The 24/25 promotion charge starts here

BoroMart

BoroMart

Well-known member
I'm almost at the "season is written off" stage, I think there's no more than a 5% chance of promotion, injuries have hamstrung us (pun intended).

So, with an eye on next year, the last two seasons have been ruined by poor poor starts, we can't do that again. What should we do in the next 14 games to get as ready as possible for next year?

I guess we need to look at the squad and who will be here:

Here net year: Dieng, Glover, Smith (if fit), Rav, Clarke, Fry, Bangura, Lenihan, Engel, Hackney, I Jones, Azaz, Lath, Silvera, Coburn, Forss (16)

Open to offers: Barlaser, McGree, Gilbert (3)

Fighting for a contract: J Jones, Ayling, Thomas, Howson, O'Brien, Greenwood (5)

Out: Dijksteel, McNair, Crooks, Hoppe (4)

This is what I suggest:

1 - That core 16 need melding into a team, ok Smith, Bangura, Lenihan aren't going to play, but we need to make sure Rav plays every game to get his experience up, he should be first choice next year.
2 - Dieng needs to be back in goal to get the relationship with the defence.
3 - Hackney has to be in his proper position CM to build around
4 - Lath needs a run up front once fit to learn the english game more
5 - The McGree conundrum. If he is out the side because of fitness, get him out completely and let him get 100% fit for next year. Take the opportunity to give Silvera and others game time to learn for next year. If McGree is out of the side because Carrick doesn't fancy him (possible because we did sign Ramsey last year to take his place) then it's pointless playing him and taking game time from others like Silvera who have a future here.
6 - I guess we need that agreement with Dael for an extra year OR, do we sell and buy a top quality replacement? If we are going to sell, I'd look at playing Rav RCB and Clarke alongside
7 - Give Thomas a go and talk to him about signing long term, he looks way better than Engel.

Looking at that core 16, it's pretty obvious what we need to be signing in the summer:
1 - First choice RB
2 - A LB if we are writing off Engel
3 - A backup CB or a first choice if Fry is sold
4 - Howsons replacement, a top quality CDM
5 - competition at CM
6 - A quality wide forward or sign Greenwood and improve him
7 - A quality CF

Could take 15m investment to get this where we want. Or 10m and a couple of good loans. At least we have loads of FFP room to invest and 7-8 signings instead of 11 (plus 3 in january)
 
I'ld look at who we have on loan for starters...if we are not buying them, I'ld rather play some of the youngsters. Unless long term deals are in the offing, I find the signings of Ayling & Thomas completely baffling to be honest.

And until Lath or Coburn are fit, lets give Forss an run of games up top.

But I'm with you - I've given up any hope of the play-offs after the weekend. So yeah, lets think about next year, and actually look to hit the ground running. For all of our problems (& deficiencies) this season, even a fair to middling start would have had us sitting pretty.
 
The ridiculous thing is as poor as we've been recently, if we win against Preston (and we're so unpredictable who knows!) are we 3 points off the play offs? It's not impossible that we could then get 3 points more than the likes of Hull, Sunderland and Coventry between then and the end of the season.
Very unlikely but I'd at least hope the team/club haven't completely written off this season yet.
 
The Card Cheat said:
The ridiculous thing is as poor as we've been recently, if we win against Preston (and we're so unpredictable who knows!) are we 3 points off the play offs? It's not impossible that we could then get 3 points more than the likes of Hull, Sunderland and Coventry between then and the end of the season.
Very unlikely but I'd at least hope the team/club haven't completely written off this season yet.
Click to expand...

Hull will beat Rotherham tomorrow.
Watford and Norwich play each other.
You'd expect Coventry to beat Plymouth and Sunderland to beat Huddersfield.

We'd only be 3 points off the play-offs with a win if Hull, Sunderland, Coventry and Norwich all lose.

We'll probably still be 6 points off, and that's if we win.
 
Paintolerance said:
I'ld look at who we have on loan for starters...if we are not buying them, I'ld rather play some of the youngsters. Unless long term deals are in the offing, I find the signings of Ayling & Thomas completely baffling to be honest.

And until Lath or Coburn are fit, lets give Forss an run of games up top.

But I'm with you - I've given up any hope of the play-offs after the weekend. So yeah, lets think about next year, and actually look to hit the ground running. For all of our problems (& deficiencies) this season, even a fair to middling start would have had us sitting pretty.
Click to expand...
Agree on the loans, Thomas is out of contract, and I would absolutely try and sign him if possible. Ayling, hmmmmm

Forss, yes, play him up top until Lath is back
 
There’s an over a third of the season still left to play. I find this talk of next season completely bizarre tbh. We’re in the playoff hunt until we’re not. We have a game in hand on five of the teams above us.

We play our best available team until it’s mathematically impossible to make the top six.

I find it bizarre that people are talking of writing off campaigns in the second week of February. You’d think people would know the Championship better by now really. We push until the very end. THEN you play your kids and look ahead. Not before.
 
BoroMart said:
I'm almost at the "season is written off" stage, I think there's no more than a 5% chance of promotion, injuries have hamstrung us (pun intended).

So, with an eye on next year, the last two seasons have been ruined by poor poor starts, we can't do that again. What should we do in the next 14 games to get as ready as possible for next year?

I guess we need to look at the squad and who will be here:

Here net year: Dieng, Glover, Smith (if fit), Rav, Clarke, Fry, Bangura, Lenihan, Engel, Hackney, I Jones, Azaz, Lath, Silvera, Coburn, Forss (16)

Open to offers: Barlaser, McGree, Gilbert (3)

Fighting for a contract: J Jones, Ayling, Thomas, Howson, O'Brien, Greenwood (5)

Out: Dijksteel, McNair, Crooks, Hoppe (4)

This is what I suggest:

1 - That core 16 need melding into a team, ok Smith, Bangura, Lenihan aren't going to play, but we need to make sure Rav plays every game to get his experience up, he should be first choice next year.
2 - Dieng needs to be back in goal to get the relationship with the defence.
3 - Hackney has to be in his proper position CM to build around
4 - Lath needs a run up front once fit to learn the english game more
5 - The McGree conundrum. If he is out the side because of fitness, get him out completely and let him get 100% fit for next year. Take the opportunity to give Silvera and others game time to learn for next year. If McGree is out of the side because Carrick doesn't fancy him (possible because we did sign Ramsey last year to take his place) then it's pointless playing him and taking game time from others like Silvera who have a future here.
6 - I guess we need that agreement with Dael for an extra year OR, do we sell and buy a top quality replacement? If we are going to sell, I'd look at playing Rav RCB and Clarke alongside
7 - Give Thomas a go and talk to him about signing long term, he looks way better than Engel.

Looking at that core 16, it's pretty obvious what we need to be signing in the summer:
1 - First choice RB
2 - A LB if we are writing off Engel
3 - A backup CB or a first choice if Fry is sold
4 - Howsons replacement, a top quality CDM
5 - competition at CM
6 - A quality wide forward or sign Greenwood and improve him
7 - A quality CF

Could take 15m investment to get this where we want. Or 10m and a couple of good loans. At least we have loads of FFP room to invest and 7-8 signings instead of 11 (plus 3 in january)
Click to expand...
Very very similar to what I posted recently in terms of required signings.
I think we need another No10 too, especially if McGree does leave as seems sadly likely.
If we have VdB, Fry, Clarke and Lenihan I don't think we need another back up centre half, we just need that1 high calibre recruit to play in the first team with VdB and move on one of the other 3. McNair also seems certain to leave.

Need to sign or sell Jones and McGree.
I'd move on Barlaser, Engel, Silvera and Gilbert as priorities.
I'd also keep Dijksteel before Ayling, but Carrick clearly doesn't fancy him.
 
Hackney will be gone. The question is where he goes not if he goes. The conversations are already happening and have been for a while with a few clubs.

Plan A was for him to get promoted with Boro and give Boro at least aseason in the PL.
Plan B is for him to move to a PL club (or an alternative top tier club 👀 )

Of course a club needs to match our valuation but I think they will.
 
BoroMart said:
I'm almost at the "season is written off" stage, I think there's no more than a 5% chance of promotion, injuries have hamstrung us (pun intended).

So, with an eye on next year, the last two seasons have been ruined by poor poor starts, we can't do that again. What should we do in the next 14 games to get as ready as possible for next year?

I guess we need to look at the squad and who will be here:

Here net year: Dieng, Glover, Smith (if fit), Rav, Clarke, Fry, Bangura, Lenihan, Engel, Hackney, I Jones, Azaz, Lath, Silvera, Coburn, Forss (16)

Open to offers: Barlaser, McGree, Gilbert (3)

Fighting for a contract: J Jones, Ayling, Thomas, Howson, O'Brien, Greenwood (5)

Out: Dijksteel, McNair, Crooks, Hoppe (4)

This is what I suggest:

1 - That core 16 need melding into a team, ok Smith, Bangura, Lenihan aren't going to play, but we need to make sure Rav plays every game to get his experience up, he should be first choice next year.
2 - Dieng needs to be back in goal to get the relationship with the defence.
3 - Hackney has to be in his proper position CM to build around
4 - Lath needs a run up front once fit to learn the english game more
5 - The McGree conundrum. If he is out the side because of fitness, get him out completely and let him get 100% fit for next year. Take the opportunity to give Silvera and others game time to learn for next year. If McGree is out of the side because Carrick doesn't fancy him (possible because we did sign Ramsey last year to take his place) then it's pointless playing him and taking game time from others like Silvera who have a future here.
6 - I guess we need that agreement with Dael for an extra year OR, do we sell and buy a top quality replacement? If we are going to sell, I'd look at playing Rav RCB and Clarke alongside
7 - Give Thomas a go and talk to him about signing long term, he looks way better than Engel.

Looking at that core 16, it's pretty obvious what we need to be signing in the summer:
1 - First choice RB
2 - A LB if we are writing off Engel
3 - A backup CB or a first choice if Fry is sold
4 - Howsons replacement, a top quality CDM
5 - competition at CM
6 - A quality wide forward or sign Greenwood and improve him
7 - A quality CF

Could take 15m investment to get this where we want. Or 10m and a couple of good loans. At least we have loads of FFP room to invest and 7-8 signings instead of 11 (plus 3 in january)
Click to expand...

Pretty much agree with that. Focusing on next year's likely core and pushing them as hard as we can this season will do double duty because we want to do as well as possible. That means taking a punt on O'Brien recapturing his best form and hoping that we can afford Thomas if he shows what we have. I tend to agree that Greenwood hasn't shown enough this season so he probably needs to go into the Hoppe zone.

We aren't far off a top 6 team if O'Brien and Thomas come good and we can afford them that basically leaves us neding a first choice centre-forward and possibly another forward.
 
BigUnit said:
I think Hackney , McNair , Rav will be gone at end of season...
Click to expand...
McNair definitely

Of course teams will hover around Hackney and Rav. There are two things in our favour. Hackney is a local and will only leave if he doesn't see us moving forward, if he does leave the clubs looking at him are top 10 prem teams and it will be a very large fee that would give us huge scope on top of our current FFP allowance which is already healthy

Rav, he came here to play and he is getting game time, I don't see him wanting out this summer to go sit on the bench elsewhere. Remember the kid had only started 4 matches before he came here, he's started 25 already, probably 35 by the end of the season. If he wanted to sit on the bench at a big club he'd have gone to AC Milan last summer and earned three times what we are paying. So I think he will have clubs sniffing, but will stay one more season.
 
I think we'll lose McNair, Hackney, McGree, Van den Berg, Gilbert, Hoppe and Dijksteel of our contracted players.

I think we'll give Howson an extension.

Then Greenwood, Ayling, Thomas and O'Brien are obviously going back to their parent clubs.

It'll be a big rebuild.
 
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