Saturday, October 29, 2005
Boro 4 Man Utd 1
Pure Joy! I think most fans would have taken a point before kick-off, me included after another hard game midweek, but after a lightening start from Gaizka Mendieta it never looked like anything but all 3.Man Utd's reputation has been seriously tarnished with this result - they are definitely not the force of old with their defense, mostly birthday boy Van Der Saar and Donkey Ferdinand, being humiliated at the Riverside. The Spaniard was man of the match after the first quarter of an hour and stayed that way till his late substitution and a standing ovation. Bringing him in more central was a shrewd tactical decision that paid huge dividends as time after time he sliced through the Utd midfield causing them severe troubles they just couldn't cope with. Any attack that they did have were coped with imperiously by the ever improving Chris Riggott and a solid Matthew Bates, but it was the forward line that drew all the attention - Jimmy Floyd with his first premiership goal to add to recent Euro and Carling cup strikes justified selection in great style and the Yak's composure just grows and grows, first with a very cool penalty, then with a superb cut-back for Boro's fourth! A late header by Ronaldo prevented the clean sheet, but nothing could detract from the fact that this was our day through and through.
Two wins at home - first Arsenal and now Man Utd... Bring on Chelsea. The feeling now has to be that our season is hitting full stride - we need that momentum to continue, and with news that our next rivals in the carling cup will be Crystal Palace at the riverside you have to be confident that we can do it. This is better!
My MOTM: Mendietta by a country mile; Riggott for his brilliant defensive form a good second.
Thursday, October 27, 2005
Everton 0 Boro 1
Back on the trail of another Carling cup run thanks to a much better performance all round at Goodison Park last night. Everton were coming into the game on the back of being the only team to take a point off Chelsea so far this season and with home advantage must have been slight favourites despite their league position. It didn't really look that way, though, as first Morrison, then Viduka and Hasselbaink threatened the goal again and again, with the latter slotting home midway throughout the first half.Everyone looked up for it and that bit sharper after the West Ham game - Rochemback was flowing in a more productive way, the back line looked alert and very solid and the forwards always looked like scoring. The second half became more of a defensive mission when the 2nd goal to kill the game didn't come, but that job was done well in the absence of the skipper (4 players deputised as captain for the night!). You always got the feeling it was Boro's night - even when Arteta hit the crossbar from a good freekick.
A great confidence booster and already in the last 16! Chelsea fell to Charlton on penalties and that has to be good news for everyone. 11 premiership teams are still in the hat for Saturdays draw, however and Boro will be looking primarily for home advantage, but also for a draw against one of the 5 non-premiership sides left in - Come on Doncaster Rovers!
My MOTM: Riggott or Queudrue at the back deserve a mention, but Morrison is displaying the best form of anyone and should be in the starting line-up for every game...
Sunday, October 23, 2005
West Ham 2 Boro 1
So on the balance of play The Hammers probably just deserved to win this - looking fresher and more competitive, especially on the left side - but the game will be remembered for a massive injustice and a linesman who guessed a goal that never was!No complaints about their first - Sheringham coming on and having instant impact, finding a yard on a tired looking Boro defense that were under pressure throughout the match. Their second however was no where near a goal, as Chris Riggott touched it back towards Schwarzer who fumbled but eventually saved well enough. Every man on the pitch, even those in claret and blue looked bemused at the decision and the tie was effectively over.
To their credit Boro didn't give up and were rewarded with a late consolation from Rochemback's corner and Queudrue's confident header. Not a classic performance and the hint of a European hangover once again leaves the club in the bottom half of the premiership with serious concerns about keeping in touch with the top six. The next league match is against Man Utd and things may get worse before they get better - It is time to stop pretending we deserve to win and just go out and do the business...
My MOTM: Franck Queudrue for coming on for an injured Southgate and showing exactly the right spirit for the team.
Thursday, October 20, 2005
Grasshoppers Zurich 0 Boro 1
An away win, 3 points and a great start to the group stage - just! After a perfect start, and a flowing move resulting in Jimmy's first of the season, we never looked convincing - looking messy, undisciplined and very average for the majority of the game.Grasshoppers responded well to going one down and carried more momentum, especially in the 2nd half, which was pretty much backs to the wall! OK, we were unlucky several times on the break, but so were they, having a perfectly good goal disallowed amongst their woes. Boro rode their luck for sure; Nemeth was having one of his amateur nights and Mendieta wasn't much better. James Morrison came on after the hour to bring some forward motion and commitment to the team and looked good; Viduka was OK if unspectacular; and Doriva had the best of the midfield, skimming the post from close range in his best move after the goal assist.
An occasion where fortune was on our side (which is always welcome), but I have to argue with the boss who again let loose his catchphrase on the media saying the back four were "magnificent". They got away with it is more accurate...! Still a bit of glory on our travels and let's be positive, it is only one defeat from seven. Can't help thinking there is work to do though, first for West Ham and sooner than is comfortable Man Utd, just around the corner.
My MOTM: Southgate at the back did enough and always worked hard, getting the nod - Doriva would have been the choice if he'd buried his goal chance.
Tuesday, October 18, 2005
Positive Results
Come on! Does this look like a man on drugs??? Um, OK, I see your point...It seems that Mr Xavier gave a positive drugs test after the Xanthi game and is set to be banned from all competitions! All I can say is - what a tosser! Forget the benefit of the doubt, there has rarely been anything that rings so true. In his defense he's been playing not too badly for Boro, but the guy has caused nothing but trouble at almost every club he's been at and now has put Boro's reputation in jeopardy with his selfish actions - not to mention the potential problems it may cause in future team selection.
On the plus: Stuart Parnaby came in against Portsmouth and played well, and I would prefer him in the line-up any day. It is just a real pain in the ass to have to deal with this 2 days before the Uefa cup group stage kicks off in Zurich. Whether it will affect the team directly in terms of a ban or a fine still remains to be seen. Tut.
Saturday, October 15, 2005
Boro 1 Portsmouth 1
After another busy international break the question was whether Boro could keep the momentum of some good results going or fall back into a loop of inconsistency. The answer has to be the latter - We were at home, facing a poor team that will almost certainly finish in the bottom 6 and almost the full squad was fit, so to drop 2 more points has to be seen as disappointing.Yakubu faced his former club for the first time and always looked hungry for the goal that eventually came in the 53rd minute, and were it not for a lack of defensive concentration just after the break the result might have been different. But the finger points at the boss somewhat, as you sense that were a more attacking formation selected from the start, as we were forced to adopt after conceding a goal, we would have steamrolled the opposition no problem. As it was it was another case of what might have been...
The strikers didn't do a lot wrong - both Viduka and Hasselbaink looked good on their arrivals in the second half and Maccarone again looked the best player on the pitch in the first - It is the supply from midfield that is the problem, together with a lack of total focus at the back. Steve McClaren has to be questioned again in trying to accommodate both Pogatetz and Queudrue on the left instead of making a clear choice, and in allowing Fabio Rochemback a free role that only seems to confuse those around him. Once these organisational problems are sorted out you can believe there is a very good team here, but until then it is ultimately frustrating!
My MOTM: Yakubu, great game against his old team, but it could have been Maccarone if allowed the full 90.
Tuesday, October 04, 2005
Uefa Group Stage
The draw for the Uefa cup group stage took place this lunch time, with Boro's fixtures meeting with mixed reactions. The teams we will face in group D are AZ Alkmaar (Holland), Dnipro (Ukraine), Grasshopers Zurich (Switzerland) and Litex Lovech (Bulgaria).The two home games will be against the Ukranian side, who made Tony Mowbray's Hibs look very ordinary with a 5-1 defeat over there in the 1st round, and the Bulgarian minnoes ranked lowest of our four opponents. On the plus side we have avoided some tricky away fixtures with Holland and Switzerland being easily accessable for the fans, and we have a good chance of 6 points at home. The down side is that our toughest game is away against the inform AZ, and that with little known teams coming to the Riverside the gates are likely to be on the smallish side. However, the most important thing is points to progress - 7 points from 12 are almost certainly enough and that is very do-able. It is both a blessing and a curse to miss out on any of the really big names, but we can save Roma for the later rounds, eh?
All in all a lot to look forward to. First fixture is 20th October at Grasshoppers'.
Sunday, October 02, 2005
Aston Villa 2 Boro 3
Right, so if it's a tough looking tie we'll win and if it looks easy we'll probably lose?! Still no consistency then, but today it was in our favour, bringing 3 points for only the second time after a midweek European game.Mendieta and Nemeth were brought in for Morrison and Maccarone, with Pogatetz going to left back as Franck Queudrue sat on the bench - these unforced changes made sense and made for an evenly matched contest throughout. Villa were quiet in the first half and the deadlock was broken by another terrific Yakubu strike around the half hour. Rochemback was given free rein again to float around the pitch, making several cutting runs, and the back four looked in relative control too. Villa came out with more life in the second half though and sure enough got the equaliser, but Boro never let them settle too much and responded with a vital goal from a corner by George Boateng, who looked like he'd won the lottery! A late penalty, tucked away expertly by the Yak for his 4th of the season, all but ensured the win, with time for only 2 seconds of panic after Villa got a fortunate 2nd right before the final whistle.
It felt like a win with a little in hand today and encouraging that we may go on from this into some kind of regular form... but don't count on it.
My MOTM:
Yakubu is the popular choice for strength and 2 goals, but George Boateng was the real hero.
