Now, I know Gibson didn’t make the figures particularly clear, but he gave away enough over the course of two interviews to make it clear that our overweight 34 year old Aussie wanted somewhere in the region of over £75,000 per week. Now, for a club who doesn’t particularly like these prima donnas (indeed, I believe our highest paid player remains Alen Boksic), thats not what we would offer.

They were basically just clear the air talks. We’d come under a lot of bad press following the Viduka affair – Why didn’t you offer him a contract? – and Gibson was giving his side of the story. We had offered contracts in good time, and with good money, but apparently the sausage rolls were just cheaper in Newcastle.

Regarding the Yak, well that was just explaining why he’d gone. The fact is, he’d been terrible for the past 7 months, and Gibson was explaining why – the so-called ‘passion’ to play in Europe, and so going to Middlesbrough mk. II in Everton. The desire to be at a ‘top team’, and so going to a ‘top’ mid-table side. And to be honest, the sausage rolls were again probably cheaper.

Yakubu only ever played for half a season whilst on our books post January he was nowhere to be seen, the same happened at Portsmouth. £11.25M for a player that doesn’t care, that’s a brilliant bit of business in my eyes. Two mercenaries, who performed when they felt like it, that we are better off without.

Yakubu says he wanted to play for a team in EUrope, perhaps if he’d performed for us he we might have been there. His performances for us in Europe were pitiful.

Steve Gibson & Middlesbrough FC have taken a bashing from Viduka all summer, with him trying to insinuate that Boro didn’t do enough to keep him and didn’t make him feel wanted enough, as if he was whiter than white. All Gibbo did was to simply put his side across, I don’t see what the problem is, I think he did it in a very calm, dignified and professional manner.

When it comes to Yakubu, all Mr Gibson did was to state why he is being sold – because he switched off for no apparent reason in the second half of the season. What is so shell-shocking about that? It is a fact that can be seen quite clearly if you simply take the time to look at the scoring records for not just last season, but also the season before.

In my eyes, Steve Gibson has done nothing more than give his own take, as owner and chairman of Middlesbrough FC on rather major events that have transpired over the past few months. Other chairmen, owners & managers say a lot worse on a weekly basis, but I don’t see anyone raising any queries over their ‘appropriateness’.

We don’t want to end up like Leeds. Given the bad press that Gibson bizarrely received I hardly think you can blame him for letting us all know!