Boro could do with a Bernie Slaven or an Uwe Fuchs to get them over the line in the race for Premier League promotion.
So I fully understand their pursuit of Jordan Rhodes as they try to boost their cutting edge during the loan window and find that additional striker who can make the difference.
Anyone who can turn chances into goals and potential defeats into draws and draws into wins - whether they arrive at a club as a loan signing or arrive for money - is worth their weight in gold.
Especially during a promotion push.
If you look at the club’s history, Bernie was an unbelievable signing.
What a steal he was - £25,000 from Albion Rovers.
His stats were phenomenal.
He scored goals fun in Boro’s promotion campaigns, and continued to score them in the top flight.
And big Uwe, what a loan capture he was back in 1995.
The big German scored a barrage of goals and wrote his name into Boro folklore.
It’s interesting to see that many of Boro’s promotion rivals like my old club Nottingham Forest and Derby have identified Rhodes as the man who can do the job for them.
He’s got a great goalscoring record and the reputation that he can be relied on at Championship level.
He’s a sniffer, like Bernie was.
If you look at Boro’s top two scorer’s stats and compare them to the leading marksmen at the other top five clubs, they aren’t as prolific as any of them.
Bamford and Leadbitter have 26 between them this season.
Bournemouth’s Wilson and Kermorgant have a combined 31, Martin and Hendrick at Derby have 27, Ighalo and Deeney at Watford are on 33 and Norwich’s Jerome and Grabban have 29.
It shows that Boro could do with a boost in the goalscoring department and whether a move for Rhodes comes to fruition or not, it’s going to be interesting to see who they do bring in as they target a season-shaping striker.
Whether they get someone who costs a bit or turns out to be a bargain, it won’t matter if he bangs in the goals and gets them back into the Premier League.
The Championship race
We've been getting a few rogue results at the top of the Championship lately, and we’ll probably get a few more yet before the season is out.
Everyone seemed to have a bit of a wobble at the same time, but that can be down to a combination of factors.
Whether teams and players think they have got half the job done and get ahead of themselves, it can all play a part.
There’s also injuries and suspensions that kick in, and it can be a long old season.
Results shockers aren’t great for the fans, and they aren’t ideal for punters who back the favourites either.
But they are all part of what makes football so exciting and unpredictable.
Long gone are the days when clubs had 12 or 13 players and that would be enough for the campaign.
The intensity is such that clubs have big squads and strength in depth in every position and rightly so, because they need to.
The promotion race is getting hotter and more interesting by the week, but it’s great because it really captures the imagination.
If your club is battling to go up or is fighting against relegation, it gives everyone a real sense of purpose.
It’s certainly a lot more interesting than being in mid-table where there isn’t a great deal to play for.
I’m sure Luke will soon be shining
Luke Williams is back at the Boro after his loan spell at Coventry, and I’m sure it’s only a matter of time before he becomes a real first-team factor on Teesside.
I worked with Luke as a youth coach at the Boro and he’s a player I rate highly.
Gordon Strachan loved him and gave him a few first team starts, but he then found it difficult under Tony Mowbray.
He actually started Mogga’s first game as Boro manager, a 2-1 home defeat to Bristol City.
But it wasn’t really the right time and environment then for a young player finding their feet.
Mogga needed results fast to transform the clubs’s fortunes, so it was more a case of leaning on experienced players at the time.
He did make a little bit of progress when he did come in, but then had a spell where he wasn’t able to establish himself for whatever reason.
He has been out on loan at a few places getting experience and he is probably a little bit frustrated that he hasn’t made more of an impact here.
But he has got to be patient and keep going, because if he gets a run of five, six, seven games back-to-back - which he hasn’t had so far - it will do him the world of good.
If anything, he is probably a victim of his own ability because he is such a good footballer that he can play in a number of positions.
He can score and create goals, play wide, behind the strikers and in midfield.
It’s a case of the sooner, the better when it comes to identifying his best position, and I’m sure once that’s done he will be off and running.
Mogga the right man for Sky Blues
My old mate and Boro colleague Tony Mowbray might be waiting for his first win as Coventry manager, but I’m sure he will keep them in League One.
And I’m sure all of the experience he gained while at the Boro helm can only help with that.
Mogga inherited a team near the bottom of the Championship table and had to trim the wage bill when he was here.
So all of that experience and the astute qualities he had to show to turn the entire club around can only serve him well in the Midlands.
He lost his first game with the Sky Blues but then got a draw against Bradford City side who are buzzing.
The Bantams are still in the FA Cup after their giant-slayings of Chelsea and Sunderland, and are pushing for the play-offs in that division.
So that was a good point.
At the moment, Mogga is just getting his feet under the table and finding out who’s who, but I have no doubt that he will keep Coventry up.
When football is in your blood
When football is in your blood and you’ve been in the game, it never leaves you.
It’s what you do.
It’s been a while since I’ve coached at a professional club myself.
But although there’s been a few different things put to me since, they weren’t quite right.
I must say, I’m not desperate to get back into the pro game.
But if I got the right offer and it felt right in my stomach I would certainly look at it and consider it.
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