S-Clarke

Looks like the Boro Media and their press luvvies are still in full flow on this. In the grand scheme of things, this is so irrelevant. I have no idea what we've done to deserve this level of attention because a kid stood behind a tree. It feels like we're in some sort of weird parody.

The EFL couldn't charge the manager directly, only the FA The FA are the authority with the power to charge the managers/coaches of English clubs. But if they ban him from football, then it's basically another football club punishment too on the back of the 2 we already had.

I know I said this before we were booted out of the playoffs, but I cannot see the manager getting banned. Touchline bans at most, surely. If they do ban him from football, and we are forced to appoint a new manager and upset all the players/plans, whilst we have already started pre-season...then football is over for me. It'll be done.

I didn't ever have the privilege of watching Keegan play for us, or experiencing what must have been incredible excitement at the signing of someone of his stature at the time. I envy those who were around! He was a great football person, loved everywhere he ended up. I heard that he was ill but I didn't expect an announcement so sudden. RIP. Football has lost one of it's greats.

One way to spend all your Morgan Rogers riches in one go.

But there still aren't FA Rules for spying as a specific thing. This is the common acting in good faith/bringing the game into disrepute rule, which Leeds and Bielsa also did breach at an FA and EFL level. The FA can only sanction him on a rule they hold, and they don't have a rule for spying.

So he's breached another rule which seemingly has an entirely open level of punishments which can be applied, sounds fair. If he's banned from football for this then the whole thing is corrupt. It cannot be anymore than a personal fine and a touchline ban at most. Otherwise they're saying that a manager headbutting a player is less severe, makes sense. He should have done that instead, one way to have ensured Hackney was out of the 1st leg.

Makes sense, he's not necessarily a transfer target - just part of their multi-club player merry-go-round as he's at Strasbourg. He was previously at Brighton. The link with Brighton/Chelsea is all a bit fishy too.

It felt like the football was the sideshow to it all last night, the entire thing was built around the pre-match concerts, half time show, full-time nonsense and Argentina's dirty tactics. The match was a distraction to all their corporate Americanised bollocks. This is why I hate American owners taking over English football as they are right now, like the Wrexham lot, as you see the same nonsense being brought into the English game. Football is about football, not concerts, fireworks or light shows. The right team won last night, has there ever been such a poor showing as Argentina showed? They didn't even try. All they wanted to do was foul and throw elbows at people. They had no intention of playing football and I'm so glad they didn't win it. Spain played the better side, clearly, but christ they were boring - very predictable and slow. Overall the World Cup is what we all thought it would be, Americanised nonsense. But it hasn't been 'all bad'. You've still got the Cape Verde story which was great, England winning at the Azteca in the early hours of the morning and - although very much an anti climax, our best finish since 1966 and some sort of medal. So it's not all bad, but sadly it was all punctuated by the Americanisms and Celeb culture more than the football overall. p.s - How much did Ronaldo and Ronaldinho get paid to do that?? I felt sorry for them, it looked terrible.

Tuchel was brought in to get this team over the line in big moments, in the big games against the big sides. And he spectacularly failed in ways that were actually worse than Southgate. I know he has claimed he didn't want us to stop attacking, however the message being sent when you put on Konsa to replace Gordon is enough to change the momentum. It was a negative change, switching to 5 at the back. We were already struggling to get out and we just gave them the game at that point. The additional subs thereafter, O'Riley in CM and Burn in as yet another CB were an absolute panicked mess. We couldn't get out, we needed legs, Saka, Rashford - but we got Burn and O'Riley. When you look at that Argentina team, Messi aside, they aren't a France. We didn't need to surrender as we did, and that's exactly what we did. It was the same against Spain when we equalised, it was the same against Croatia in 2018, it was the same against Italy in 2020. Big games, big moments, take your chance and then just stop playing. It's a mentality thing, but the coaching staff have to help with that - and bringing on Dan Burn and Konsa doesn't help with changing that mentality, as that screams ''protect what you have, don't go forward''. The Mexico game will be one of my all time favourite world cup memories I think, but for a tournament as a whole we have been pretty poor I have to say. The Tuchel experiment has failed in my eyes.

Yeah I think it's been great fun, good tournament so far. Cape Verde added to the tournament, they were fun to watch. There have been some naff games, like the one last night between Spain and Portugal, but on the whole it's been a good watch - minus the early hour kicks offs. The Mexico v England game will be one of my all time favourite World Cup memories.

That was well worth staying up for, a tremendous game which had a bit of everything. One for the ages! Those players were literally out on their arses in the last 20 mins, given the 10 men for a good part of the game and the lack of conditioning at that altitude, it was sheer grit and determination which got us through - they were all playing for each other, this isn't a team of 'golden balls/generation' anymore, it looked like a real gelled side (and it has done for years tbh). Great subs as well at the times we needed it, Stones made us stronger and so did Burn for the 'just head it' approach. Defensively I'd say we looked a bit iffy, but then in the final throws of the game we did hold out well and defended very well. I think we got our head to the ball first in the closing stages, although Mexico were a bit predictable I felt - get it wide, cross it in. Get it wide, cross it in. It's been a really fun world cup despite all the initial reservations, I think it's been a decent specacle.

I know people often pit Ronaldo and Messi together, one is better than the other etc, but honestly we've been lucky to be part of a generation with two unbelievable players. They made 50-60 goals in a single season the norm in their peak, they're still playing at the highest level in their late 30's/40's and contributing. They are insane. I don't think we'll have a double act like that again.

wtf? It just gets weirder and so unfair. Where is the sporting punishments on City, Chelsea and co? It really makes the entire playoffs this year an absolute mess, you've got Boro getting to the final by losing the semi final, and Hull getting promoted - great achievement - and then facing almost immediate relegation due to a points deduction.

Why the fuck have we replaced him with Chalobah? Gutted for Tino, but this will be the story of his career.

This guy makes a fortune by baiting fans, much in the same way as Adrian Durham. Crook is slightly less blatant about it, but he pretty much makes up everything he spouts to get reactions.

I notice that Craig Hope, the guy so completely appalled by what we did, has leaked the supposed England team news ahead of tomorrow.

He's been incredible since he's been back, he's just reliable and steady - not flashy and honestly that's sometimes all you need. We're not reinventing the world playing Fellows RB or anything daft anymore, we have a RB for RB. Simple game really.

I didn't want the club to put all their eggs in the Ross Stewart basket last summer (they did), but equally I didn't want them to do it this summer either, as you still can't truly trust him to remain fit. I can understand the clubs prerogative in not wanting to commit too heavily, the guy didn't play for almost 2-3 seasons in his 4 years with us. Even this season, whilst contributing, it has been punctuated with injury breaks and early subs - we were always walking on egg shells with him. From his point of view he's entitled to go shopping elsewhere and see if he can get a longer deal for security, but I can't see him anywhere other than Scotland. This now gives us a clear opening to replace and provide Larin with equal competition again. I enjoyed the rotating approach of these two in the 2nd half of last season, so let's hope we get someone equal to make a similar impact. (I'm discounting Downs as he's not a footballer)

Good to see Bazunu improving - up to third bottom, possibly the first time he's been that high. 👍

I feel a bit sorry for WHU fans in all of this, as their name is about to be dragged through the mud I'm sure. Not the fans fault, but apparently the 'club' is somewhat complicit in some of the coverups. Doubt we'll ever find out the true story.

Last season we signed this guy when we still had Bazunu as first choice, and the argument was that our keeper signing should have been first choice and then Bazunu would be backup. We've got it the right way round this summer. First choice keeper signed first, and then backup GK signed.

I feel the same. Usually in the build up to a Euro's or a World Cup, you start to see cars with flags, flags outside houses, just a general excited vibe. It's just not here is it? All feels flat as a pancake like it's not happening. I used to listen to the build up podcasts, the preview shows on the channels etc. But I just haven't been interested. Most people say we'll get into it once it starts, but how are we supposed to get into it when most of the games are in the early hours of the morning or really late at night. I think a combination of the kick off times and the dull nature of International football these days has killed the excitement.

Does this mean he's 'Fine for the Championship' ?

This sounds like an approach to get better terms, we obviously went for the trigger option which retained his current deal, but his agents say we missed that boat so he needs an entirely new deal. I wouldn't say he deserves to be paid more, we need to be more careful if anything - pay as you play and not too long a deal. It's a strange one to be pushing for better terms because he basically didn't play for us for 3 years. I think from a pure moral stand point he owes the club.