Steve Gibson - The Best or the Worst Chairman in the Prem?

glenjamin

As many of you know I am the only 'Boro fan on Boards and its killing me to see the state of the club at this present moment. We are 19th in the league, haven't won in 12 games, scored just once in 7 games and made no reinforcements in January apart from Marlon King.

Whats really p!ssing me off is trying to find whos fault it is. Usually when things aren't going well for a club the blame usually lies at the manager's door and in this case its no different. This is Southgate's 3rd season at the club. His first 2 seasons weren't nothing to brag about and this season is getting worse every week. So why hasn't he been sacked? If he was the manager of any other club he would have been long gone by now. So why doesn't our chairman, Steve Gibson, do the obvious thing and sack him before its too late?

Its true that Gibson is renowned for always giving his managers time and has always backed us financially but that isn't always a good thing is it? We went through the exact same way in Steve McClarens last season. We lost like 7 games on the trot including a 7-1 mauling from Arsenal and a 4-0 hammering at home to Villa when a fan ran up to McClaren and ripped his season ticket up and through it at him. But yet Gibson stood firm and was rewarded with a UEFA Cup final, FA Cup semi final but a rather poor showing in league. But this time its different. We are playing woeful football and just don't look capable of scoring, don't mind winning. But once again Gibson is refusing to buckle. We only brought Marlon King in on loan in January when we really needed someone of quality to come in. I know we're not as rich as other clubs but surely it would make sense getting into a little bit of debt by buying someone as you would reap the benefits should that signing help you avoid the drop. And it makes even more sense sacking Southgate and getting someone in with a little more experience to help us whilst at the same time giving the whole team a lift.

So my question is based on all this; Does this make Steve Gibson the best or worst chairman?

invincibleirish

I think its Boro's £80m debt thats hindering them more then anything. Thats why downing wants out and players like Young were replaced by sub standard players. The ambition has been replaced by financial prudence.

You can't fault Gibson seeing as he has been bankrolling the club since the days of Fab Rav and the Brazilians, how envious i was since messrs Southgate/Ehiogu/Boeteng abandoned VP for supposedly more glamourous Boro.

Alfonso Alves has disappointed, think Southgate and Gibson are the best ye can do, who out there has the cash/has the management skills to take Boro higher then they are?

JPA

I'd get in Curbishley if I was Gibson. And I'd do it today.

Chardee MacDennis

for this alone the man is a legend imo!!

Seaneh

Dunno how anyone could consider gibson a bad chairman.

Has bankrolled and supported the club no end.

Legend of modern football.

Bubs101

He's a great chairman and I like Southgate as a manager but somebody really really needs to take the money away from Southgate and into someone who knows what they're doing with it. He never should have sold Cattermole and Boateng for virtually nothing

monkey9

I wish Steve Gibson was chairman of Liverpool!

blindpilot

Boro fan no.2 here. Cant fault Gibson for backing his managers with cash and time but this year its gone too far. Under Southgate Boro are playing the worst football I've seen in years. No goals being scored. Shipping goals at the other end too. Southgate hasnt made great signings and the squad as a whole is very thin. I fear the longer Southgate is there the worse it'll get for Boro. Gibson has been rewarded in the past for sticking with managers but its been a steady decline for Boro since Southgate took over.

eagle eye

Steve Gibson is the type of chairman every club manager would love to have.

I never thought Southgate has what it takes, if you seen them against us last weekend, it ended up scoreless but they were horrendous, and thats against Blackburn.

Helix

eagle eye wrote: »

Steve Gibson is the type of chairman every club manager would love to have.

mon begs to differ

Charlie

Steve Gibson>>>>>>Aidz of the bum>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>Mike Ashley.

Consider yourself lucky.

invincibleirish

Perhaps Gibson is too loyal to his managers, Robson was there too long, so was probably McLaren(or else he was just crap). Fair play to Gibson for giving Southgate a chance, probably harsh to sack him now, Southgate can surely point out being restricted in his transfer dealings and having unhappy players has undermined him.

Boro have overspent to be where they are, but unless a billionaire comes in surely they are destined to a life of being a yo-yo club between the Carling premiership and Endsleigh Div 1 at best?

Chardee MacDennis

Charlie wrote: »

Steve Gibson>>>>>>Aidz of the bum>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>Mike Ashley.

Consider yourself lucky.

ah yes but two numpties are worse than one



in fact we should have a poll for the worst chairman in the prem (i can guarantee you Gibson doesn't get many votes!)

Bounty Hunter

Gibson is a good Chairman, would be a great one if he was loaded , however I do think that Southgate's original appointment was a mistake (and see no reason why he was given dispensation for not having all his badges) but that that now it might be hard to get someone in who can change things (Curbs was a good shout), especially seing as the transfer window is over. I do fear for Boro and could see them go down this season at which point they might struggle to retain many players, Downing will be off for def in the Summer relegation or not imo but flop or not people like Alves wont want to stay at Boro and play in the championship (he may even have a relegation release clause).

Charlie

BastardPrince wrote: »

ah yes but two numpties are worse than one



in fact we should have a poll for the worst chairman in the prem (i can guarantee you Gibson doesn't get many votes!)

But two ***** are worse than two numpties.

glenjamin

newblue08 wrote: »

Boro fan no.2 here. Cant fault Gibson for backing his managers with cash and time but this year its gone too far. Under Southgate Boro are playing the worst football I've seen in years. No goals being scored. Shipping goals at the other end too. Southgate hasnt made great signings and the squad as a whole is very thin. I fear the longer Southgate is there the worse it'll get for Boro. Gibson has been rewarded in the past for sticking with managers but its been a steady decline for Boro since Southgate took over.

First of all, GTFO! Another 'Boro fan? I must be dreaming.

Makes you think the £3.1M he spent on Emnes could have really come in handy during January. A bad piece of business right there. Not the lads fault, its Southgates. I don't see the point in waiting until the end of the season when we're dead and buried before sacking him. Its 14 games to go, get him out now!

glenjamin

Charlie wrote: »

Steve Gibson>>>>>>Aidz of the bum>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>Mike Ashley.

Consider yourself lucky.

We can always swap clubs if you want

FatherTed

Gibson is good for Boro and the game in general because Boro give way more chances to theeir young players who they've developed, much more so than other prem clubs. Wasnt there a game at the of the season game last year or the year before where all 11 players came through the Boro ranks?

glenjamin

FatherTed wrote: »

Wasnt there a game at the of the season game last year or the year before where all 11 players came through the Boro ranks?

No that was McClarens last league game against Fulham. An English 16 with something like 14 been born within 20 miles of the Riverside.

FatherTed

glenjamin wrote: »

No that was McClarens last league game against Fulham. An English 16 with something like 14 been born within 20 miles of the Riverside.

But that was still under Gibson.

invincibleirish

To the hens teeth, er Irish Boro fans, whats your own expectations for the club? to an outsider like myself it seems Boro are doing a decent enough job, staying in the PL and bringing through young players seem to be height of ambitions at the moment, surely yer due a relegation scrap at some stage and this season is it?.

longer term are you happy for mid table PL and maybe a run in the cups as opposed to having notions of qualifying for CL football or at least aiming for top 6?.

glenjamin

This season we were suposed to push for a top 10 spot but realistically we were looking for any kind of build on last season (13th). Of course we were going to be in a relegation battle at some point just like we have had in the last 3 seasons but this season we are in an even deeper one. If any other club was in the position we are in, and on the run we're on the title of this thread would be 'Southgate sacked as XXX manager'. But its not. It should be but its not. And thats down to Gibson.

Chucky the tree

Very risky time to be hiring a new manager. If curbs rejected the offer I'd be stumped to think of who you'd get to replace him.

thebaz

I'd get rid of Southgate, otherwise i see them going down - I always had a soft spot for them - Soueness could save them , maybe

blindpilot

glenjamin wrote: »

First of all, GTFO! Another 'Boro fan? I must be dreaming.

Makes you think the £3.1M he spent on Emnes could have really come in handy during January. A bad piece of business right there. Not the lads fault, its Southgates. I don't see the point in waiting until the end of the season when we're dead and buried before sacking him. Its 14 games to go, get him out now!

Now there's 2 of us. The army is almost complete. I think he's had long enough to be honest and the team is only getting weaker and smaller and poorer as time goes on. Shame he hasn't really given Emnes a chance either. 7 minutes in every second match isn't going to give the lad the chance to show what he can do. But you're right the money could have come in so handy for us last month.

blindpilot

invincibleirish wrote: »

To the hens teeth, er Irish Boro fans, whats your own expectations for the club? to an outsider like myself it seems Boro are doing a decent enough job, staying in the PL and bringing through young players seem to be height of ambitions at the moment, surely yer due a relegation scrap at some stage and this season is it?.

longer term are you happy for mid table PL and maybe a run in the cups as opposed to having notions of qualifying for CL football or at least aiming for top 6?.

This year I honestly expected us to be top ten especially the way things were going at the start of November. The club themselves seemed to be aiming a little higher. Smack bang in a relegation fight now. Last year was uncomfortable too. To crack the top six the team needs serious investment though which isn't available at the moment unfortunately. But I wouldn't trust Southgate anyway even if there was cash to splash.