Sunday, November 27, 2005
Boro 2 West Brom 2
And they wonder why the Riverside isn't full? It is because our home form leaves a lot to be desired, especially against lesser opposition that we should be brushing aside! No disrespect to Robbo's West Brom who came and fought hard for their point - well done to them. But with the start Viduka gave us you can maybe forgive conceding one and still coming back to win, but to concede 2 was just shocking and undisciplined. We can't keep blaming it on Euro hangovers, injuries or the conditions - it is because certain players are too casual or just not good enough!! If I had paid almost £400 for a season ticket and come out in the rain and wind to see that performance I would be raging - I'm raging anyway...No problem scoring, fair enough, a brilliant opener from Viduka who looked sharp first half and, again, a very cool penalty from the Yak, but... Defensively careless, sloppy, lacking concentration at times; made all the more frustrating as in other moments they are quite brilliant. No back to back premiership wins in a year, not enough clean sheets, especially at home and 20 goals conceded in 14 games - that is the form of a bottom half team and the season isn't new any more, it is almost half over! The baggies have an appaling away record and to drop two points against them whilst trying to bridge the gap to the likes of Bolton and Man City is simply unacceptable...
An interseting match played with high commitment, these comments and criticisms aside. There could easily have been a winner for us in the last 20 minutes had lady luck been smiling and no complaints for the forwards really, although I do wish (often) that Szilard Nemeth knew how to finish without having to think about it for an hour and send in the request in triplicate to the opposing goalkeeper... With Chelsea and Liverpool coming up I don't expect us to be poking our heads above the half way mark for long - but you know how we play against the big boys...
My MOTM: Riggott staked a case again, but I'm giving it to Pogatetz who gave everything he could and continues to improve as others falter.
Friday, November 25, 2005
AZ Alkmaar 0 Boro 0
6 points on the board already meant a draw of any kind would be enough to see us through to the last 32 for the 2nd consecutive year. That the game went ahead at all is something of a blessing, as a late inspection was passed OK before the heavens really opened with avengeance. The pitch was a bog and conditions conducive to flowing football were non-existent. Even so Alkmaar had not conceded a point on their home ground in 8 games and would surely come out seeking to dominate the group.Certain players, including top scorer Yakubu, were rested early on leaving Jimmy Floyd, who had no little history in AZ, to captain the team for the first time. The tempo was as high as it could have been in the conditions and overall it was a decent game. The home team showed more commitment in attack in the main, forcing several good stops from replacement keeper Brad Jones (Schwarzer out with a slight shoulder injury) and from the 4 men in front of him, notably an out of position Matthew Bates at right back and Boro's most consistent player of recent games, Chris Riggott. We never looked like winning with anything other than a lucky counter but the performance was brave and full of spirit; enough to earn that label of "job done" which we are getting quite used to thank you very much! 7 points and a win at home against Litex Lovech in 2 weeks to secure top place in the group and thus avoid Champions League 3rd place teams in the next round. Good stuff.
My MOTM: Jones deserves his accolades, but for me Riggott was the real reason for the clean sheet and gets the nod.
Tuesday, November 22, 2005
4 More Years
The boss today announced he has put pen to paper for a new 4 year deal, keeping him at the club until 2009 and ending any speculation that he will be taking on the England role sooner rather than later. What that really means is that should Mac decide to move on before that time the club is protected financially - nothing more nothing less, as we all know the biggest threat to any manager's tenure is the old boot.The news will meet with mixed reactions from fans no doubt. Many have criticised his defensive style in matches the Boro army would have preferred to see the team push on, and his standard media response of the team being "magnificent", often when they are far from it, has begun to grate. However, his results over the last few years speak for themselves: first ever major trophy in a 128 year history; highest ever top flight finish with 7th last season; and already this term we are flying high in Europe and have claimed the scalps of giants Arsenal and Man Utd domestically. The problem has been consistency and the view from my chair is that a negative attitude too often against mediocre opposition has definitely led to dropped points. It is impossible to please everyone and at the end of the day only results and the record book matter. A top 7 position is once again our target and anything else will force serious reconsideration, but until then let's give him the support he needs and the benefit of the doubt. Bring back the silverware Stevie! Good on ya.
Sunday, November 20, 2005
Boro 3 Fulham 2
On paper it looked like a must win game if Boro were to avoid getting dragged firmly into the bottom half of the table, and also if we were to consolidate our home form, which until now has been scrappy. A good rest for most of the players (Aussies Schwarzer and Viduka the exception) meant no excuses for fatigue, Southgate was back in charge at the back and our strikers were in form. So when an early wonder goal for Collins John shook the Riverside it was depressing to think it was going to be another one of those Sundays. Despite some good build up play and several near misses it took a good long while for parity to arrive thanks to a Yakubu cross and a Morrison finish, only for Fulham to come straight back and extend the lead again to 2-1...With a little over quarter of an hour left the situation for all 3 points looked grim, but a controversial goal hit by Hasselbaink and deflected into the net by The Yak soon after lifted the crowd and spurred on the home team to push everything forward in search of the winner. And luckily enough it came, with Jimmy stepping up his game (had looked due for substitution after a few easy misses) once more at a crucial time to make it 3! The skipper then rallied his men at the back to make an impenetrable wall no one defended better than Franck Queudrue.
So important to stay with the teams from 2nd to 13th, and with this win we moved to 11th above Blackburn and Newcastle with a six point gap to Fulham in 14th. It nearly went pear shaped but it didn't and that's all that matters - a good fighting win to make it 5 league victories for the season so far.
My MOTM: An outstanding Yakubu who was at the heart of every positive move.
Thursday, November 17, 2005
Socceroos Make it.
A quick congratulations to Boro's Australian internationals Mark Schwarzer and Mark Viduka who both played a crucial part in the Socceroos reaching the World Cup finals for the first time in 30 years with a dramatic penalty shootout win over Uruguay.Viduka missed his penalty after extra time in Sydney, but it was his assist for the goal that took them to extra time and beyond, allowing Scwarz to step up and become the hero on the night. The big Oz saved two of the South American's five penalties, the second of which (pictured) was quite spectacular, ending a night of drama for the fans in real style. It was a terrific occasion and should prove to be a great boost for our pair who were beginning to play with some degree of consistency anyway.
As a slight downer, both men are listed as doubtful for the upcoming Fulham game having taken a couple of knocks in battle. Hopefully they will soon be back in action scoring and saving goals with high regularity. Regardless, it will be great to see more Boro players in Germany next Summer.
Sunday, November 06, 2005
Everton 1 Boro 0
Seven goals in two games and a run of three wins led to a wave of confidence before this match, but a little voice in the back of your mind told you this wasn't going to be that easy. Everton have also been experiencing a resurgence of form and would be hot for revenge following the 1-0 defeat in the Carling cup at Goodison recently. And so it proved - they were much tougher to break down than in that match and seemed to have luck on their side too.Boro started strongly and little deserved the setback of a James Beattie headed goal from a corner early on. Apart from that the away team dominated the first half, both in possession and chances, with Mendieta in creative mood again, and it looking for all the world like a mere matter of time before the goals rained in. Yakubu missed a blatant chance to equalise when rounding the keeper only for a soft tap to be recovered on it's way to the goalline. The second half was not so good and tiredness again showed it's ugly face as the clock ticked down - as the boss said a little "urgency" and "ruthlessness" were lacking, as an encounter with the woodwork for either side proved the nearest to any advance on the scoreline, Boro's from an ever hungry franck Queudrue with almost the last effort of the match.
Ultimately it leaves us short again in premiership terms and stranded in 13th position. Below Chelsea (who lost today for the first time in 13 months!) the table is very open from 2nd down and a few good wins would see us back up where we belong, but as it is before the international break it doesn't make inspiring reading and leaves the pressure very much on!
My MOTM: Mendieta a contender again, but I'll give it to Queudrue for his insatiable fight right up to the whistle.
Thursday, November 03, 2005
Boro 3 Dnipro 0
Keeping the momentum going, Boro dismissed the Ukrainians in comprehensive fashion at The Riverside to go top of group D with 6 points and no goals conceded in the competition so far. Only 13000 turned out in the rain but there was noise enough to celebrate a superb opening goal by Yakubu towards the end of the first half. Things were beginning to look a little laboured, if not panic stricken before Mendieta, with evidently renewed confidence played in the striker, from which point the result looked in little doubt.The second half was all Boro - with 2 early strikes from Mark Viduka, who until his first looked below form again and was coming in for a little commentator criticism. However, his turn, set up and vicious strike was the best of the night, soon followed by a rebounded shot into the net from an initial Morrison volley. At 3-0 the home side had the luxury of being able to rest key players: Yakubu, Mendieta and soon after Viduka all came off to give Maccarone, Nemeth and youngster Jason Kennedy a chance to join the party. Unfortunately a handful of chances ended in no advance on the scoreline, but it was an easy enough win on the night with a lot of good performances to celebrate. The 3-5-2 system seems to be working very well, with Bates, Riggott and Queudrue never looking overly troubled at the back and Pogatetz and Parnaby getting forward to good effect at times. It all adds to a nice vein of form that reads one defeat in eight - and that was against West Ham, which we all know should have been a draw...
My MOTM: Of those that played 90 mins Morrison caught the eye, but Mendieta was the spark from midfield that made the game ours.
