last years football was dire.
Robson is a good player and his drive and energy is just what we miss at the moment, in the spl you need hammer throwers as well as ball players just look at the huns current line up.
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I’m sure the ex Celts will be enjoying themselves in a league that is not riddled with corruption and religious discrimination.
All the best to Strachan and the ex Celts.
Can’t wait ’till we rid ourselves of Mowbray. We will smash the Shame of Scotland/Europe next season by taking back what is rightfully ours.
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Charlie…
Shame of Scotland? Who continually desecrates minutes silence at football match? Who waves Argentina flags and football strips at a war veteran? Who waves flags openly in support of terrorist organisations eg. IRA? Who chants Argentina at any English team they face in either a friendly or competition? Who has the highest number of public order offences at any football match in the UK? Who has a history of child abuse being rife in their football club (proven)?
How can you come on here bleating to those in the very country you hate so much?
I ask you….when was the last time celtic were beaten FAIRLY in any football match?
celtic football club……Scotland’s real football shame, and liars from cradle to grave.
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And I thought Nicky Campbell’s debate on patriotism this morning had finished.. football banter please, us Boro fans are only used to the odd parmo throwing down here and of course getting in the neck from the Mackems and Geordies about how we are not their rivals.
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Stuart,
Quite agree, I only came on here to see the article and follow up comments not to see two fans (?) indulge in my dad’s bigger than yours…………….. Charlie and The Wee Man. Get a life and take your bigoted comments elsewhere, there are tons of websites you idiots can shame yourselves on, leave this one alone !
Hail Hail
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Who raped and savaged their way through Manchester? A club with poison at its core.
Who is the only Scottish club to be BANNED from Europe?
Who is the only Scottish club to have a 100 year policy of sectarian employment?
Who is the only Scottish club to sing songs about Pro Loyalist terror?
Who is the only Scottish club to abuse their own players for being from a different religious background (Arteta -“ I couldn’t bless myself at Ibrox) or because of their colour/race? (Edu)
Who is the only club to sell KKK and BNP fanzines outside Ibrox?
Answers on a postcard to Follow Follow, where I am currently viewing the thread Strachan pulling things round. Robson a revelation.
Scotland’s Shame – Since 1873.
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You sound like your hurting Charlie!
KKK fanzines ? I’ve never heard so much rubbish
The fact your on a Rangers Forum puzzles me . Are you a closet Gers Fan ?.
Middlesbrough Fans you would do well in getting rid of Chesney IMO.
You would also do well in distancing yourselfs from the Celtic , Pro-Ira , Anti-British weirdos , you seem to be their latest target , in their cringeworthy ” somebody love us ” campaign.
Good luck Middlesbrough! . Glasgow Rangers Champions!
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None of them are any great shakes.
Boro must have been really bad if they have improved you.
Strachan won us three titles ,yet i and many like me, didn’t like his smartass, canapcious, comments.
He left us in a right mess and Mowbray has made it worse.
Oh ! for a Martin O’Neil back at paradise.
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charlie your a dick
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Charlie….
Yer maws a bun. I don’t need to dignify your ridiculous accusations with a sensible reply.
Here’s to 53 ya cretin.
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Charlie, TheWeeMan…
If this was Wikipedia, they’d be asking you to link to sites that back up your original Comments.
In a day or two FootballUnited will release signup for the rest of Europe, including Glasgow: you’ll both be able to follow your own teams, and leave the English to do their own things
Will
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