Luke Thomas to Middlesbrough until the end of the season

[Whys it always me]

31 minutes ago, baldeagle said:

Because as someone that has  frequented the gym for over 30 years I’ve a pretty damn good idea . Whilst  he may not necessarily bulk up due to genetics or gain obvious muscle mass  he could still gain some muscle and more importantly some more strength. It is possible to be strong and slight of frame . His strength and not increase md at all . Who said anything about his speed I didn’t . I mentioned his fitness levels that’s nothing  to do with speed and also hasn’t improved . 

As a person who frequents the gym do you also play professional football, training at high intensity and burning thousands of calories a day? 
 

I assume the answer is no and for that reason I would suggest you let the professionals who’s job it is within the football clubs along with the player to work out how best to increase their physicality and strength. 

[gurru991]

I think Carrick is a very smart young manager who might be able to improve Luke’s game.  This to me is a very positive move for the lad.   

[baldeagle]

44 minutes ago, honeybradger said:

Training at the gym as an amateur and training as a professional athlete are different situations. Football players not only have to be strong but they also have to be mobile and flexible, the club physio most likely will have given Thomas a workout routine and would not want him to train too much on developing muscles. 

Yes I understand that and I’m not expecting him to walk onto the pitch built like Ronnie Colman . But when two of his weaknesses are his lack of strength and fitness I would expect  him to work on it. You only improve by working on your weakness . As others have said look at  what Chilwell  did in the off season to improve his fitness  also KDH when he finished his loan . His strength and fitness has remained the same  and not improved in any way . 

Edited 26 January 2024 by baldeagle

[adejo92]

There's no chance he's a Premier League player & that's been proven again by being sent back by the Premier Leagues whipping boys.

 

I'd say he's a Championship player at best so it's probably a good move for him to get some game time in and maybe even a permanent move come the end of the season.

[baldeagle]

26 minutes ago, Whys it always me said:

As a person who frequents the gym do you also play professional football, training at high intensity and burning thousands of calories a day? 
 

I assume the answer is no and for that reason I would suggest you let the professionals who’s job it is within the football clubs along with the player to work out how best to increase their physicality and strength. 

So why hasn’t he improved ?! 

[Stadt]

1 hour ago, Paninistickers said:

As another poster says, how do you know he's not pounding the gym? 

 

Maybe he just hasn't got the physiology to gain muscle mass. Maybe he's just slow, no matter how many sprinting drills he does. 

 

I don't think he's a top level player. But the suggestion he's not put effort in is almost offensive. 

I agree with you wholeheartedly - he just has an unathletic body type but equally he went to the pub too often.

[BKLFox]

9 minutes ago, adejo92 said:

There's no chance he's a Premier League player & that's been proven again by being sent back by the Premier Leagues whipping boys.

 

I'd say he's a Championship player at best so it's probably a good move for him to get some game time in and maybe even a permanent move come the end of the season.

He might have been sent back due to loan rules being different for a Premier Lge team, they need goals so better to get a loan player in that can provide/add than say wasting a slot on a LB especially as there has also been a change in management & therefore style, Wilder goes with a back 3 kinda makes a LB redundant.
Wilder only left SU 2 seasons ago so could also default to players he knows from that period

 

I don't see Thomas being sent back from SU as a marker that he will never make it as a premier player just because its SU but merely a change in circumstance.

[STEVIE B]

Much better move for him, 'Boro.

Sheff Utd was never a good fit.

I thought he'd end up at somewhere like Huddersfield, Rotherham etc. 

 

[Soar Fox]

Doesn’t sound like it’s going well for at Middlesbrough. 
 

Hopefully we don’t offer him a new contract and let him pursue a career in league 1 or 2

[K789]

3 minutes ago, Steve_Walsh5 said:

Doesn’t sound like it’s going well for at Middlesbrough. 
 

Hopefully we don’t offer him a new contract and let him pursue a career in league 1 or 2

Endearing himself....

[Tuna]

6 minutes ago, Steve_Walsh5 said:

Doesn’t sound like it’s going well for at Middlesbrough. 
 

Hopefully we don’t offer him a new contract and let him pursue a career in league 1 or 2

We'll take up his option and try and sell him.

 

He's not a league one or league two player, don't be silly.

[Nolucklcfc]

Really fallen off a cliff since the final to be honest. Confidence player. 

[OntarioFox]

Sad example of a promising young talent whose early confidence was shot to pieces by the man management masterclass of Brendan Rodgers. Thrown into the side due to injuries but then exposed to two of the worst years we've had to endure, where his mistakes were noticeable but part of a wider malaise. The lad who scored a belter at Man Utd. in a famous away win seems lost forever. Never once do I recall Brendan publicly defending him after games, or even hinting that a young lad like him thrown in at the deep end might need an arm round the shoulder when things went south.

 

Ironically I think he'd have flourished under Enzo based purely on my belief that he has the basic ability to motivate players, but his skillset is far better suited to a counter-attacking outlet. He lacked the utility factor that has allowed the likes of Ricky P and Justin to flourish. He's an old-school pacy fullback who found himself having to play slow, labourious possession-for-possession's sake football, often with his back to goal, and eventually became a bombscare as we began to lose week in week out. He never got a chance to develop on the ball in the pressure cooker of 2021-23.

 

Instead he's been through a few poor loan spells where he's not been able to get the managerial support he direly needed from day one, and now finds himself considered not good enough for a mid -table second tier side. I feel bad for him, but at the same time the boat has been well and truly missed not having him hone his craft in L1 / L2, which many now seem to think is his ceiling.

 

Just another charge to add to the list in the trial of Rodgers for crimes against football.

Edited 24 February 2024 by OntarioFox

[Soar Fox]

20 minutes ago, Tuna said:

We'll take up his option and try and sell him.

 

He's not a league one or league two player, don't be silly.

If we do that then we’ll be stuck loaning him out twice a season whilst waiting for his new contract to expire. 
 

He’s league one standard and nothing like what teams want in a full back nowadays. Slow, weak and not athletic enough. 

[Lambert09]

24 minutes ago, OntarioFox said:

Sad example of a promising young talent whose early confidence was shot to pieces by the man management masterclass of Brendan Rodgers. Thrown into the side due to injuries but then exposed to two of the worst years we've had to endure, where his mistakes were noticeable but part of a wider malaise. The lad who scored a belter at Man Utd. in a famous away win seems lost forever. Never once do I recall Brendan publicly defending him after games, or even hinting that a young lad like him thrown in at the deep end might need an arm round the shoulder when things went south.

 

Ironically I think he'd have flourished under Enzo based purely on my belief that he has the basic ability to motivate players, but his skillset is far better suited to a counter-attacking outlet. He lacked the utility factor that has allowed the likes of Ricky P and Justin to flourish. He's an old-school pacy fullback who found himself having to play slow, labourious possession-for-possession's sake football, often with his back to goal, and eventually became a bombscare as we began to lose week in week out. He never got a chance to develop on the ball in the pressure cooker of 2021-23.

 

Instead he's been through a few poor loan spells where he's not been able to get the managerial support he direly needed from day one, and now finds himself considered not good enough for a mid -table second tier side. I feel bad for him, but at the same time the boat has been well and truly missed not having him hone his craft in L1 / L2, which many now seem to think is his ceiling.

 

Just another charge to add to the list in the trial of Rodgers for crimes against football.

Personally I think he’s a victim of his own success.  He was thrown in when we were desperate and he performed well but that lead to the club keeping him around rather than letting him go on the usual loans to learn the trade. His reputation has lead to loan deals now at clubs ahead of where he’s at. I don’t say he’s a league 1 player, but he could really have done with a season in that league.  Boro didn’t even really need a left back so this will never work out. 

 

Sad story as he’s a nice lad 

[Jobyfox]

47 minutes ago, Tuna said:

We'll take up his option and try and sell him.

 

He's not a league one or league two player, don't be silly.

National League? 

[SafewayFox]

46 minutes ago, OntarioFox said:

Sad example of a promising young talent whose early confidence was shot to pieces by the man management masterclass of Brendan Rodgers. Thrown into the side due to injuries but then exposed to two of the worst years we've had to endure, where his mistakes were noticeable but part of a wider malaise. The lad who scored a belter at Man Utd. in a famous away win seems lost forever. Never once do I recall Brendan publicly defending him after games, or even hinting that a young lad like him thrown in at the deep end might need an arm round the shoulder when things went south.

 

Ironically I think he'd have flourished under Enzo based purely on my belief that he has the basic ability to motivate players, but his skillset is far better suited to a counter-attacking outlet. He lacked the utility factor that has allowed the likes of Ricky P and Justin to flourish. He's an old-school pacy fullback who found himself having to play slow, labourious possession-for-possession's sake football, often with his back to goal, and eventually became a bombscare as we began to lose week in week out. He never got a chance to develop on the ball in the pressure cooker of 2021-23.

 

Instead he's been through a few poor loan spells where he's not been able to get the managerial support he direly needed from day one, and now finds himself considered not good enough for a mid -table second tier side. I feel bad for him, but at the same time the boat has been well and truly missed not having him hone his craft in L1 / L2, which many now seem to think is his ceiling.

 

Just another charge to add to the list in the trial of Rodgers for crimes against football.

Thomas described as a pacy fullback made me spit out my drink.

 

His lack of athleticism was a stand out issue for me.

 

He clearly hasn’t kicked on and for both parties it’s probably best that he moves on rather than we try to make a few ££ on him (by extending his contract).

[alanf0x]

If only he was half as good as he believed he was…

[deep blue]

1 hour ago, alanf0x said:

If only he was half as good as he believed he was…

Ludicrous comment. How do you have any idea of what he thinks of himself.

 

Ontariofox is spot on.  The lad performed well at first and had a very good understanding with Barnes.  Then our manager's influence began to take effect on them both.  If you think that our elite manager knew how to assess and develop a player just look how well Bassey and Castagne performed today (in the Prem) as compared to their progress here when you-know-who was in charge.

[LCFCJohn]

Not sure what is happening at Boro but I maintain he is a Championship player at worst ability wise. You don’t have the high points in performance he had if not (in my opinion). But as @OntarioFox fox, his development has just been ruined thanks to Rodgers.

 

Although I think he is a better player than League 1, he may be wise to let his contract expire and decline an extension this summer I think, and find a club at that level to build himself back up. A club that plays with full backs in his style and with a manager who can develop players.

 

You often see players careers crash due to poor moves and timing. Whilst others map out their moves and have good advice around them. LT is in the former category. You often see players move down a league or two and work their way back up stronger. I hope this can happen for Luke.

[Nalis]

Right so its all Brendan Rodgers fault that Thomas wasnt the Cafu/Roberto Carlos hybrid that he was supposedly naturally destined to be? Bloody hell....

 

Yes, Brendan didnt do Luke any favours and I love to bash Brendan as much as the next man but come on, the kid needs to take responsibility for his own career trajectory.

[LCFCJohn]

7 minutes ago, Nalis said:

Right so its all Brendan Rodgers fault that Thomas wasnt the Cafu/Roberto Carlos hybrid that he was supposedly naturally destined to be? Bloody hell....

 

Yes, Brendan didnt do Luke any favours and I love to bash Brendan as much as the next man but come on, the kid needs to take responsibility for his own career trajectory.

In a word, yes.

 

But in seriously, I think it is. Look at the likes of Vertegaard, Ndidi and even Daka, have improved and look nothing like under Rodgers. Is this because they have taken responsibility or because they were in the right place at the right time to be favoured by Maresca? If Thomas was in a position used by Enzo, things may have been different for him.

 

He has made bad choices definitely, but your post doesn’t acknowledge the toll on him mentally. They aren’t robots!

 

The fan base also takes a share of responsibility for me. As much as Chilwell is a bit of a knob, look at how he developed as a player when he got out from under our fans. He should have made better decisions for his career and got out a while ago.

[Ed 1]

But but but he’s an academy product?? 
 

Don’t blame Rodgers, I blame Luke Thomas. It is plain to see the lad lacks any sort of motivation to work on all of his weaknesses. If he was as motivated by his job as he was by his choice of clothing he would’ve improved in the PAST 4 YEARS.

 

Cya Luke, shut the door on your way out please. 

[Stinkenzo]

The hostility towards this guy is just weird. With the offence being taken at some of his performances (if we're to believe Tyler_Boro from X, formerly known as Twitter) you'd think he was stinking up our team, not somebody else's

[davieG]

1 hour ago, Nalis said:

the kid needs to take responsibility for his own career trajectory

While he's under contract to us I'd say he has very little influence over his career trajectory. I doubt he's had much choice as to where he's loaned as the club would want to ensure it was financially good for them. The alternative would have been to refuse the loans and sit on a training bench for several years.