Boro delighted with Strach

Gibson happy with how club is progressing

By Graeme Bailey   Last updated: 1st March 2010   Subscribe to RSS Feed

Boro delighted with Strach

Strachan: Closing on play-offs

He was like Rooney is for Man United. If you took Rooney out of their side you'd see what they are like. We are a bit like that. Adam is irreplaceable.

Gordon Strachan
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Middlesbrough chairman Steve Gibson is delighted with how Gordon Strachan is reshaping the club.

Strachan took charge in October, but after a less than impressive start to his tenure - the club are now just two points off the play-offs.

The Scot has managed to re-work the squad, bringing in no less than seven players in January alone.

And Gibson is fully behind his latest boss.

"Ever since he was appointed manager, Gordon Strachan has been committed to introducing a real team and work ethic into the squad and I know great strides have been made on that front,'' he said.

"There is a real camaraderie about the squad and that can only be beneficial.

"Early results under Gordon didn't accurately reflect the great work that was going on behind the scenes. The club has taken great strides back in the right direction and we are confident that progress will be reflected on the pitch.

"We know we have got to make things a little bit brighter and a little bit more exciting for the supporters.

"We are all disappointed to be so far adrift of the top two at this stage of the season and we now we need to put together a winning run to ensure we qualify for the play-offs.

"But promotion remains our aim and we believe we can do it. The past year - and perhaps even the past three have been a difficult time.

"Now we feel we have stopped the rot and our worst days are behind us.

"Brighter times are ahead and I am looking forward to the next 12 months with real enthusiasm.

"The last 12 months have been tough for everyone who cares about Middlesbrough Football Club, there has been no mass hysteria from the club's supporters but I know they will feel hugely disappointed with results.

Tough

"It is tough for me too. I am a Middlesbrough lad. I was born in the town and my business is based here and I hope and believe the fans understand that I am trying to do my best for the town and the area.

"Teesside can't give me 40,000 or 50,000 crowds every Saturday but what it can give me and does give me is talented young footballers. That continues to be the case through our excellent academy.

"Since our move to the Riverside in 1994 we have constantly punched above our weight as a football club.

In fact this past 12 months or so has probably been the first time in the last 15 years when we have failed to do that.

"But we think we can punch above our weight once again and that is what we will be striving to do in the months and years ahead."

Boro sold prized asset Adam Johnson in January and Gibson insists that was something they had to do.

"Following relegation the most important thing was to ensure the club was financially stable," he said,

"Unfortunately, that meant having to take a big step backwards by selling several of our best players, the latest one being Adam Johnson.

"We didn't want to sell Adam and we made it clear to him that we wanted him to stay. In fact only the day before he left for Manchester City I made him an unbelievable offer to stay.

Johnson sale

"Unfortunately his heart was set on joining Manchester City.

"While Adam left the club we were very pleased to bring in several new faces during the January transfer window. What is particularly pleasing is that those players want to be at Middlesbrough, their enthusiasm is infectious and they are ambitious."

And Strachan insists that losing Johnson would be like Wayne Rooney leaving Manchester United.

"If you look at Adam's stats from the beginning of the season they are phenomenal. If it wasn't for him during that period I'm scared to think where we would be in the table," he said.

"Adam was on fire at that point. He was like Rooney is for Man United. If you took Rooney out of their side you'd see what they are like. We are a bit like that. Adam is irreplaceable.

"What we now have to do is find a different style to suit what we have got now. "There's nobody left at the club like him. You can see why Man City bought him."

Strachan has allowed some of his fringe players to leave the club on loan, and he fully believes youngsters should get experience elsewhere.

"I like to see the kids go out on loan and see the real world,'' he said.

"This is not the real world this is fantasy football the training ground and the way they are looked after here.

"I go back to when I was at Aberdeen Willie Miller and Alex McLeish, two of the best centre-halves I have ever seen, they went to the Highland League. Trust me, it doesn't get any tougher than Forres Mechanics away!"