Middlesbrough are reported to be lining up a move for Scunthorpe United striker Gary Hooper as Gordon Strachan looks to add goals to his assault on the Coca-Cola Championship next season.

A recent price-tag of £2.5million was placed on the 22-year-old's head with the likes of Wolverhampton Wanderers, Wigan Athletic and Scottich giants Celtic interested in The Iron's front man.

Or will the Middlesbrough defender join ex team-mate Robert Huth at Stoke City next season?

It wasn't long ago that Fabio Capello was scheduling in Middlesbrough games to watch, a then, 21-year-old David Wheater who impressed the Italian during his first few months in charge of the England team.

It's no secret that some Middlesbrough fans are already calling for Gordon Strachan's head only three months after the former Celtic Manager took charge at the Riverside. A lack of consistency since his arrival has seen the side slip down the Championship standings to mid-table mediocrity.

After Saturday's goalless draw at home to Bristol City in front of less than 18,000 Boro fans, today's transfer deadline day might be the most important day in Middlesbrough's season if things go the manager's way.

Gordon Strachan again highlighted the need for goalscorers in the team after seeing his side waste very good chances against the Robins.

It looks like Adam Johnson will be leaving Middlesbrough today after reports have confirmed that the 22-year-old is on his way to Manchester for a medical ahead of completing a £7 million move from the Riverside.

The Premier League club had a first bid for the winger turned down by Boro on Friday but now, after a late bid yesterday evening, it looks like Middlesbrough officials have accepted that offer for our left winger.

We won't get ahead of ourselves here because we are all used to being let down at Middlesbrough once we get a tiny glimpse of fortune. Whilst Newcastle's lengthy unbeaten run came to an end this week at Derby County, we continued our good efforts and are now experiencing a five game run without loss but as I said let's not get too carried away.

Jeremie Aliadiere's return to the first-team has given Gordon Strachan extra options in the final third of the pitch as he hopes to strengthen our resolve in the goal scoring department which has blighted our progression this season in the Championship.

Once again the Frenchman has been hit with injuries this season which have plagued his Boro career since joining us in 2007.

With the season end rapidly approaching it is that time of the year for us fans to reflect on what went right for us, what went wrong for us and what we don't care about any more. Firstly, before I do my annual reflecting, I feel the fans should be given an explanation as to why Gary O'Neil was left out of the squad for the recent 2-0 win over Plymouth Argyle.

Juninho's smile would brighten up any grey and miserable Saturday afternoon on Teesside just like his silky skills would bring joy to many, even during mediocre battles at Selhurst Park or trips to Filbert Street. The small Brazilian was the best thing to happen to Middlesbrough during the 90's and into the early parts of the new millennium with every Boro fan being mesmerised with his every move.

Steve Bernard

Gordon Strachan's interview this week with Late Kick Off revealed some interesting insights into how the gaffer has viewed this season and how he wants to see the team develop. On this season there's no getting away from the abject disappointment that both he and the chairman feel about the way it's gone, interesting that he says that he ‘hopes the players do too'.

Former Middlesbrough winger Adam Johnson has a big game tomorrow against Manchester United at the City of Manchester Stadium.

After signing for the Blues earlier this year he has gone on to play a big part in the race for fourth spot in the Premier League with some outstanding performances.

With three games remaining it comes down to two away games and one home game. Th first of the two games on the road is at West Brom this evening as Boro will attempt to regain some pride against the Baggies having been thrashed 5-0 at the Riverside by Di Matteo's side earlier in the season.

Gordon Strachan is closing in on former Leeds, Liverpool and Coventry City player Gary McAllister to head Middlesbrough coaching staff for next seasons assault on the Coca Cola Championship.

The Boro boss is keen to make his own stamp on the back-room staff after relieving Colin Cooper, Stephen Pears, Martin Scott and Dave Leadbeater of their duties at the Riverside earlier this week stating, to the official Middlesbrough website, that the decision he made was a very difficult one.

Gordon Strachan has landed yet another player from north of the border as we welcome 18-year-old Andrew Halliday to Teesside. The youngster signs for Middlesbrough, from Livingston, in a deal worth just £100,000 ahead of a whole host of Premier League clubs. Well that's what the local papers in Scotland said anyway.

There were doubts surrounding the future of Gary O'Neil when Gordon Strachan was ordered to withdraw the player from the squad in a couple of the last remaining games of the season. A transfer agreement with Portsmouth, O'Neil's former club, stated that if the player was to reach the 100 appearance mark then Boro would have to pay Pompey an extra £1million on top of the original fee paid in 2007 which was around £4million.

Jack Charlton appears in the new Carlsberg advert for England's World Cup campaign in South Africa next month. The former Middlesbrough boss is joined by a long list of English heroes from sporting, music and exploration backgrounds.

The advert also pays tribute to the late Sir Bobby Robson as the players walk down the tunnel.

A trio of Middlesbrough players made it into Australia's provisional 31-man squad today for the team's World Cup preparations. Brad Jones, Rhys Williams and Scott McDonald made the squad alongside some regulars including former Boro players Mark Schwarzer and Luke Wilkshire with ex-Leeds and Liverpool winger Harry Kewell also included.

Gordon Strachan was the subject to some harsh criticism last week from Australia's head coach Pim Verbeek regarding the fitness of Boro player Rhys Williams ahead of the World Cup in South Africa next month.

The Socceroos boss slammed the Middlesbrough Manager for playing Williams whilst he was injured, criticising Strachan for allowing him to have pain relieving injections so that he could take part in our last few games of the season.

The rumour-mill has been busy in London this morning with the South London Press touting Middlesbrough to be lining up a move for 26-year-old Darren Ambrose from Crystal Palace.

The attacking midfielder almost single-handedly saved Palace from relegation last season in the Coca Cola Championship as he scored a total of 20 goals for the Eagles, 15 in the league and five in the cup.

Hopefully that got your attention!

Now then, as editor of Follow The Boro Brick Road I thought I would use the power of the web to gain an advantage in my quest to win a competition. Some of you fellow Middlesbrough fans will already know that I have entered a competition to take part in the Eurostar Tri-City-Athlon this September as you would have seen my name posted on Middlesbrough FC's Official Facebook page.

Out of contract defender and former Boro captain Emanuel Pogatetz is on the verge of signing for Bundesliga club Hannover 96 according to reports leaking through the web.

Having played a bit part in Middlesbrough's Championship campaign last season due to injury and coming to the end of his current contract at the Riverside he is reportedly being linked with a move to Hannover 96.

Steve Bernard

The World Cup is almost upon us and there aren't many genuine football fans left who aren't looking forward to the tournament more and more everyday. The World Cup is the most special of all competitions. We can all remember where we were watching Zinedine Zidane headbutt Marco Materazzi in 2006, or David Beckham's penalty against Argentina in 2002, and of course David Beckham's red card against the same opposition in St Etienne in 1998.

Nick Bailey is set to sign for Middlesbrough this week, pending a medical, after he agreed personal terms with Boro. In a recent interview with the SkySports he thanked Charlton Athletic and their fans for the two year experience with the London club which saw him score 26 times in 93 appearances resulting in Gordon Strachan seeking the midfielder's signature.

Ahmed Hossam Hussein Abdelhamid aka Mido is back on Teesside after spending the last six months with West Ham United and wants to help Boro gain promotion to the Premier League next season.

The 27-year-old returns to Middlesbrough after falling out with former boss Gareth Southgate last summer when the Egyptian striker was late reporting back to pre-season training.

Former Rangers striker Kris Boyd is on the verge of sealing a two-year contract at the Riverside pending a medical today. The 26-year-old has a phenomenal goal to game ratio for the Scottish giants netting just over a century of goals in 143 appearances.

Gordon Strachan has been tracking Boyd since January when he had talks with the highest goalscorer in SPL history but was unable to lure him to Teesside mid-season.

It appears that Gordon Strachan is on the hunt in the blue side of Glasgow again as he looks to reshape the team ahead of the new Championship campaign. With Kris Boyd on Teesside, after passing a medical on Monday, the former Celtic Manager has now turned his attentions to Rangers midfielder Kevin Thomson.

Two years ago Middlesbrough were weighing up an offer for a 20-year-old Belgium international called Steven Defour but were put off by a £5million asking price. Forward two years and Boro are just about to enter their second year in the Championship after being relegated from the Premier League in the 2008/09 season.

This is it then, we are only 24 hours away from the start of the 2010/11 npower Championship season and excitement is already building ahead of Middlesbrough's opening match against Ipswich Town at the Riverside Stadium tomorrow at 3pm.

A successful pre-season has been and gone with the arrival of some much needed players to strengthen the squad already looking the business for Strachan's new-look side.

Boro Brick Road Chief Reporter Anthony Ward will bring you the latest match reports from Middlesbrough's npower Championship fixtures this season. Here is his reaction from Saturday's defeat at home to Ipswich Town.

Middlesbrough 1 Ipswich Town 3

Middlesbrough's long awaited first game of the 2010/11 season ended in a disappointing defeat at the hands of a composed Ipswich Town team.

Middlesbrough number 1, Brad Jones is likely to complete a move to Premier League giants Liverpool in the next 24 hours after the two clubs agreed a fee in the region of £2.5million. A previous offer of £2million from the Merseyside outfit was rebuffed by us but it is believed that Roy Hodgson has been given permission to increase the offer for the Australian number 2.

Gordon Strachan will have reflected on a bad day at the office in Boro's opening day defeat to Ipswich Town last Saturday. WGS will be hoping his team can cut-out the sloppy defending which allowed Roy Keane's men to score three past Danny Coyne to inflict the first loss of the season.

Leicester v Boro

This fixture last season saw Strachan's men lose 2-0 at the Walkers Stadium with goals coming from Yann Kermorgant and Richie Wellens.

Gordon Strachan will have cash to splash once the sale of Brad Jones goes through this week. The Australian goalkeeper had a medical at the Premier League club yesterday indicating that personal terms have been agreed. According to reports in the weekend press the £2million-plus transfer fee from his sale is already in place to be used to try and land Cardiff City midfielder Peter Whittingham.

The Boro fans playing keep-ball from the Watford stewards was the highlight of our visit on Saturday as we witnessed a 20-minute spell of the worst defending which handed the Hornets three goals on a plate.

As we walked away from Vicarage Road at the full-time whistle, I couldn't help but smile when one particular home fan thought that his team had completely outplayed Boro and that the only time we had the ball was when the away end kept the match-ball for five minutes.