Gordon Strachan Will Have Middlesbrough Fans Smiling

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Gordon Strachan’s appointment at Middlesbrough will ultimately be a fruitful one in terms of football betting odds, but more importantly for the media it’s sure to be an entertaining one.
The former Celtic boss is one of the game’s more colourful characters and judging by his first day at The Riverside the press are in for an entertaining time.
The Scottish manager was appointed as successor to Gareth Southgate earlier in the week, but while he was posing for photographs he was holding a list of what can only be described as potential loan targets.
If the list is to be believed the new boss of the Championship team is chasing Chris Iwelumo, Manchester United’s young striker Federico Macheda and Arsenal’s midfield starlet Jack Wilshere.
Alongside Iwelumo, Macheda and Wilshere, Aston Villa’s Marc Albrighton and Isaiah Osbourne were on the list as were Tottenham’s right-back Kyle Naughton, Stoke’s Andy Griffin, Portsmouth’s Hayden Mullins and Birmingham striker Kevin Phillips.
It looks like a gaffe similar to that made by Nick Faldo. When the then Ryder Cup captain spoke to the press while holding a list detailing his pairings for the following day, however you wouldn’t rule out Strachan deliberately winding up the media with a bogus list.
Especially considering Strachan’s track record with the media. When he was appointed Southampton manager a reporter asked him: “Do you think you are the right man to turn things around?”
Strachan replied: “No. I was asked if I thought I was the right man for the job and I said, "No, I think they should have got George Graham because I'm useless."
Strachan was then asked: “This might sound like a daft question, but you'll be happy to get your first win under your belt, won't you?
And Strachan’s reply was predictable: “You're right. It is a daft question.”

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