5000-1 - The 2016/17 Premier League thread

by **Crimey** Sun 06 Nov 2016, 3:39 pm

First topic message reminder :

Also, considering mine and pretty much everybody's doubts Mane has been a fantastic signing.

by **Hero** Thu 09 Mar 2017, 12:29 pm

There's a certain striker in Manchester who's probably going to be sat on the bench next season if he remains at his current club.
Aguero to do a reverse Tevez?

by Ent Thu 09 Mar 2017, 12:39 pm

Hammersmith harrier wrote:
Crimey wrote:I don't think it's pull is overrated at all.

Antoine Griezmann is a top class forward in a world which currently lacks top class forwards. If he was available, every top club in the world would sit up and take notice. Manchester United can compete financially but so can the other clubs and when Griezmann is being faced with potentially not playing the most important club competition in the world is going to be a major deciding factor.

Money talks and it's the primary incentive of almost all footballers, the Champions league used to have all the teams who could offer big money, it no longer has.

I don't think so, these guys at the top level want to win - you just need to listen to the various former players on our to screens.

Can't see it with aguero, unlike Tevez city can choose if and who they sell too and he can't be as much of a man sausage as tevez was.

by GSC Thu 09 Mar 2017, 12:41 pm

Hero wrote:There's a certain striker in Manchester who's probably going to be sat on the bench next season if he remains at his current club.
Aguero to do a reverse Tevez?

Best of luck with that one

by GSC Fri 10 Mar 2017, 1:04 pm

Monday’s cup opponents are enjoying a long unbeaten run in the league stretching back to October. It has lifted them all the way from sixth to sixth.

Top corner from Chelseas site.

by **Dolphin Ziggler** Sat 11 Mar 2017, 5:01 pm

Shocking today. Bilic got it all wrong, and the players were shocking without the misdirection at the top.

Would guess we spiral to 15th come May.

by **Crimey** Mon 13 Mar 2017, 10:00 am

Glad we got the win, performance was poor but I'll take winning with poor performances against bogey sides anytime.

Slightly concerned about the Manchester City game without Henderson. Firmino enjoys playing against them though and he should be back in time.

What is good, is City are likely to play in a way that we know how to beat, Guardiola isn't going to change so they're unlikely to be going long ball.

by lfc91 Mon 13 Mar 2017, 11:44 am

Very surprised we got the win. Played poorly. Burnley not only unsettled us with their direct play (which everyone knew they would) they also bossed possession for large periods of the game which was worrying. But like you say I will gladly take it. Been enough games this season that have left me with the "how the hell have we just lost that" feeling, this one leaning the other way for a change.

More confident of getting a result against City than I was going into the Burnley game (which is quite depressing). Really is hinging on Firmino being back and fit though as Origi doesn't bring anywhere near the pressing required. Also could do with Coutinho remembering that he is actually a good player who can influence games....

by **Hero** Mon 13 Mar 2017, 12:11 pm

Don't think I've ever seen Coutinho as bad as that.

by lfc91 Mon 13 Mar 2017, 12:24 pm

May as well have not been on the pitch for all he done. Don't think anyone was surprised to see his number held up for the first sub. Another worry is that our go to sub was a 17 year old with about 2 first team league appearances. Few injuries highlight the massive lack of depth.

by GSC Wed 15 Mar 2017, 1:15 pm

Jose's latest rant is accusing pundits criticising Pogba of being poor and jealous of his earning capacity

The man really is a grade a twunk

by GSC Thu 16 Mar 2017, 10:51 am

Aitor Karanka the next man down

by **Crimey** Thu 16 Mar 2017, 10:56 am

Nigel Pearson to take over? He's the only manager available I can see moving there.

Unless they bring back Steve McClaren again.

by GSC Thu 16 Mar 2017, 11:00 am

McClaren would be my guess

by **Crimey** Thu 16 Mar 2017, 11:21 am

Other potential names:

Alan Pardew
Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink
Roy Hodgson

Also seen Martin Jol mentioned.

Can't rule out Alan Curbishley...

by **owen10ozzy** Thu 16 Mar 2017, 11:28 am

McClaren isn't coming back! He may have left to take the England job, however by time of his departure he had lost the fans too. His negative football wasn't to far removed from what we have been watching this season....add to the fact the issues after his departure...massive wage bill...financial struggles etc etc and I'd be very surprised if Gibson went down that avenue...not to mention...he just isn't that good of a manger anymore...his record shows very little progress since choosing the lofty heights of international management.

Nigel Pearson would be my bet...has shown an appetite for the relegation fight and how to motivate the players to get out of it. Lest we forget as good a job as Ranieri did plenty of those players headed into the season riding the crest of the wave that Pearson help to create. He also has ties to Boro as a player, which the club love as do the fans..the sticking point may be that the club is set up in a more European way in terms of player recruitment, stock placed on analysis and data coaches etc..unless Gibson decides to completely revamp the backroom staff and ultimately way of doing things then he may look to a manager more suited to the current club set up...and in that case...I haven't the foggiest who he'd hire!

by **Good Golly I'm Olly** Thu 16 Mar 2017, 12:20 pm

Nigel Pearson is a serious downgrade from Karanka

by **Crimey** Thu 16 Mar 2017, 12:28 pm

Good Golly I'm Olly wrote:Nigel Pearson is a serious downgrade from Karanka

I can see the reasoning though, Karanka had clearly lost the dressing room and he was unlikely to get that morale back. Nigel Pearson brought Leicester out of a worse position (albeit one he put him them in) and is notorious for his discipline so he might be able to kick them into shape.

I think Middlesbrough are literally just hoping they gain a load of points from the initial change and that will be enough to save them from relegation and then they can review again in the summer. I still think they'll go down.

by **Dolphin Ziggler** Thu 16 Mar 2017, 12:48 pm

Karanka wasn't treated well by the fans but he then kept causing trouble.

Regardless, he didn't curry enough favour to survive this awful patch.

by dyrewolfe Thu 16 Mar 2017, 1:24 pm

GSC wrote:McClaren would be my guess

May Zeus smite you with a lightning bolt! mad

Dolphin Ziggler wrote:
Karanka wasn't treated well by the fans but he then kept causing trouble.

Regardless, he didn't curry enough favour to survive this awful patch.

Karanka was treated like a saviour for most of his time at the club. The fans loved him. Things only started to change late last season after he walked out of a training session and rumours began circulating of training ground bust-up with players.

Since then his relationship with the squad continued to deteriorate. He also didn't help himself by criticising the board over their transfer policy. His continued negative and defensive tactics, when it was obvious even to a blind man that something had to change, just drained the last of the fans' goodwill.

owen10ozzy wrote:
McClaren isn't coming back! He may have left to take the England job, however by time of his departure he had lost the fans too. His negative football wasn't to far removed from what we have been watching this season....add to the fact the issues after his departure...massive wage bill...financial struggles etc etc and I'd be very surprised if Gibson went down that avenue...not to mention...he just isn't that good of a manger anymore...his record shows very little progress since choosing the lofty heights of international management.

Nigel Pearson would be my bet...has shown an appetite for the relegation fight and how to motivate the players to get out of it. Lest we forget as good a job as Ranieri did plenty of those players headed into the season riding the crest of the wave that Pearson help to create. He also has ties to Boro as a player, which the club love as do the fans..the sticking point may be that the club is set up in a more European way in terms of player recruitment, stock placed on analysis and data coaches etc..unless Gibson decides to completely revamp the backroom staff and ultimately way of doing things then he may look to a manager more suited to the current club set up...and in that case...I haven't the foggiest who he'd hire!

Tony Mowbray also had strong ties to the club and the fans loved him (and mostly still do). Wink

Its been the best part of 20 years since Pearson was at Boro...I doubt there are many there among the staff who remember him (if any).

Also Pearson has a track record of not staying anywhere for long. I doubt he'd stick around any longer than Karanka, if that long. He might be a good "quick-fix" option to try and steer us clear of relegation. Problem is, if he succeeded, we'd probably just end up getting relegated next season. I certainly wouldn't have any faith in him managing us in the PL long-term.

Quite a lot of names being floated on the Oneboro forum (including Pearson). The timing of Karanka's departure seems to suggest Gibson has a replacement lined up...someone he thinks will keep the club up. Given that half our remaining fixtures are against top 6 teams, that is going to be some achievement if they manage it.

by GSC Thu 16 Mar 2017, 1:33 pm

The negative tactics thing is interesting. Much like Chelsea a few years ago, are they good defensively and bad offensively, or do they prioritise defence at the expense of offense.

Not sure Boro would be any better off if Karanka left them more open in an effort to score more.

by dyrewolfe Thu 16 Mar 2017, 1:42 pm

GSC wrote:The negative tactics thing is interesting. Much like Chelsea a few years ago, are they good defensively and bad offensively, or do they prioritise defence at the expense of offense.

Not sure Boro would be any better off if Karanka left them more open in an effort to score more.

Well we've got the joint 5th best defence in the league and look where we are! Obviously a good defence isn't everything and will only get you so far, if you can't put them away at the other end.

And at the moment teams only need to score once against us to win.

I believe we have the players to be a much more attacking side...guys like Ramirez, Traore, Downing, Negredo, Clayton, De Roon and Bamford. Played to their strengths, I see no reason why we couldn't be a much more exciting and attack-minded team.

by **Dolphin Ziggler** Thu 16 Mar 2017, 7:31 pm

I don't think you can claim the fans were great when they barracked him in a year he got them promoted.

And I always look at calls for "two up top" as a sign of desperation. When the argument is over not playing 442 then how does a manager win?

by **owen10ozzy** Thu 16 Mar 2017, 9:00 pm

Its quick for people to point fingers and claim Karanka got a hard time from the fans...but they stood behind him during the player/manager bust up last season. The problem is when it happens once the fans are on your side...when stories continue to emerge then it becomes difficult not to think the issue is with the manager as well...

Even heading into this season, whilst plenty werent tok enthralled with him in the helm he has been backed to the hilt by fans...only need to see our attendances to see the drop has been tiny despite the terrible run of form. But when you come out at the end of January and lambast the fans for turning on the team, which they had every right to do the way we had been playing and the results, and then publicly call into question the chairman...a man idolised by the fans and for bloody good reason then you've mad a rod for your own back. He was lucky he wasnt thrown to the side their and then (if we wanted a fighting chance to stay up he should have been but Gibson was too loyal)

Fans of other teams seem to have this view we cant get better than Karanka...why? Olly you say Pearson is a serious downgrade on the man...for what reason? Because Karanka got us promotion? Pearson has done that too. Karanka got his big break from us, and as much as he has done in terms of putting us back in the top flight he'd do well to remember who gave him is opportunity. Just because the man has worked with Mourinho doesnt make him a great or mean he is a fantastic manager. Steve McClaren worked with Fergie for nigh on a decade..is he a great manager? No. Fact is that Aitor has done no more than Pearson has in the English game...in fact arguably he has done less. Plenty on here were quick to say how we should be embarassed if we didnt get promoted last season because of the money spent...now apparently Karanka has been shafted for being sacked. If any of you sat through the championship...for the better part of two thirds of the season we were painstaking to watch and we managed to throw plenty of points away because of the mans tactics...

Cant remember the exact stat but on skysports few weeks ago their was a graphic showing we have given away the 4th most amount of points from winning positions...reason...Karanka's negativity and tactical naivity which was the same last year.

Decent guy, written in folklore for getting us back in the rop flight but he is far from a great manager...he was lucky enough to be given the job at a team when financially we could make a run for the premiership for first time in 5 years...he almost messed up that task despite the huge gulf in funds/players he had to play with. He has been stubborn to the point he flat out refuses to change tact..he has failed to utilise some of the better players at the club and he has turned on the players, the club and the fans at various points ...whilst having the gall to never admit he himself has made mistakes in his tenure.

by **Dolphin Ziggler** Thu 16 Mar 2017, 9:03 pm

Sack a manager who gets you promoted cos he's struggling to keep you up? Where do you expect to be?

by **owen10ozzy** Thu 16 Mar 2017, 9:09 pm

Hold up...werent plenty of your lot calling for Billic to be sacked because you were struggling and look what hes done for you in the past year...

What should he do? Leave him at the helm despite clearly losing the dressing room...despite the fact he has stated in public he wont change the way we play...your solution is...keep him as manager?

If you did your job wrong every day, you could see it was wrong and you werent getting results.. yet you refused to do something different..would you expect to be in your job 3 months later? Dont be stupid course you wouldnt!

Way people react on here you'd think we had given him the boot after 3 losses. The man hasnt steered us to a win since mid december...almost 3 months ago..since that time he has fallen out with 3 players..hasnt tried anything new..has derided the fans and chairman in public..yet you expect us to retain his services?

I know the manager merry go round is more ridiculous than ever but this is one of the most justified sackings in a long time

by **Dolphin Ziggler** Thu 16 Mar 2017, 9:39 pm

owen10ozzy wrote:Hold up...werent plenty of your lot calling for Billic to be sacked because you were struggling and look what hes done for you in the past year...

What should he do? Leave him at the helm despite clearly losing the dressing room...despite the fact he has stated in public he wont change the way we play...your solution is...keep him as manager?

If you did your job wrong every day, you could see it was wrong and you werent getting results.. yet you refused to do something different..would you expect to be in your job 3 months later? Dont be stupid course you wouldnt!

Way people react on here you'd think we had given him the boot after 3 losses. The man hasnt steered us to a win since mid december...almost 3 months ago..since that time he has fallen out with 3 players..hasnt tried anything new..has derided the fans and chairman in public..yet you expect us to retain his services?

I know the manager merry go round is more ridiculous than ever but this is one of the most justified sackings in a long time

The first part isn't particularly true. You've got Twitter morons, of course, and you're now comparing an established Premier Leavue side with one who have just got back. (Bit of an apples with oranges comparison)

But regardless, the man has only just dropped into the bottom three with 12 games to go whilst managing a newly promoted side. It is sackings like this that lead people to throwing out comments about how the worst thing a manager can do for a reasonably unfashionable club is get them promoted, as he'll just get sacked if they look in trouble on the step up anyway.

Were Burnley to be where Boro are, I don't think you'd be expecting Dyche sacked. Whilst somewhat understandable (not many sackings are wildly confusing), I don't like this one. Don't think the fans have appreciated him, nor have the club taken stock on a year ago and now.

by dyrewolfe Thu 16 Mar 2017, 10:04 pm

Dolphin Ziggler wrote:I don't think you can claim the fans were great when they barracked him in a year he got them promoted.

And I always look at calls for "two up top" as a sign of desperation. When the argument is over not playing 442 then how does a manager win?

I suggest you stick to commenting on stuff you know about. If you'd actually watched Boro this season (beyond when they played West Ham) you wouldn't be asking that question.

Hell, you just have to look at our stats and results for this season, to see why people have been calling for changes to tactics and formations. When you've gone 10 games without a win and no goals in 4, even a blind man can see there's a problem and that something needs to change.

Dolphin Ziggler wrote:
Sack a manager who gets you promoted cos he's struggling to keep you up? Where do you expect to be?

Again, I suggest you do a bit of research before commenting. You really need to know just how badly Boro have been playing for much of the season, not to mention the clashes with various players, the lack of unity and team spirit, the clear lack of will of several players to play for the manager, the disputes with the board over transfers.

Yes we expected to struggle, but we've spent enough money and on paper, at least, have a squad which ought to be capable of at least competing...which we clearly haven't been doing for some time.

Sorry, but you really have no idea what you're talking about.

Dolphin Ziggler wrote:
The first part isn't particularly true. You've got Twitter morons, of course, and you're now comparing an established Premier Leavue side with one who have just got back. (Bit of an apples with oranges comparison)

But regardless, the man has only just dropped into the bottom three with 12 games to go whilst managing a newly promoted side. It is sackings like this that lead people to throwing out comments about how the worst thing a manager can do for a reasonably unfashionable club is get them promoted, as he'll just get sacked if they look in trouble on the step up anyway.

Were Burnley to be where Boro are, I don't think you'd be expecting Dyche sacked. Whilst somewhat understandable (not many sackings are wildly confusing), I don't like this one. Don't think the fans have appreciated him, nor have the club taken stock on a year ago and now.

1. Thanks for acknowledging that all clubs have small minorities of idiots in their fan bases. Yes Karanka got booed by a small section of fans last season. The majority have backed him until around Christmas...hell there were still a lot backing him on the forums until the last couple of games.

2. Like I said in response to your previous comments, this is something that has been gathering momentum all season, with Boro's increasingly poor performances. You have to have watched the majority of our games to really appreciate the calls for him to go. Trust me, if West Ham were in our position, your manager was having clashes with a number of your players and had walked out of the club previously and if on top of that you were turning in pathetic performances week after week...you would be calling for Bilic's head.

3. If Burnley were still playing competitively and the players were still clearly backing the manager and they still looked as though they could get out of trouble, then no. As I said in point 2, if they were playing with a total lack of will to win, clearly didn't have confidence in the manager and basically looked like they just didn't want to be there...I would expect the Burnley board to take action.

Steve Gibson is known to be a chairman who gives managers a fair chance and if he's made the decision to ring the changes, you can be sure it wasn't a snap judgement and was only done after careful consideration.

As I said before, you don't know whats been going on over the course of the season. Try doing a bit of research before commenting on other clubs and the actions of the fans and board.

by **owen10ozzy** Thu 16 Mar 2017, 10:06 pm

He may have only just dropped into it however we have tumbling towards it since christmas and he has done nothing to stop the rot. He hasnt changed tactics...he hasnt even fully utilised the player signings he did get. Spent £12 million on Rhodes, proven goalscorer who he barely played even in the Championship...replaced him with Bamford who was spectacular two years ago...yet you wouldnt even know he's at the club.

Its easy to condemn a sacking looking from the outside in, but you forget the fans of the club have been the ones watching them week in week out and the general consenus is that he needed to go.

None of us expected us to do anythinh other than survive this year..however to spend 7 years trying to get into the top flight and go out with a wimper is not on. If his tactics were working and he was picking up the odd win then no problem...but as i said...no win since mid december...in fact we have only won twice since end of october...you really thank thats goood enough to keep the job?

I also think your wildly wrong to say the fans haven't appreciated him...for the performances on offer and the results we have had he has been backed massively...right up until January in fact when he, not us, he turned on the fans. You simply cannot do that and to have the arrogance to do so and barely apologise afterwards explains why he lost a lot of respect in Middlesbrough.

The 2nd thing, the fans of the club know more than most where we were a year ago...many of the fans suffered through 5 years of misery not to mention 18 months of genuine concern when the club were extremely close to going broke yet again (many dont realise just how close) ..its what makes the fans want us to fight for the right to be in the premier league...to at least have a go and attempt to take it into our own hands...instead of feebily defend for our lives and hope its enough (like i said...thats all well and good and acceptable if its showing signs of working) but it hasnt been...so the people who help pay the money for the wages of the managers and players etc deserve to witness something different...something which may actually change our form and bring us a win.

by **Dolphin Ziggler** Thu 16 Mar 2017, 10:27 pm

For all your condescending tone there, you haven't made much of a potent point.

You struggled to play attacking football in the premier league as a newly promoted team? So what? The defence has been relatively impressive and should be respected, and I don't see where his exploits getting the side promoted have been rewarded.

It's by no means the cut and dry, obvious sacking you paint it to be. Like I said, there are understandable reasons, but I don't think it sits well.

For all the snobbery of that post, all I have done is mildly criticise a decision.

by **Dolphin Ziggler** Thu 16 Mar 2017, 10:49 pm

I don't think we'll find common ground here. There are two perspectives, and I shouldn't dismiss your emotional understanding of the club and you shouldn't dismiss the view of that perspective that has a few steps from the feelings of it all and is more cold.

I don't like it, I get it, I think managers deserve more when their sides are promoted and relegation shouldn't be seen as a horrendous conclusion.

However, the money on offer each year means trigger fingers get itchy. I hear Hiddink is on the shortlist, which intrigues me, but positions like this are hard. As class a manager as he has been, is he a relegation firefighter? Is a relegation firefighter really a better long term option than Karanka?

I get this one more than Derby anyway

by **Good Golly I'm Olly** Thu 16 Mar 2017, 10:54 pm

If you don't think Nigel Pearson is a serious downgrade, then I don't think you know anything about football quite frankly. Not only is he an odious man, he's barely an average championship manager, let alone one who will keep you from PL relegation - and his style of football is atrocious

by **owen10ozzy** Thu 16 Mar 2017, 11:06 pm

As you say Dolph...different perspectives...it's a forum and without those it would be a rather dull place. As I've said before, I'm one of the few who would often give managers more time than they deserve..takes a lot for me to think pulling trigger is the right move. Personally...had Karanka not been so stubborn and was willing to at least change tactics and see how things went he would have most definitely kept fans on side...heck I'm sure I speak for most in saying had he done it for just couple of games and it didn't work and he reverted to type, he'd still be their and I wouldn't mind that. Like I said..I don't even mind if we go down (though I do worry financially for us even with parachute payments) but Karanka had to show some flexibility and more importantly some notion that he was learning and willing to adjust when things didn't go his way. Those are key attributes for long term success after all...look at this way..from the little (I'd imagine not loads as your not a fan) you've seen of the way he sets us up, his post match comments etc..would you hand on heart believe if we went down and he brought us back up he'd do things different?! I've seen a lot of us this here and have been lucky to be at a fair number of press conferences...I would bet my house he would not change his way if he had a 2nd crack at it. And there in lies the problem...that and as we alluded to earlier his very public falling out with players and the board.

You make a great point about Hiddink...one I agree on and I wouldn't personally think he is the man for the job. When you've been managing the calibare of players he has I'd imagine coaching and man managing players who aren't as good would be tough as odd as that sounds.

There isn't a huge pool of managers out their truth be told and smaller still who would be interested in a small club like ours...you mentioned earlier that long term still needs to be considered and your right..its a huge appointment coming up for all involved at the club and one I hope he gets right...

Nigel Clough? Haven't seen that one mentioned but perhaps worth a look...big step up but certainly has some pedigree in building clubs up in terms of a long term outlook.

I pray we stay clear of McClaren...Curbishley and Hasselbaink...even Pardew you'd have to say is only short term fix as his teams are notorious for fizzling out after 18 months in charge

by **owen10ozzy** Thu 16 Mar 2017, 11:23 pm

Please Olly explain to me what makes Karanka that much better than Pearson?

I'm the one talking guff about football...yet you have just said Pearson isn't a manager to keep a club in the premiership..clearly you weren't watching the Leicester survival story 2 years ago! That wasn't even a one off..he has pulled off great escapes with Carlisle and Southampton too. Not to mention earning promotions from League one and Championship...in his seasons with Leicester he finished in the Championship playoffs twice...won the league and kept them up in his first season in the Premier League..

At hull he went in with severe financial difficulties following relegation...steered them to 11th in his first season and left them a point outside playoffs when going back to Leicester.

I'd be right in thinking he has only ever been sacked twice in his career...at Derby who are a mess of a club and Leicester where if Karanka didn't deserve the sack he most definitely didn't!

Average Championship manager with finishes of 5th, 11th, 9th, 6th and 1st.

He certainly has far more pedigree than Alex Neil who were pretty much lauding last year on these forums!

by **Good Golly I'm Olly** Thu 16 Mar 2017, 11:36 pm

owen10ozzy wrote:Please Olly explain to me what makes Karanka that much better than Pearson?

I'm the one talking guff about football...yet you have just said Pearson isn't a manager to keep a club in the premiership..clearly you weren't watching the Leicester survival story 2 years ago! That wasn't even a one off..he has pulled off great escapes with Carlisle and Southampton too. Not to mention earning promotions from League one and Championship...in his seasons with Leicester he finished in the Championship playoffs twice...won the league and kept them up in his first season in the Premier League..

At hull he went in with severe financial difficulties following relegation...steered them to 11th in his first season and left them a point outside playoffs when going back to Leicester.

I'd be right in thinking he has only ever been sacked twice in his career...at Derby who are a mess of a club and Leicester where if Karanka didn't deserve the sack he most definitely didn't!

Average Championship manager with finishes of 5th, 11th, 9th, 6th and 1st.

He certainly has far more pedigree than Alex Neil who were pretty much lauding last year on these forums!

Yes major props to the manager who scraped survival with literally the same team that won the title the next year...(bar one player in Kante essentially).

He failed at Saints and jumped ship to Leicester the first time - where he did meh and fell out with the owners and did on "ok" job at a relegated Hull side, before jumping ship again to Leicester - where with the biggest budget in the champ he guided them to 9th, playoffs, then promotion. I wouldn't call that rip roaring success personally (and then he got sacked cos of how he handled his son's thing). And his Derby spell this year was an unmitigated disaster - he turned one of the most free flowing, attacking teams in the championship into a team that literally couldn't score - and then he fell out with the owner again and got sacked, with Derby 20th. Sorry but that man isn't the one who is going to keep Middlesborough in the PL - someone like Hiddink, McLaren or dare I say it Hodgson, would be a 100 times better.

by westisbest Fri 17 Mar 2017, 12:41 am

I don't think Pearson would be the worst option for Boro.
Did great in keeping Leicester up, so has that in his locker.

Also an ex Boro player.

Good luck to Boro
Hope whoever it is can keep you guys up

by GSC Fri 17 Mar 2017, 9:42 am

Pearson also spent like 6 months bottom of the table that season, he kickstarted the momentum that propelled them to the title, but can't ignore the rest of that season.

by **Crimey** Fri 17 Mar 2017, 10:38 am

Remember Nigel Pearson put Leicester in that position in the first place though! He did much worse with Leicester that season than Karanka has done with Middlesbrough this year.

by Guest Sat 18 Mar 2017, 2:15 pm

Looks curtains for Wenger now

by GSC Sat 18 Mar 2017, 10:35 pm

Sad ending. Regardless hes an icon of that club, but its also hard not to sympathise with the fans tired of football purgatory. All I would say, is United and Liverpool are living proof of be careful what you wish for in that regard. Merely staying on the pace is nothing to sniff at.

In the end hes been done in not only by the players half arsing it, but by loyalty to a group of players that have largely proven they're a step below top quality.

by GSC Sat 18 Mar 2017, 10:46 pm

Allegri seems to be the popular link.

Task one will be desperately trying to convince Sanchez and Ozil to stick around. Beyond large sections of that squad need turning over.

by GSC Sat 18 Mar 2017, 11:03 pm

Worth a punt on Bilic to be next to go? Not they're in any great danger of going down, but owners must be getting twitchy at the thought of an empty stadium.

For all the disappointment at Ranieris dismissal, the players picking their ideas up after his sacking looks to have secured PL football. Is it a coincidence they seem to rediscovered their lucky touch since also.

by **Dolphin Ziggler** Sun 19 Mar 2017, 1:28 am

It's definitely worth a punt. Sullivan started playing his games with Slav in December. Think his contract situation means it's likely he just doesn't get kept on at the end of the season.

by **Dolphin Ziggler** Sun 19 Mar 2017, 1:36 pm

Smalling

by compelling and rich Sun 19 Mar 2017, 3:19 pm

nice to get out of 6th

by Guest Sun 19 Mar 2017, 4:05 pm

If Wenger loses the dressing room he is out. The Arsenal players didn't play for him against WBA, apart from Sanchez, so Wenger realised he is a ~~gunner~~ gonna.

by **Dolphin Ziggler** Sun 19 Mar 2017, 8:46 pm

Claims he's agreed a one year deal.

Liverpool escaped with one today

by lfc91 Mon 20 Mar 2017, 8:15 am

Happy with that result. Game was fantastic and both teams missed enough chances to win the game outright. On the balance of play City would have been the more deserving of a win. Milner got away with one in a big way! Can only assume because it was Sterling the ref assumed there was every chance he had missed from 2 yards all of his own accord.... Wish they had kept Toure on a bit longer, we were just storming through the midfield near the end of his time on the pitch! The tactical switch from city really turned the game around.

by compelling and rich Mon 20 Mar 2017, 8:29 am

yaya was pathetic, stealing a living that lad

were getting plenty of stick about pogba from city fans, how on earth they have the cheek with him in their midfield

by lfc91 Mon 20 Mar 2017, 9:04 am

The second half was when it was most evident I thought. Seemed both unwilling and unable to track any of the liverpool runners. When Emre Can is bossing you in midfield you know you're in trouble....

by **Crimey** Mon 20 Mar 2017, 9:37 am

Both teams could have very easily won that game, other than the dominant period in the first 20 minutes thought Liverpool more than held their own, especially considering it was away from home. Firmino didn't look fully fit and I'm surprised he was kept on for nearly the whole 90 minutes, basically just shows the lack of depth on the bench that Klopp couldn't really trust to bring anybody on. I still feel like he should be bringing on Woodburn earlier, he may be young, but he's fearless and he's got a lot of pace which can really trouble defences, especially as they don't really know what to expect.

Hopefully Henderson is back soon, Emre Can had probably his best game of the season in that game but the team generally performs much better with Henderson in that '6' role.

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