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Boro reassess ahead of new season - Date: 2 Jun 2011

After a terrible start to the season with Gordon Strachan, Middlesbrough did well to avoid relegation to League One. Tony Mowbray, who ironically replaced Strachan at Celtic following the former Coventry manager’s sacking, arrived at the Riverside with plenty to do.

The former West Brom boss did not only have to try and filter the wage bill and allow players to leave, but he also had to rely on youngsters to get him out of the relegation dogfight – something he emerged from successfully after plenty of football bets had backed Boro for the drop.

Middlesbrough finished an impressive 12th place, considering the start they had, and have built a platform to build on next season. Mowbray obviously has a plan and executed it well towards the end of the last campaign which bodes well for next term. He has a big rebuilding job to do after Middlesbrough failed to win promotion back to the Premier League and the hardest job at all will be clearing the deadwood Strachan brought to the club from his native Scotland.

What Mowbray has is experience. He’s been there and done it before which will encourage the Riverside faithful. Mowbray took the Baggies into the Premier League and knows how to find a way out of the competitive Championship. Players such as Kris Boyd will have to move on to allow the wage structure to be improved and give Mowbray more leeway in his attempt to bring fresh players to the club.

Last season saw an array of youngsters settling in the first team and looking at home playing second tier football. Boro have the ability to produce impressive youngsters as Stewart Downing and Adam Johnson have proved and will need to rely on their current emerging players to see them promoted back in the Premier League. Along with star performers like midfielder Julio Arca and strikers Leroy Lita and Marvin Emnes, Boro will have the correct balance of experience and youth in order to succeed.

They have uncovered an impressive goalkeeper, their best since Mark Schwarzer, in Jason Steele who has caught the eye of plenty of Premier League sides. Nicky Bailey, a football betting favourite to graduate to the Premier League sooner rather than later, is an impressive midfielder and Boro have done extremely well to replace David Wheater following his departure to Bolton with the emergence of fellow defenders Matthew Bates, Jonathan Grounds and Rhys Williams.

If Mowbray can keep all his young talent and add a bit more experience, then Boro, who showed what they are capable of when they derailed Cardiff’s promotion bid towards the end of the season, can be a force to be reckoned with next season.

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