The nineties saw the introduction of Neil Cox and Andy Townsend who both performed well and the new Millennium has seen us raid Villa Park for arguably the best centre-half pairing in the country, in Ugo Ehiogu and Gareth Southgate.
Steve McClaren was also instrumental in bringing Steve Harrison and Paul Baron from Villa as part of his backroom staff.
Only six Premiership teams had a better defensive record than Boro last season and that was after we leaked eleven goals in the first four games. Not a bad record and one that will stand us in good stead should the goals start going in at the other end.
Villa have recently snapped up Boro target Michael Boulding from Grimsby and are now linked with Norwegian starlet Martin Wiig from Odd Grenland.
The suggestion that Odd Grenland could become a feeder club for Villa is far from the truth, and is only a smokescreen to hide the fact that it is Villa who are the feeder club, for their Premiership rivals.
Go on Villa, give the lads a chance and if they prove their worth we might just take them off your hands.