New Era At Boro Starts Tomorrow February 5, 2010
Posted by stuart in Match Preview/Prediction, Middlesbrough.Tags: Adam Johnson, Boro, Follow The Boro Brick Road, Gordon Strachan, Ipswich Town, Lee Miller, Leroy Lita, Scott McDonald
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New manager.. check. New players.. check. Lower wage-bill.. check. So this is this the start of a new era at the Riverside. In a recent interview Steve Gibson declared the need to change the style of football we play at the club from a technical style of play to a more rugged and hard-working style. With Gordon Strachan’s new recruits it seems that his wish might come true after brining in some strong characters during the January transfer window.
If this change in attitude, which includes the sale of Adam Johnson, is needed to win football matches in the Championship then I’m certainly all for it. We now have a more balanced squad of players and also have a good source of goal-scorers in Scott McDonald and Leroy Lita. The need to add strength up top has been answered with the inclusion of Miller and Killen to the Boro squad which is a must in this league.
Players like McManus and Robson will bring bags of experience to the Middlesbrough side which has been lacking for a few years now. Both are capable leaders on the pitch and will provide us with more steer and guidance during games.
Willo Flood will add energy to the midfield whilst the Spurs lad, Naghton will provide more options going forward, linking up well with the attackers. The new look Boro side could face teething problems though as the new players settle in, as we saw with the Sheffield United game a couple of weeks ago so, again, do not expect overnight success.
Ipswich Town v Middlesbrough
Strachan will take the Boro team to Portman Road tomorrow knowing that a win against Roy Keane’s side would lift them closer to a Play-Off position and with Blackpool and Sheffield United both losing midweek it means that we can claw back some points in Suffolk.
With the injury list as long as Lee Miller Strachan is likely to add moat of his new recruits to the starting line-up against Ipswich. Scott McDonald will be hoping for a debut goal in a red shirt whilst Stephen McManus and Kyle Naughton will want to impress the WGS in defence.
After the disappointment of not being able to score past a Bristol City side that had shipped six in their previous game, I’m confident that our new recruits will fire us past Keano’s team. Three points here we come.
Ipswich Town 1 Middlesbrough 3
Adam Johnson Set To Join Manchester City February 1, 2010
Posted by stuart in Adam Johnson, Transfer News.Tags: Adam Johnson, Boro, Boro Brick Road, Follow The Boro Brick Road, Manchester City, Middlesbrough, Scott McDonald
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It looks like Adam Johnson will be leaving Middlesbrough today after reports have confirmed that the 22-year-old is on his way to Manchester for a medical ahead of completing a £7 million move from the Riverside.
The Premier League club had a first bid for the winger turned down by Boro on Friday but now, after a late bid yesterday evening, it looks like Middlesbrough officials have accepted that offer for our left winger.
With the news that Adam Johnson is on his way to the City of Manchester Stadium it means that Strachan can concentrate on putting the finishing touches to the Lee Miller and Scott McDonald transfers.
Fingers crossed we don’t muck this up because if we do let Johnson go without signing a replacement goalscorer the Boro board will certainly have egg on their faces.
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Manchester United Join Race To Land Johnson February 1, 2010
Posted by stuart in Transfer Rumours.Tags: Adam Johnson, Boro, Follow The Boro Brick Road, Manchester City, Manchester United F.C., Middlesbrough, Sir Alex Ferguson
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According to reports Sir Alex Ferguson will try and lure Adam Johnson to Old Trafford today which would serve up another blow for their rivals Manchester City who are also reportedly interested in our 22-year-old winger.
This latest development could be beneficial to the final fee for Johnson as it is reported that three top teams in the Premier League could now start a bidding war.
Johnson would be the natural replacement for Ryan Giggs on the left flank and could provide strength in depth as United look to conquer the Premier League and the Champions League. It is the Champions League that might be the persuading factor in Johnson’s eyes. With aspirations of making the World Cup in June, Johnson will be tempted to show what he can do on the biggest stage in club football.
We’ll keep a close eye on the latest Adam Johnson transfer saga.
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Is Johnson In Pursuit Of Happiness Or Cash? January 29, 2010
Posted by stuart in Adam Johnson, Gordon Strachan, Transfer Rumours.Tags: Adam Johnson, Boro, Follow The Boro Brick Road, Gordon Strachan, Manchester City, Middlesbrough, Roberto Mancini
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Adam Johnson wants to talk to Manchester City to see what they can offer him in terms of football. The 22-year-old is likely to sign for Roberto Mancini’s side if he is guaranteed first-team football from now until the end of the season meaning Gordon Strachan will have to work fast in securing more signings to strengthen the squad before the transfer window is shut.
With the departure of Johnson looking more and more likely, especially as Robinho has now switched to Santos, we are going to be very light on goals once our leading goalscorer heads back to the Premier League. After the failed attempt to land Celtic striker Scott McDonald it seems that Strachan might get a wee bit desperate and try to land some unknown quantity which he has been reluctant to do up until now.
For me our next signings hinge on the sale of Johnson whether it be now or at the end of the season. If he does leave at the end of the season it means a deal must be in place with an initial fee being paid up front to allow our cash-strapped club to afford new players.
We need to get this right and looking at the clock we only have a few days and hours left to build a team that is capable of charging up the league into the Play-Off places.
Going back to the Johnson saga, I truly believe that if AJ does move to the City of Manchester stadium he will run riot with all the excellent players around him. So will he be persuaded by the cash or is he looking to get on that plane to South Africa? My guess, his soft arrogance will lead him to take the cash and then stamp his authority on the Premier League whilst having fun.
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Will Adam Johnson Sit On The City Bench For £50k-A-Week? January 28, 2010
Posted by stuart in Adam Johnson, Transfer Rumours.Tags: Adam Johnson, Boro, Follow The Boro Brick Road, Gareth Southgate, Manchester City, Manchester United, Middlesbrough
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Manchester City are desperate to add a left-sided winger to their ever increasing squad after they were tormented by Ryan Giggs last night in their League Cup Semi-Final defeat to Manchester United.
Roberto Mancini will try and lure Johnson to the City of Manchester Stadium to ease the disappointment of last night’s cup exit, but the big question is: Will AJ move to Manchester City to sit on the bench?
There is no way that Mancini will throw Johnson straight into the City side, not at the business end of the season. If he does sign for the blue half of Manchester he is likely to be broken in over the next six months, limiting his appearances in the Premier League which would jeopardise his chances of making the World Cup in South Africa.
Money might talk here though, but I am a believer of ‘proper’ professional footballers and I put Adam Johnson in that bracket. He loves playing football unlike some mercenary-players that have leaked into the footballing world due to the high wages becoming available. Johnson will hate sitting on the bench and if he went to Man City, that is very likely. He spent far too long on the Boro bench thanks mainly to Stewart Downing’s quality and Southgate’s inability to play two wingers in the same game. He needs to play football matches!
Even if this latest rumour does materialise it will certainly bring Chelsea into the equation and, like I mentioned in my last post, it could start a bidding war. The worrying thing is Middlesbrough officials will be looking at the money and not the ‘good’ of Adam Johnson – after all it is a business but because we’ve had him at the Riverside since he was a small lad we should be taking a look at what’s best for both parties here.
The Adam Johnson saga continues..
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Johnson Price-Tag Rises After Stunning Strikes January 27, 2010
Posted by stuart in Adam Johnson, Transfer Rumours.Tags: Adam Johnson, Boro, Chelsea, Follow The Boro Brick Road, Liverpool, Manchester City, Middlesbrough
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Despite the interest surrounding Adam Johnson’s future on Teesside at least, if we he does leave, we should be able to bargain for a very good price for the 22-year-old winger.
He scored two stunning goals last night which will only increase the temptation from Chelsea and Manchester City to sign him as they looked on at Doncaster Rovers last night. After his tremendous performance, it does mean his valuation will only rise and with Chelsea already rumoured to be willing to offer £6 million for AJ it could start a bidding war between the two wealthiest teams in the world.
As Boro fans we must accept what is best for the club and currently we are not in a position to offer Adam Johnson top-flight football and looking at the table we are a long way off even thinking about promotion this season. To sell Johnson this month would be a sensible option as it will bring funds in from the sale, but if he does sign for a new club this month i.e. Chelsea or Manchester City – I would like to see the option of having him stay on loan at the Riverside for the rest of the season exercised.
Until we find a marksman we will be totally lost without his goals so if he does leave the club on a complete basis we will struggle to find the goals to push us up the league table.
We also must think about what Johnson wants and to be honest I would not hold any grudge at all if he wanted to leave the club during the lead up to the 2010 World Cup in South Africa. If Johnson was to leave he would have to weigh up the options available to him. If he continues his form in the Premier League for the remainder of the season I’m sure he will be one of Fabio Capello’s wild-card selections for the summer.
To catch the England Manager’s eye he needs to be playing regular football in the Premier League so a move to Chelsea or Manchester City would not help his chances as both teams would only play him on a handful of occasions from now until the end of the season. He would need to fit straight into a side to feature in Capello’s plans so I think a move to Sunderland or Everton would be on the cards. My punt would be to see him playing for Liverpool. Rafa Benitez would play him from the off and I think it would be AJ’s best chance of making the World Cup linking up with Steven Gerrard in the Reds’ midfield. His arrival at Anfield might also spark a mini revival on Merseyside.
The lad must have a million and one things running through his head at the moment. I hope he makes a choice that will involve him still being able to play his football for the remainder of the season regardless of where he is. It would be an absolute travesty to see him sitting on a bench again waiting for his chance, he sat on our bench for too long. In my eyes he is the most gifted left-footed player in English football.
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Don’t Expect A Boro Win Straight Away January 15, 2010
Posted by stuart in Match Preview/Prediction, Sheffield United.Tags: Adam Johnson, Barry Robson, Boro, Follow The Boro Brick Road, Gordon Strachan, Jeremie Aliadiere, Middlesbrough, Sheffield United
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Don’t expect the Boro side to click over night after Gordon Strachan sealed the deals of three new players earlier this week.
We play one of the inform teams in the Coca Cola Championship tomorrow in their back yard so it will be a big ask for us to produce a performance without any creases.
Sheffield United are one of the most physical sides in the league and are no doubt a tough side to overcome at Bramall Lane.
Gordon Strachan seems to have added some steel to the side this week, bringing in 31-year-old Barry Robson who should be handed a starting role tomorrow against the Blades.
The midfield should look more balanced with a probable midfield four of Gary O’Neil on the right side and Osbourne and Robson in the middle leaving Adam Johnson to supply the goods from the left, if fit.
Boro’s attack must be strong against Sheffield United especially as they come up against their two big lumps at the back so I’m thinking that Strachan will throw Killen up top for his first match and play Aliadiere off him as the runner.
With the new faces turning up at the Riverside this week, players will be on their toes fighting for places so expect to see plenty of effort from the lads in light blue tomorrow.
Don’t expect us to steam-roll Kevin Blackwell’s men tomorrow because we won’t. They are hard to beat with Leicester City and Newcastle the only teams to beat them in their last ten Championship games.
I’ll go for a score draw but this one will be tight so it could go either way with the winning team winning by the odd goal.
Sheffield United 1 Middlesbrough 1
Enjoy the game!
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Boro Players Fighting For Places December 29, 2009
Posted by stuart in Middlesbrough.Tags: Adam Johnson, Boro, Boro Brick Road, Championship, Follow The Boro Brick Road, Gordon Strachan
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Well, we certainly banished those Boxing Day blues against Scunthorpe but unfortunately amongst all the post match excitement we must have had a few too many turkey sandwiches because the players once again let themselves down against Barnsley. So much for turning a corner and accelerating on the open road. It was a case of turning the corner and ending up with egg on our faces.
Despite the score-line against Scunthorpe United we didn’t actually play that well and I personally think the sending off helped them. We have been wasteful in front of goal this season and even with a numerical advantage we still struggled to put the ball in the back of the net.
It was good to see Adam Johnson back in the side but I feel it may have been one of his last in a Boro shirt if the rumours are true. There was a warm welcome for Chris Riggott as he scampered onto the pitch at the Riverside for what feels like nearly two years out of action for the defender. He will be a massive boost to the defence in the coming months.
Onto the Barnsley game it felt like we had taken three steps back after limping forward a pace after the Scunthorpe game. There goes our decent away record with a bang. We don’t have enough characters in the team that will knuckle down and do the job despite how ugly the task is. Strachan, I’m sure, already knows this and will address this next month as he looks to strengthen the team.
We fully deserve to be where we are at this moment in time because of the way we buckle against teams in the Championship. I have my fingers firmly crossed that we don’t get taken to the cleaners when Manchester City come to visit on Saturday. Everyone remembers the 8-1 thrashing we gave them.. let’s hope they don’t get their own back on us in the FA Cup.
More updates and rumours later on in the week.
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I Get By With A Little Help From My Friend December 22, 2009
Posted by stuart in Newcastle.Tags: Adam Johnson, Boro Brick Road, Danny Coyne, Mark Yeates, Middlesbrough, Newcastle United, Shola Ameobi, St James' Park, Tyne–Tees derby
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The highest attendance in the Championship so far this season witnessed Newcastle breeze past Middlesbrough with a little help from the referee and his assistants yesterday.
Marlon Harewood tapped in the first goal when Ameobi had headed across to the former West Ham striker and then Ameobi headed Newcastle’s second on the hour mark.
I’m not normally one to moan about decisions from referees in games but the foul prior to the first goal was blatant and the hand-ball from Taylor was also a clear gimme, but again unnoticed by the men in charge.
Looking at the decisive moments in the game I think Gordon Strachan was spot on with his assessment of them. Speaking to the BBC after the game this is what the Boro boss had to say about the contentious moments in the Tyne-Tees derby.
“There must be eight of us in this room that think it was a push and I agree, it was a push,” Strachan said.
“It was a hand-ball when we were pushing for an equaliser and even just before the second goal in the middle of the park just before it got knocked out wide, Rhys has gone in for a header and the gut has knocked him off the ball.”
Just a few points about the team that started against the league leaders – I was surprised to see Brad Jones still between the sticks after a few very shaky performances against Blackpool and Cardiff City. Again the Australian looked vulnerable in the air and spilt a couple of shots on the way to having a shocker against the Magpies. Danny Coyne must be given a starting role against Scunthorpe and Barnsley because just like last season our goalkeeper is costing us points.
Another player that was deserving of a starting role at St James’ Park was Mark Yeates. The winger has been in great form of late and would have added creativity for us in the final third, something that was missing from our play. With Adam Johnson missing it would have made even more sense to start Yeates at Newcastle.
Boro have now dropped to 14th in the table and the warning signs are now clearer than ever. Will the slide continue? Or can we find a way of winning on Boxing Day?
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The North East Merry-Go-Round December 17, 2009
Posted by stuart in Newcastle, Sunderland, Tyne Tees Derby.Tags: Adam Johnson, Brad Jones, Danny Coyne, Follow The Boro Brick Road, Gordon Strachan, Lee Cattermole, Middlesbrough, Newcastle, Robert Huth, Steve McClaren, Stewart Downing, Sunderland, Tyne–Tees derby
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As Gordon Strachan prepares his squad for his first Tyne-Tees derby on Sunday afternoon, I’ve been looking at the weird and somewhat exciting times for the North East in footballing terms.
For the moment we have to take Boro out of that equation which is only temporary I must add. Newcastle have found their feet in the Championship a lot easier than Southgate’s and Strachan’s side because they have not had many changes to their starting line-up or changed the way they play.
If I’m being honest, Hughton’s side will win the Championship this season and by a big margin at that, which leaves room for two more promotion pushers. I would like to think that Middlesbrough would be one of those teams that will find the path to the Premier League, but if you look at the players we have lost since relegation you can see why we are where we are now, and not at the top of the table.
Stewart Downing is a massive loss to any team, but to take our most creative and intelligent player out of the side and not replace him is going to make life difficult. I suppose we just have to say that he is one of a kind and can’t be replaced. Johnson is a great player in his own way but Downing not only offered the team technical guile but he also offered consistency something that Adam Johnson has lacked so far.
Letting in goals has been a massive problem since our back four was reshuffled. Robert Huth was excellent for us at the end of the relegation campaign last season and was our main leader at the back. Now he has gone to Stoke City, leaving us with young heads at the back. I can see why Strachan is being linked with Caldwell because he would certainly add more leadership for us which you need at any level in football.
Taking Danny Coyne out of the side after he did so well for a month at the beginning of the season was a big mistake. The Welshman is very commanding and organises the defence well which is something that Brad Jones lacks in his locker. Jones is a confidence goalkeeper and when the going gets tough I think he is unable to handle the pressure, excuse the pun. After the goal we conceded against Cardiff City last weekend I think it will be time for Strachan to bring Coyne back into the first team, not only to solidify things but also to keep Jones on his toes.
My last point is about the Sunderland match the other night. The Mackems have certainly got their act together and with Bruce at the helm are becoming a more ambitious club. They lost to Aston Villa on Tuesday evening and whilst most Boro fans would have been delighted with the result, I stepped back and looked at the bigger picture. There was a left winger called Stewart Downing playing for Villa, but hang on he used to play for Middlesbrough and then on 70 minutes a little skin-head called Lee Cattermole came on for Sunderland who also used to play for Middlesbrough – both excellent players that will surely only get better and better.
This is where I leave you for today. As we approach the Tyne-Tees battle at the weekend I can’t help think about ‘what if’ we still had these players on Teesside? If we had the right management at the time we could be challenging for a Europa League spot once again. Why O why did Steve McClaren answer the door when England came knocking?
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