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McQueen back at Boro
WITH Premier League survival
still far from secure on the field,
Middlesbrough are putting
plans in place behind the scenes
in an attempt to ensure there
will be no repeat of this season's
relegation fight next year.
At a time when there is a trend
to develop the scouting systems
around the country, chairman
Steve Gibson has made moves to
bolster Boro's own recruitment
methods.
Having confirmed that former
Newcastle chief scout David
Mills has become part of the talent-
spotting team at the Riverside
Stadium, Boro have also
brought Gordon McQueen back
to the club in a similar role.
McQueen, axed as first team
coach on Teesside when Steve
McClaren brought in his own
men in 2001, will now work on a
full-time basis alongside the senior
team's chief scout Dave
Leadbeater and Mills.
The triumvirate have been
given the remit to scour the
globe for players that Boro
should attract this summer and
beyond - provided they feel the
first team positions in need of
improving can't be covered
through promoting from within.
It was suggested yesterday
that Cardiff City defender Roger
Johnson will be one of the first
targeted by the new scouting
network, while Sporting Braga's
Austrian striker Roland Linzon
the radar.
And McQueen, who has stayed
in regular contact with the club
since leaving seven years ago, is
looking ahead to trying to help
manager Gareth Southgate leading
Boro back up the table.
"First and foremost the priority
will be to get the club value
for money in the transfer market
and help Gareth become the excellent
manager I am convinced
he will become," said McQueen,
who was made reserve team
coach in 1994 by Bryan Robson
before he stepped up to become
first team coach.
"It will be a matter of identifying
players that improve the
club in general. David Mills and
I have been around long enough
to know what's required for the
Premier League and I'm looking
forward to speaking with Gareth
about the sort of profile he requires."
Gibson has also explored the
possibility of bringing in another
of Sky Sports' pundits, Chris
Kamara, to improve the scouting
network in place under Leadbeater.
The former Boro midfielder,
however, wants to continue
with his media work.
Middlesbrough's global contacts
led to the January swoop for
the £12.7m man, Afonso Alves,
and the hope is that the appointments
of McQueen and Mills in
full-time positions will lead to
further top players arriving, albeit
at a lower price.
"As a result of the new set-up,
greater attention will be given to
the 15-18 age-groups in which the
recruitment of Academy players
needs to correlate with the future
requirements of the first-team
squad," said Lamb, who will continue
to take charge of the negotiation
process.
"Gordon and Dave will ensure
they have a good idea of the quality
of players we have in different
positions within that age range
to enable them to better assess
what talent is coming through
and where we potentially need to
strengthen.
"Along with Dave Leadbeater,
they will look throughout Europe
and beyond for players who
will benefit the first team. Sometimes
we need to bring in readymade
first team players, but we
are also looking to improve our
ability to bring in players with
the potential to develop into the
highest quality under the guidance
of our coaching staff.
"We are broadening our horizons,
which is something we have
to do if we want to compete with
the best."
Mills, meanwhile, has revealed
the satisfaction he feels for being
part of the Middlesbrough pay
roll again, some 29 years after the
former striker left for West Brom
in a record-breaking £500,000
deal.
"I never dreamed that I would
be back at Middlesbrough," said
Mills, who had been chief scout
at Newcastle until Sam Allardyce
rang the changes to his backroom.
"But I'm excited about the
prospect of working with Gareth,
Gordon and Dave as we set about
identifying players who can take
the club forward, and not just for
the short term."
While McQueen, Mills and
Leadbeater will deal mainly with
Southgate, the other two members
of the recruitment team,
Ron Bone and Martin Carter, will
continue to liaise with Academy
director Dave Parnaby.
10:44am Wednesday 30th April 2008
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CommentPosted by: Norb, Cardiff on 2:05pm Wed 30 Apr 08
This is encourgaing to learn. However difficult to understand why Gibson/Lamb/others have not been quicker to act on this in the past. With the benefit of hindsight, some of the club's purchases in the past few years have not really been good enough. Some of the signings in the McClaren era in particular seemed to simply depend upon whether they had played against us in the UEFA Cup (and presumably had a good game on the day!) Perhaps the most impressive bit of business though in recent past was snapping up Tuncay - and a couple more Tuncayess signings would be very handy.
This is encourgaing to learn. However difficult to understand why Gibson/Lamb/others have not been quicker to act on this in the past. With the benefit of hindsight, some of the club's purchases in the past few years have not really been good enough. Some of the signings in the McClaren era in particular seemed to simply depend upon whether they had played against us in the UEFA Cup (and presumably had a good game on the day!) Perhaps the most impressive bit of business though in recent past was snapping up Tuncay - and a couple more Tuncayess signings would be very handy.
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