Middlesbrough FC: Wheater and O'Neil Gone, Hope Out of the (Transfer) Window?

So, the transfer window is about to shut. We do not know yet who will be coming into Middlesbrough FC, but as has been the trend of recent years, we know that some very significant talent has left.

David Wheater and Gary O’Neil have left the club to join Bolton and West Ham, respectively.  With Middlesbrough currently four points above the drop zone, and these two starters gone, then surely the mood is one of misery, correct?  Not really.

Whether it is the honeymoon period of Tony Mowbray, or the fact most fans were resigned to losing this pair long before, the reaction does not seem too bad.  In fact, many fans have asked how bad is it, really?

The obvious benefit to the deals is millions in revenue being generated for a club that is still struggling financially.  O’Neil went for an undisclosed fee, but it is not hard to imagine that at least 1 million or 2 million pounds changed hands.

Wheater went for a fee of 2.3 million pounds that could rise up to 3.8 million pounds depending upon appearances. 

That is a good sum for a defender who would be available on a free transfer come the summer.  The transfer market tends to be about leverage, and sadly, Boro have little of that nowadays.

When you take into account the fact that Everton’s World Cup star midfielder Steven Pienaar moved for 2.5 million pounds this month, you have to think the demonized Keith Lamb has done rather well here. 

That said, Lamb will never again match the piece of marketing genius he pulled off when he convinced Liverpool to pay over 2 million pounds for Brad Jones.

So what about the impact on the field?

With regards to Wheater, he has long been an emotional rallying point for the fans, and is a high quality defender.  However, he is perhaps not the defensive rock he is perceived as. 

Wheater produced some magnificent form when he was paired with Robert Huth, but what of when Huth left to join Stoke?

The departure of Huth left an undeniable hole in the defense that was never replaced.  In fact, in the first game without Huth, Wheater was paired with Sean St Ledger and we were murdered 5-0 at home by West Brom. 

The pairing never really clicked, and it was after the arrival of Stephen McManus that Wheater produced his better form that season.

McManus will return from injury this season, and when that happens, the impact of Wheater’s departure may be minimal.  We may lose games, we may concede late goals, but we did all that with Wheater here. 

A McManus-Bates partnership and more stable financial scenario may not be too much of a downgrade.

With regards to O’Neil, his impact is likely not season-defining.  O’Neil is undoubtedly a work-horse and has had many good games in a Boro shirt, even if his goal return was not great.

Willo Flood is an all-action player capable of filling in on the right wing, while Mowbray’s network of former players includes ex-Boro pair James Morrison and Chris Brunt, both of whom could do a stellar job if recruited back to the club.

We have lost better players recently.  Wheater’s exit will not bring about the defensive slump that Huth leaving did, while O’Neil leaving is nothing like solo match winner Adam Johnson exiting last season.

Long story short, the Mowbray trip to the moon is still set for launch, it just happens these two will not be aboard.

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