Time is up for Strachan...

Middlesbrough FC have today announced that manager Gordon Strachan has parted company with the club, a mere 12 months after initially taking the position. A 2-1 defeat at the weekend to new boys Leeds United in front of a sparse Boro crowd appears to have been the final straw for the club as the former Celtic manager leaves by ‘mutual consent’ – the nice way of being told to resign. Many had predicted Strachan and Boro to march on to an easy promotion this season after heavy investment in the team which saw record SPL scorer Kris Boyd join the club, but instead the club currently occupy 20th place in the Championship and a new manager will be tasked with taking Middlesbrough back to the other end of the table.

Tony Mowbray has been installed as the overwhelming favourite at 1/2 on sky bet, followed by Phil Brown (4/1), Alan Curbishley (10/1), Paul Ince (10/1) and Alan Pardew (10/1). It is fair to say that Boro are unlikely to poach a manager from another club unless they are on a short term contract, as even before the club spent big aiming for promotion with Strachan they had quite a lot of debt on their shoulders. That also means that a new manager will probably need to do with the resources currently at the club unless there is a chance to raise funds from selling players that are deemed surplus to requirements – it is fair to say that the Boro job doesn’t look as simple as it did at the start of the season! Still, there are a number of quality players at the club who on their day would walk into any Championship side. Also…Kris Boyd! Kris Boyd! Kris Boyd! They’ll have Kris Boyd!

On the subject of debt, it is probably quite important that Boro realise their promotion ambition this season as failure to do this could leave the club without the revenue they need in order to pay off the gamble they have taken by spending quite a bit in the transfer market, not to mention the players wage’s which are bound to be quite hefty. In this instance it is quite understandable that chairman Steve Gibson has made such a change as being 20th in the club is not only worrying for him, but the club as a whole and Boro fans don’t need to be reminded that their side has already folded once before in the mid 80′s. A repeat of that would be a terrible sight, but also a sign of the modern way of football which dictates that in order to gain big money you’ve got to risk big money that you don’t initially have.

So who do Boro go for? Experience is the most likely candidate – although they did have that with Strachan and it didn’t really pay off. Who do you think will be the new Middlesbrough manager?

We'll miss you Gylfi!

Well now that Sky Sports is calming down a bit from its day of “twist and turns” (sure), the transfer deadline is upon us and teams can no longer make any more permanent signings. The football league sides can still sign free agents and make short term loan signings, but any permanent signings in these hard economical times are all complete until January. When it comes to the Championship, teams are often on a strict budget and new signings are very common, but who were the biggest winners and losers in this window?

Winners:

Cardiff City:

Craig Bellamy. That is without a doubt THE Championship signing of the summer and arguably one of the top signings in English football all together. Put on top of that the fact they’ve kept hold of Peter Wittingham, who may be signing a new contract soon, and Michael Chopra who disappointed some fans by announcing his intention to leave the club. Regardless of that, Cardiff City have the strongest attack in the Championship and they can only build on their good start to the season which has seen them gain 10 points from four games. Jason Koumas has also returned for his second spell on loan at the Bluebirds along with Manchester United youngster Danny Drinkwater, Hull City’s Seyi Olofinjana and Wolves striker Andy Keogh. Under new ownership, the future looks a little brighter for the Welsh outfit, after last season’s protests against Peter Ridsdale.

Middlesbrough:

Or team SPL as many people are calling them now, ‘Boro made the big signing of Kris Boyd this summer and excellent Steve Gibson has certainly took a gamble and shown his support to Gordon Strachan. Brad Jones is out and to be honest I think ‘Boro got a good deal from Liverpool as I always thought that he was a terrible goal keeper, they may not have brought in a replacement yet but I would expect a loan signing or free transfer to come in soon. Nicky Bailey is another honourable mention as well as Matt Kilgallon, who has come on loan from local rivals Sunderland. You could argue that they’ve not exactly taken the league by storm in the first four games, but as Sir Bobby Robson once said “there’s no point in looking at the table until November”. The defeat to Barnsley was a bit of a shock, but I’ve been to Barnsley before and they always make it hard for the opposition, despite many labelling them for relegation this season I think they may stay up. The fact for ‘Boro is that the team will still be growing relationships with each other and the side has fantastic depth that will benefit them greatly through the winter.

Losers:

Hull City:

I was quite shocked to hear that Nigel Pearson was admitted to hospital after complaining about a tight chest, but luckily the Hull manager is set to return. Pearson had hoped that a number of top earners would move on and although a number were sent out on loan and a few released/sold, there still remains a lot of players damaging an already tricky financial situation at Hull. Most notably is Jimmy Bullard, who wasn’t played in pre-season in order to ensure that he would remain fit in the prospect of a sale or loan move. Robert Koren and Jay Simpson are decent signings, but the club still has a lot of top earners that they were hopeful to get rid of and if Jay Simpson doesn’t start smashing in the goals then the club could really struggle to bounce back at the first time of asking.

Reading:

If you’re a Reading fan you’ll probably know why your club was one of the big losers this transfer window and that reason is Gylfi Sigurdsson. It appears that my article regarding the 5 players to watch this season has been a kiss of death for these guys, particularly Nicky Maynard who is out for 4 months (which all but ended my bet for him to finish top goal scorer this season!). Sigurdsson has made the move to Germany for a reported £4.25m, as he will wear the colours of Hoffenheim next season. I know it’s quite a bit of money for a Championship side, but this guy got 21 goals for Reading last season and he is a midfielder. At only 20 years old he still has a lot of progress to make and it would seem that Reading have lost the main cog in their system. On deadline day the ageing Ian Harte and Zurab Khizanishvilli (took me a while to spell that one) have came in, and although they’ll provide much needed support in the full back positions, Reading have lost their top player and it’s a shame that one of the Championship’s top players has left this season.

Derby County:

The board at Derby should be ashamed. They’ve promised to fund the squad for every transfer window and rarely does there appear to be any sort of ambitious investment from them. The reason they are in the losers section is the fact that Derby County have one of the loyalist, if not THE loyalist, fan base in the country and if you were to put teams in the top league based on their fans then Derby would be up there every season. Luke Varney is off the wage bill, but the squad hasn’t exactly been strengthened to challenge in the league too much. Supporters of the Rams will be hopeful that loan signing Alberto Bueno comes good, but truth be told this is another transfer window of what could have been for Derby, the squad really does need quite a lot of fresh talent. As I write this Rob Hulse may also be on his way out to QPR and Derby fans will be disappointed to see him leave.

Snodgrass: One to look out for

The start of the newly named Npower football league is almost upon us and it all gets under way on Friday night at Carrow Road when Norwich take on Watford. As well as a preview I will be writing on Thursday, I thought I’d pick out 5 players from this season that are worth keeping an eye on, I expect these five lads to really shine this season (let’s see how right I am when the Championship team of the season is announced next year – probably 0 right).

1. Nicky Maynard:

In my previous blog, I spoke about how Bristol City had one of their best sides in years and with a manager like Steve Coppell who has experience of success in this league with Reading, they have become a bit of a dark horse for promotion. David James aside, Bristol City fans will be hopeful that Nicky Maynard can build upon his 20 league goals from last season and be the spearhead of their attack. At only 23, Maynard is showing great potential and he is a proven goal scorer at this level. With the addition of more strength and depth in the Bristol City line up after a summer of signings (more to come!), Maynard is bound to have a chance to get even more goals this season. He is 14/1 on sky bet to be the Championship’s top scorer and he’s the player I’m backing to achieve that award. You may recognise Maynard from his goal against QPR last season, which even made its way into some journalist’s lists of “top European goals of the season” (never mind domestic!). Check it out below:

2. Robert Snodgrass:

Snodgrass – the unsung hero of Leeds United (by the media at least). For the past several seasons, Beckford has taken the plaudits for his goal scoring ability, but he often relied upon this man to provide the chances. Snodgrass is a gifted winger that can play on either flank and has great technical ability and patience on the ball. Now that Beckford has moved on to Everton, Leeds will be hopeful that Snodgrass can provide for whoever Beckford’s replacement is and he will be an important part of their bid for survival. He was one of League One’s best kept secrets and now he will have a chance to show what he can do at a higher level, I expect him to take many plaudits this season:

3. Kris Boyd:

Yes, it’s an obvious choice, but Boyd’s season will be an interesting one considering his reputation. Middlesbrough are the bookmakers favourites to gain promotion this season and much of that is due to the signing of the SPL’s top goal scorer of all time, if he picks up a bad injury than many may be reconsidering their choice (although ‘Boro do have a lot of strength and depth this season). He’s favourite to be the top goal scorer and he is all set to prove that he can be a prolific scorer in England just like he was in Scotland; failure to do this would be a disaster for Boyd, Scottish football and Middlesbrough:

4. Gylfi Sigurðsson:

Reading had a Jekyll & Hyde season last year. After selling off players in order to balance the books, Brendan Rodgers struggled at the club and was dismissed in December. Brian McDermott took temporary charge of the club and one of his first tasks was to play Liverpool in the F.A cup. The club got a respectable draw at the Madjeski, but few predicted that Reading would out play Liverpool at Anfield. Sigurosson was the star of the show that night and Jamie Carragher seemed frightened when he came running at him with the ball. At only 20 years old, he is one for the future and Reading fans will be glad that the Premiership hasn’t come calling for their 09/10 player of the season. I think we can expect more from Sigurosson this season and if you get the chance I highly recommend seeing him as he is a very exciting player to watch:

5. Connor Wickham:

It’s ironic really, Roy Keane spends loads of money on new recruits and a product of the Ipswich youth system ends up being the most capable. Wickham was recently rumoured to be the subject of a bid from Tottenham, with Spur’s apparently bidding £5m with an offer to loan the player back to the Tractor Boys. Ipswich are holding out for more money and you know you have something good if a Premier League team is offering that sort of money to a Championship club.  He may have only for four goals last season, but the 17 year old can expect to be more involved in club matters from start to finish this season. All the buzz about Wickham was started with his impressive performances at England U17 level where he helped his country win the U17 European Championship’s, some have even asked Capello if he would consider him for a full cap:

All the expectation...

Amazing isn’t it. At one time, the top goal scorer in the SPL was Henrik Larsson and he left Celtic to go to Barcelona. Now, his record has been beaten and due to Glasgow Ranger’s financial woes, they have been forced to let go of Kris Boyd who has joined his fellow Scotsman Gordon Strachan at Middlesbrough. With all respect to Middlesbrough, that is quite a drop in demand considering we now have the best SPL scorer of all time playing in England’s second tier. As much as Mr. Boyd might like to tell himself there is no pressure on him, there truly is and many will be expecting him to take the league by storm and fulfil the board’s desire to gain promotion. This could be a candidate for signing of the summer as ‘Boro have a proven goal scorer that has been consistent for years and at the age of 26, we can still expect a lot more from Boyd.

Boyd is exactly what the North East club need, as last season they could often be woeful in front of goal and although Scott McDonald showed the odd threat towards the end of the campaign, the likes of Leroy Lita failed to live up to expectation. In actual fact, Adam Johnson was their top goal scorer with seven goals in the league and eight overall and you’ll probably be aware that he joined Man City in January! Boyd isn’t a flashy player and he doesn’t try wow people, but he is brilliant at being in the right place at the right time, being a natural poacher of the ball. It’s true that he can rely a bit too much on the service he is getting, but Middlesbrough have a lot of players that can provide and the £1.4m signing of Nicky Bailey shows their intention to build a squad that can work fluidly. Strachan is keen to create a squad he really wants to work with, something that started in January of 2010 when he brought the likes of Wilo Flood, Scott McDonald and Barry Robson in.

Middlesbrough are forming a squad with a lot of depth and they now have a number of players who have experience behind them. One of the reasons ‘Boro got relegated from the Premiership in the first place was the fact that they needed to rely upon youngsters to make up their squad. ‘Boro have an excellent youth academy and it’s great that they get in the squad, but putting too many in the team at once in dangerous as they are all still learning, so mistakes are more likely. Now there is a good mix of experience and youth in the side and the majority of players have a high work rate. When you consider that Kris Boyd is coming in and Jeremie Aliadiere is going out, it makes the deal seem even better. These are two completely different players and ‘Boro fans will be glad that they are no longer watching Aliadiere stroll around the pitch and instead get to see Boyd who is always alert and looking for an opportunity.

The downside to all this though is the pressure that really does exist on Boyd. Although he considers it less pressure than Ranger, this is a different kind of pressure. It is the first time he is playing in England and many people are expecting an instant impact from Boyd; Middlesbrough fans in particular will want to see him challenge for the top goal scorer honours. Whether Boyd can handle this pressure is another question, the best thing for him would be to get a goal in the first game of the Championship season and with the game being at home against Ipswich, Boyd could send a message to all those people that doubted that his ability would transfer over.

Wembley Will Be Waiting For Two Lucky Clubs

Firstly, congratulations to Roberto Di Matteo and his West Brom side who clinched the second automatic promotion berth and will be once again in the top flight next season. The sound coming from West Brom fans is that they’re desperate for their team to spend money and cement their place in the Premiership, as in previous seasons West Brom have been considered as the team ‘too good for the Championship – not good enough for the Premiership’. Albeit, many would of argued in the previous season when they did go down, they ill-deserved their fate as many met their style of football and mentallity favourably. Early rumours coming out of the club suggested that the Albion would be looking to invest heavily this summer but this may no longer be the case, as instead the chairman, Jeremy Peace, is hoping for sensible purchases. Next season will be an interesting one for the Baggies and they have added to the recent success of other clubs in the area such as Villa, Birmingham and Wolves.

Now that the two automatic places have been decided, that leaves only four more promotion places and in truth only one of those spots will see a team thrust into the top tier as the Championship playoffs draw ever closer. Nottingham Forest are guaranteed a place in the final four and look odds on to finish top and play the team who finishes fourth in the play off section. Forest’s amazing home form and mid-season unbeaten run made them hopeful of obtaining automatic promotion, but I’m sure no fan would have complained at the start of the season if they knew their side would be finishing in 3rd!

Cardiff city also look odds on to play in this season’s play-off semi finals and surprise package Leicester, who are looking for back-to-back promotions, are also in a strong position. The final play-off spot looks less certain however and although Swansea have a slim advantage and sit on the right side of the line, Blackpool and Middlesbrough are snapping at their heels. Outside of that, there is Bristol City and Sheffield United, but with only three games to go their challenge appears to be over. So in my opinion, there is one more play-off place that can really be contested.

Swansea have an all Yorkshire run in for the remainder of the season:

Swansea V Barnsley

Sheffield United V Swansea

Swansea V Doncaster Rovers

These are all tricky ties and although all three of these teams have little competitive to play for, they will be keen to put in the performances towards the end of the season as the opening of the transfer market draws closer. Swansea have been picking off 1-0′s and a lot of draws this season, but with teams motivated behind them they’ll need to give it their all if they want to make it to the play-offs.

Blackpool have two tough games coming up too, but luckily for them they are both at home:

Blackpool V Nottingham Forest

Peterborough United V Blackpool

Blackpool V Bristol City

Forest and Bristol City are two tough oppositions and Bristol City, who sit behind this pack of three, will still be keen to test out whether or not they can reach the play-offs and if by chance they do make it to the run in, that final game of the season could be massive.

Finally, Middlesbrough will need to dig deep and they could most definitely do with winning every single one of these games despite how tall an order it may be:

West Brom V Middlesbrough

Middlesbrough V Coventry City

Leicester City V Middlesbrough

That final game, against Leicester, is such a tricky game and one that few teams would look forward to due to the Fox’s dominance at home games. As well as this, Leicester are not too far away from the chasing pack and could be sucked back into a battle, meaning this could also be an interesting final day tie with everything to play for. It is also hard to say whether a newly promoted West Brom will be a good thing or a bad thing, as players may be in a more relaxed mood but the pressure is off them and they can play with more freedom. ‘Boro need to go for that game and make it competitive as possible, as that is the last thing the Albion will want.

In my opinion these final few games are tricky for every side and it’s going to come down to which team wants it more. If I had to chose one run in, I’d probably go for Swansea’s, with all due respect to those teams, it’s a more balanced fixture list and you would be hoping to challenge for points there, whereas Blackpool play Nottingham Forest and ‘Boro have two daunting away tasks. But like I said, they’re all difficult fixtures and it’s hard to say which team can gain an edge from the games they have. Swansea are looking good to take that final place, but in the Championship you cannot rule anything out.

Trust the football supporters of Middlesbrough, from the north east of England, to come up with a comical banner poking fun at the Newcastle United supporters who were positioned to the right of the above banner. “Trophy Virgins,” the banner reads with a picture of the Newcastle United team crest featured on the banner.

The north east derby between Middlesbrough and Newcastle United in the Championship ended 2-2 this past weekend.

Tip of the hat to Phil from Soccer Shout for the photograph.

It's that time again!

I remember when the January transfer window first came to football. Forgive me if I can’t remember the exact year but I remember FIFA decided that it was a good idea to help all the small clubs hold onto their top players for larger parts of a season. Nobody could have predicted the level of insanity and inflated pricing that it would have brought, but now January is a special time for football fans; almost like Christmas in the footballing world. Especially the last two days where we see all the panic buys, prompting many of us to ask why managers didn’t use the previous 30 days available to them – but that would be silly wouldn’t it? Just about every team in the Championship could arguably do with strengthening in the first month of the year and it will be interesting to see who is welcomed to the league and who we will be saying goodbye to:

Barnsley:

Mark Robbins has done a fine job so far but his biggest desire will most likely be a striker and Billy Sharp has been one of the names thrown around. Sheffield United may well want return him from his loan at Doncaster so they can cash in, but expect Yorkshire rivals to try all they can told hold onto their top player this season. Barnsley have agreed to extend the loan deals of Stoke players Ryan Shotton and Carl Dickinson so Robbins will be delighted that have those players as options. As far as departures, no major players have been rumoured to be leaving the club so watch this space.

Blackpool:

How much ambition does the Blackpool board have? Playoff contenders Blackpool have surprised many this season but they still have a lot of work to do. They’ve already supposedly failed to sign Roman Torres and there’s been and Holloway has admitted that players will only be coming in if they have the right character. No offers have come in for their players yet, but few would be surprised if some clubs tested the Seasider’s resolve on in form midfielder Charlie Adam; a player who has been a joy to watch all season.

Bristol City:

Not to look too much into anyones personal life but does anyone else think there was a heated Christmas affair at the Johnson household? Lee Johnson, son of Robbins manager Gary Johnson, has left the club for the injury struck Derby, on an original one-month loan deal; guess it wasn’t a Merry Christmas for all of us. The club is currently in a defensive crisis, so City fans should expect Christian Ribeiro to return to the club from his loan spell at Stockport. Targets have been discussed this week, but Johnson will no doubt be disappointed to learn that he must fund himself this month by selling players first.

Cardiff City:

Peter Ridsdale will become the most unpopular chairman in the country for a second time if he is lying about the club’s potential administration possibility, but Cardiff do need to strengthen their team if they want to keep up with those around them. Fabian Delph is thought to be high on Dave Jones’ list, as a midfielder appears to be the priority for this month. Villa don’t seem keen on loaning out young star Delph but there is no doubt that Cardiff will enquire and if they can bag the player in on loan it could allow another player to come in at the same time as Jones has been promisd £3 million to spend. Bristol Rovers star Chris Lines has also been touted, a player who’s contract is up at the end of the season; the right bid may be too good to turn down as Rovers will not want to risk losing him for nothing. An unusually quiet window in terms of rumours for Joe Ledley may be explained by new kid on the block Adam Matthews, who is courting interest from big teams such as Manchester United and Arsenal. Let’s see if the Bluebirds can hold on.

Coventry City:

It’s common practice for English clubs to raid the Irish leagues these days, and Coventry have moved quickly to snap up Gary Deegan. Richard Woods and Chris Hussey have made their loan moves permanent, business Chris Coleman is delighted with and their is a move in the pipe line for league one stand out Carl Baker who has impressed many this season. It certainly appears as if Coleman is doing all he can to fight off the relegation threat to the club and we may even expect more new arrivals at the Ricoh arena. Coleman will not be happy however to hear that Sunderland have an eye on goalkeeper Kieran Westwood and the club must do everything in their power to keep one of the leagues top goalkeepers.

Crystal Palace:

Will any money be spent? No. Palace have struggled to find the green stuff this season and a team that was already quite inexperienced may get even more so by the end of the window. Palace are even in danger of losing their manager Neil Warnock as he eyes up the chance to manage league counterparts Sheffield Wednesday. You must have been living under a rock if you haven’t heard the name Victor Moses linked with just about every club above Palace in the country and Palace have certainly shown they aren’t going to be pushed over despite their monetary problems as they’ve set an asking price of £5 million. Expect more stories about players going out this month as opposed to players coming in.

Derby County:

Derby need new faces fast. They’ve been hit so badly with injuries that Nigel Clough has struggled to get a consistent team together that understands how they play. An ambitious side that would be appealing to any player really, a striker is top of their list. Michael Symes, James Vaughan and Fredrik Stoor are all on Clough’s radar as the Rams look to get someone quality up front. Danny Buijs of Ado Den Haag was keen on a move to the club but this may have fallen through due to his clubs reluctance to loan him out. Recently fit again Kris Commons is attracting interest from the Premiership, Wolves have their eye on the talented midfielder.

Doncaster Rovers:

There’s not much coming out of Donny at the moment. Billy Sharp has recently won PFA player of the month and the Keepmoat outfit will be hoping that Sheffield United don’t exercise their option to recall the front man. A rumoured move for Daniel Cousin seems unlikely, especially considering that QPR are in advanced talks with the player. Martin Woods has been making some eye catching performances this season and the club will be trying to fend off the likes of Cardiff and Middlesbrough this month so they can hold onto him.

Ipswich Town:

Roy Keane has already spent quite a lot of money as manager of Ipswich and results on the pitch have not reflected this. Giovanni Dos Santos is wanted by the tractor boys once again and may well be one of a few signings coming in this month unless players move out. Tamas Priskin has been a flop since his £1.7m move and may well be heading towards the exit door this month and could well pave the way for Derby striker Rob Hulse.

Leicester City:

If Nigel Pearson had plans at the start season for this transfer window then he may well want to throw them out of the window and reassess. City are another admirer of Chris Lines and will be part of a bidding war for him. A bizarre move for Edgar Davids may materialise as well, chairman Milan Mandaric has spoken of his admiration of the former Dutch international recently; paying his wages may be another issue though (maybe he has another with all that tax dodging he’s been up to). Top scorer Matt Fryatt has been watched by Wigan recently and Pearson will not fancy losing him.

Middlesbrough:

Kris Boyd would be a huge capture for the troubled North East side and Boro are certainly considering that avenue due to Rangers current financial difficulties. Signs would suggest that Strachan is keen to utilise his knowledge of the Scottish leagues, as his former players Gary Caldwell and Scott McDonald have both been suggested as Boro arrivals. In any case expect many arrivals for the short-handed side as Didier Digard prepares to depart the Riverside.

Newcastle United:

Chris Hughton has got money available to him and Jermaine Beckford seems more and more likely to join the Geordies after recently handing in another transfer request. A defender is also a desire for the Toon, but don’t expect Matthew Killgallon to move to the North East, the defender has now committed to Sheffield United until the end of the season. Former Ballon D’or nominee (that’s right) Geremi made a little unannounced detour on his way to Angola to meet up with potential new club Ankaragucu. Although they haven’t actually agreed anything with Newcastle the Turkish side still decided to throw the confetti and a party for the player; talk about confidence!

Nottingham Forrest:

Could anyone really play their way into this in form side? Forrest fans will be hoping that Billy Davies can make some signings as to maintain their promotion push and former England international Nicky Shorey is their first priority. It’s been highly reported for a while that the club has an interest in Tottenham’s Gareth Bale but this may be quite unlikely as it is unknown what Harry Redknapp wants to do with the player. Swindon’s Charlie Austin could be a more likely transfer although this is a light rumour as of now. There has been little interest from any clubs so far in Forrest players.

Peterborough United:

Another non-league player comes in (surprise Posh fans!) Josh Simpson. Aldershot’s Marvin Morgan has been attracting interest, although this may seem unlikely now the club has captured Reuben Reid from West Brom. Izale McLeod is the subject of interest from the Posh, but they face interest from Scottish Premier League side Hearts. The traditional round of Joe Lewis leaving rumours have begun already, particularly after Barry Fry told Harry Redknapp he had first option on the player – Redknapp later telling everyone. Good one Barry.

Plymouth Argyle:

So far for Plymouth its been more a case of who’s leaving this month. However, the green army could be tempted to bring back out of favour Hull player Peter Halmosi. It is a bit unknown who new boss Paul Mariner is after, as the club have seen defenders Kirsztan Timar and Marcel Seip both leave already and Steven MacLean is more than likely on his way out too. Tough times on the south coast.

Preston North End:

Darren Ferguson returns to the Championship almost instantly and has taken the reigns at the famous outfit of Preston North End. If you’ve read Daniel Cragg’s post on this site then I don’t need to tell you that there isn’t a lot of money for Preston, but changes need to be made. Neil Collins has joined on a permanent deal already but due to Ferguson’s arrival being so recent its hard to tell who he wants to bring in at this time. Sorry Preston fans!

Queens Park Rangers:

Signings galore for the London outfit? You wouldn’t be wrong. The team has already apparently agreed a deal for Daniel Cousin who will join up after the African Cup Of Nations and the club also has apparently made an enquiry about the well-travelled Amdy Faye. Markus Jonsson of AIK in Sweden is also hoping for a move to England and QPR may well be his outlet to fulfil that ambition. Adel Taarabt may return to Tottenham unfortunately for QPR, but the player has his heart set on staying with Rangers.

Reading:

Gunnar Thorvaldsson has become another member of the ever-growing Icelandic contingent at Reading but apart from that there are few players being linked with the club due to their lack of a manager. Reading have managed to hold onto Simon Church after he signed a new deal with the club and they also harbour an ambition that Gylfi Sigurdsson can continue his impressive displays with Reading as opposed to someone else.

Scunthorpe United:

Craig Dawson of Rochdale is a player Nigel Adkins would dearly love at his disposal, but Rochdale seem adamant he is going nowhere. Scunthorpe seem to see Rochdale as somewhat of a market stall this January if you believe their interest in striker Chris O’Grady. Michael Raynes seems a very likely arrival for the Irons, the Stockport defenders contract is up in the summer and his club are likely to want to make some sort of profit on him. George Friend has been recalled by Wolves, meaning the Irons only have one left back at the club, so that position is likely to be Adkins priority.

Sheffield United:

Due to Matthew Killgallons apparent commitment to the club, Kevin Blackwell is unlikely to have the money he thought he would this window. Richard Creswell has come in from Stoke already but former loanee Greg Halford will not be returning to the club as he wants to battle for his place at Wolves. As mentioned above, Marcel Seip has joined on loan for the rest of the season and it may not be the end of the dealings for a heavily injury struck squad.

Sheffield Wednesday:

The club is looking to the future, as ten Australian players are currently on trial with the club. Tom Soares has extended his loan deal but the most prominent potential transfer for Wednesday at the moment is their managerial position. As mentioned above, Neil Warnock is interested in the job and is the bookies favourite to get the job.

Swansea City:

Could Paulo Sousa, the manager, leave Swansea this January? Burnley have an eye on the talented Portuguese gaffer but the Swans want to hold on. Lee Trundle has extended his loan deal at the club, much to the fans delight and the club may be in the market for another striker to solve their goal shyness. Kevin Phillips, Vincent Pericard and Tamas Priskin have all been linked with the club, so watch this space. The club will also be doing everything they can to hold onto Andrea Orlandi as a few scouts have been watching him over the past few weeks.

Watford:

Your guess is as good as mine? Probably nothing will be happening this month as Malky Mackay wants to keep all his players, particularly Scott Roach and the threat of administration means there will be few arrivals for the hornets.

West Bromwich Albion:

Ishmael Miller is almost back from injury and will feel like a new signing upon his return and it remains to be seen whether or not the club can meet Crystal Palace’s valuation of Victor Moses. Gabriel Tamas has joined on loan from Auxerre and brings a wealth of experience with him. Marcus Haber may also be on his way in, while Robert Koren is expected to be shipped out of the Hawthorns as the Albion have a wealth of depth at their disposal.

Ameobi: Key Man At The Derby

Apologies for a lack of updates lately, with the amount of work I’ve been doing lately my life mirrors the ‘congested holiday fixture list’! Unfortunately this weekend we have once again discovered that the UK is the only country more efficient in a world war than being in a snow ‘storm’. Early season promotion favourites West Brom and Cardiff both had games postponed which makes tomorrows North East derby all the more interesting as we will find out if Newcastle can extend their lead at the top or if the Boro can keep up with the pack.

Middlesbrough have rarely been considered serious rivals to the Toon Army, the Geordies often focus on their mackem counterparts a few miles down the road so fiercely that Boro are often forgotten in any local affairs. But Sunday will see a change as both fans will no doubt raise the roof off St. James’ Park to support their teams and 3 points would be very welcome for either club. Last seasons tense Premiership encounter between these two sides ended in victory for Newcastle, albeit an unlucky defeat for Middlesbrough.

The task ahead of Boro is tomorrow however is one that many of the leagues other clubs would not envy. Newcastle have only conceded four goals in their ten home games, the best record in the football league and the depth of their squad is often good enough to see them to victory. Shola Ameobi is likely to start after being rested against Barnsley, the often-criticized striker has been missed by manager Chris Hughton and his cult status has elevated among the Geordie faithful. Shola chants were present in Newcastle’s 2-2 draw against Barnsley, but Hughton made the right decision not to rush the striker back as he is a key player for the team. He’s often had a knack for scoring in Tyne-Wear games and he will no doubt be expected to emulate this against the Teesiders; watch for Newcastle to work the wings and get crosses onto Shola’s head.

Newcastle will be without the hard working Andy Carroll, who is suspended after picking up his 5th yellow card of the season. Hughton backed the big striker in Newcastle’s last game after his off the field troubles and after repaying his managers faith with a good performance, Hughton will be disappointed he won’t figure in his game plan. This most likely paves the way for a possible Harewood and Ameobi partnership up front (sounds like a dream come true for the game of football doesn’t it?) unless the manager would instead prefer to play Kevin Nolan in a more advanced role, a position he has been deadly in all season.

Middlesbrough on the other hand will be hit hard with injuries, particularly the loss of Adam Johnson being an unwelcome headache to Gordon Strachan. Defender Sean St. Ledger has returned to his parent club, meaning there will be a reshuffle at the back for Boro and Strachan may be tempted to welcome back Chris Riggot at some point if the defender is passed fit to play.

History has not been kind to Strachan at St. James’. The manager has never won in ten attempts, only once managing a draw. Put that together with Boro’s peculiar form this season and you’d begin to think that a little bit of anxiety may be rising in the Scotsman. The match may be dependant on what Boro shows up, they recently managed a very impressive 5-1 victory against QPR but then lost 3-0 to Blackpool the following game. So far Strachan has struggled to get any form in his side and the club could do with a victory over Newcastle to raise their spirits and kick-start them back into action. The club has a lot of quality players who just seem to be feeling the pressure a bit too much this season, it will be interesting to see how they handle the atmosphere of the derby game.

Boro could well suffer the same fate as many other teams in the Championship this season. Newcastle don’t tend to play very well over the whole 90 minutes, instead presenting the odd incisive move and being rewarded for it. What they do best is stopping other teams from playing their game plan and patiently wait for a breakthrough. Barnsley proved however that enough hard work and keeping your chin up are effective and deservedly grabbed a point.

I don’t think I’m letting my support of Newcastle getting the better of me when I predict that the Toon will win this one. I think most people would back the league leaders who have turned their disputed stadium into a fortress. Middlesbrough have puzzled many this season, they have a lot of good players and a good manager in charge but can’t seem to get it right on the day. Their saving grace is that this game is being played away and on the road they have faired better than their Riverside games and you can often throw the formbook out the window when rivals meet. Overall it should be an exciting game for all football lovers and the game is live on BBC1 from 12.50pm.

Southgate: Shown The Door

After winning 2-0 on Tuesday night, Gareth Southgate was relieved of his duties as manager hours after the game. Despite being quite a popular player for the club, Southgate could never quite get the same level of support in his time as manager; despite a number of hardships being put on him such as the sale of top striker Yakubu. It may come as a slightly surprise that the Boro board decided to sack Southgate moments after a win rather than Saturday where the club, at the time, suffered it’s 3rd straight home defeat at the hands of a Watford side currently struggling for form. It is most likely that Gibson and the Middlesbrough board had only fully committed to a change in leadership on the Monday.

An outsider to the championship may wonder how a manager who’s team sits 4th in the 2nd tier table can be sacked but Steve Gibson’s proclamation Wednesday afternoon certainly suggests that it has been building up for some time; and anyone who follows the club can relate to that. One of the most notable things in Gibson’s decision may well be the constant dip in attendance. Even though the club has been relegated and would expect smaller crowds, Boro’s home form has been woeful and left a lot of fans questioning the point in turning up to

You could feel some sympathy however for Southgate. Steve McLaren was a tough act the follow after all of his success. McLaren’s bid to gain success for the club cost the team, and despite selling a number of key players to balance the books on Southgate’s arrival, the club still suffered heavily from debt. Southgate, even recently in the championship, has been forced to field a number of players who have came through the clubs academy. Despite Boro having one of the strongest youth teams in the country, it was hardly surprising that they were relegated from the Premiership.

It can’t be denied however that Southgate had no resources. He could be accused of putting all his eggs into one basket when signing Alfonso Alves for what is believed to be almost £13 million. Alves turned out to be a poor piece of business, lacking the finishing touch that the likes of Yakubu and Viduka had brought before him and was largely lethargic in his Boro days. Many questioned the price tag before he had even signed. Alves abandoned ship just before the close of the summer 2009 transfer window; his lacklustre attitude may be better suited to the sweltering heat of the Middle East. He could happily retire early with the amount of money I imagine he is making out there.

After the clubs relegation, they opened the Championship campaign with a 0-0 home draw to Sheffield United and were booed off the pitch by the supporters. Many people criticized the fans for this, but it wasn’t just about the result; fans had already lost confidence in Southgate and a 0-0 draw all but justified this. Southgate never appeared to have a charismatic edge as a manager and sometimes seemed too accepting in defeat. Many within the game saw him as a bit of a push over and someone who could easily cave in.

I myself consider Steve Gibson one of the best Chairmen in the country, a patient man who doesn’t hit the panic button at the first time of asking. He is one of a dying breed in world football; an owner who was brought up in the local environment supporting his club. Boro fans will always have a gratitude of debt towards the man, as Gibson is one of the men that saved the club from Liquidation when they almost folded towards the end of the 20th century. His decision to let Southgate go was the correct call and I believe it has come at the right time. Gibson wants the club to bounce straight back the Premiership at the first time of asking, most likely to help the club balance the finances once again. He gave Southgate every possible opportunity, something most managers don’t get. The club is sitting in a great league position and the right appointment can help give the club an initial boost and help the club realise it’s ambition of promotion at the first time of asking.

The only problem is who will take the job? The objective is clearly to get the club promoted this season as another season in the Championship may result in the club needing to make more cut backs. Gordon Strachan’s name has once again been churned out by the bookies as a favourite – an ideal candidate for the club, but is Boro an ideal opportunity for Strachan? If any manager is tasked with getting promotion they are going to want resources to do so and Boro lack a lot of funding. Their young squad lacks experience and any high profile name manager will want to bring in tried and tested players. If it is to be Strachan then Gibson and the board would have to take a massive gamble, put whatever they’ve got left into the club and pray that he can get the job done.

Milan Mandaric has ruled out the fantastic Nigel Pearson, but you can never say never in football. I’m a big fan of Pearson and I’m not surprised that the Leicester chairman is so keen to keep hold of him. Kevin Keegan is the bookies 2nd favourite to take the job (maybe becoming a Toon heretic?) as well as Alan Curbishley being up there. However, these are two managers who would demand they’d be given resources; particularly after their most previous employers relieved them of purchasing duties.

I wouldn’t be surprised if Gibson takes his time with this appointment, as mentioned before he is a man with a lot of patience and likes to be 100% sure before his makes a big decision. Middlesbrough’s situation makes their next managerial appointment a difficult one to call, but I wouldn’t be surprised if it ended up being an intriguing appointment. One of the best things about Steve Gibson as a chairman is that he has the right mix of being a fan and an owner, so whoever he and the board decide on is most likely to be someone the fans can put faith in.

Newcastle and Middlesbrough entered the Championship from the wrong direction yet still boasted two of the most talented squads in the history of the division. With Newcastle’s off-field dramas threatening to do serious damage, many expected Middlesbrough, with their more settled structure, to prosper.

Can Southgate deliver promotion?

Newcastle were always likely to lose the likes of Owen and Duff, but with Ameobi hitting the kind of form he hasn’t found for years and the transfer deadline approaching without the departure of Nolan or Taylor, they may have ridden one storm even without a permanent manager. They play Leicester on Monday and few would bet against a home win and a return to the top of the table for the Barcodes.

Things appear pretty rosy for Boro too.

Two away wins, third in the table, Adam Johnson one of the stand-out stars of the league so far and until Nicky Maynard’s double at the weekend, they were yet to concede a league goal.

But watching Gareth Southgate’s flustered post-match interview on the BBC’s refreshingly enjoyable Football League programme, you have to wonder if trouble is lurking around the corner already for the beleagured Boro boss.

This week he lost Tuncay and, perhaps more pertinently, Robert Huth to Stoke. Immediately, Boro’s clean white league sheets were dirtied by Bristol City. Southgate, himself once a first class centre back, must have been fuming with the direct nature of Nicky Maynard’s late winner. Even Maynard himself looked surprised by the freedom the Boro defence offered.

Of course, this may just be a blip and Boro are not the first team and won’t be the last to be undone by the in-form Maynard this season. But let’s take a closer look at Boro’s results so far. Against Sheffield United on the opening evening they were largely lacklustre, although it must be said that the Blades are masters of defending away from home: last season they shipped just 17 in 23. Nevertheless, Boro fans would have been worried by their almost total lack of threat that evening.

Next came two comfortable away wins, the first against a Swansea side struggling to come to terms with the loss of their brilliant manager and a number of key players, and the second against Scunthorpe, a League One side just a few months ago. In short, the results were good, but Boro would have expected to take six points from those games.

A 2-0 home win against Doncaster was also fine but again, with all respect to Donny, the odds on 2-0 would have been rather short and with the quality and resources Boro have, all three of those wins should have been achieved whoever was in charge. Since then, they’ve been knocked out of the Cup by Forest and beaten in their first serious test since their game with Sheffield United.

I’m a big believer that tables mean nothing until at least 10 games in. By that time, all clubs have had a chance to play a variety of teams from up and down the table. Boro’s position bears that belief out. Even though they are third, their only really impressive result was away at Swansea, a team clearly at the start of a major transition.

As Southgate struggled to contain his fury on Saturday he almost looked disturbed by the number of microphones shoved under his chin. He may have the most supportive Chairman in the country in his corner, but he is still under enormous pressure. If he thought the spotlight would be a little dimmer in the Championship, Saturday’s defeat will have set him right.

When the league resumes after the bothersome international break, Boro face a slowly improving Ipswich, the unpredictably dangerous Sheffield Wednesday and the impressive West Brom within a single week. After those three games we should have a clearer picture of Southgate’s ability to keep Boro in that top three – and of the likelihood of him lasting the season at the Riverside.