Wednesday, December 28, 2005
Boro 0 Blackurn 2
Things could barely have got worse following the midweek Carling cup exit and another home advantage, together with a higher level of commitment, would surely result in a good 3 points. There was a lot of confidence around that we could overturn that result with something to spare on our best day and we certainly set out to do that. A bright a sharp start going forward looked very promising, with Yakubu and Viduka coming close on several occasions in the first 10 minutes. The Yak especially had a cast iron chance he would put away four times out of five, shortly before a returning Gaizka Mendieta also missed a sitter from close range. It was looking like a matter of time before we took the lead but as time ticked away and the goal didn't come a sense of dread and an increasing lack of confidence crept in. This allowed Kuqi to pop up and bury the ball past a culpable Mark Schwarzer and make it yet another tough afternoon.Inevitably it was the visitors who doubled their lead not the Boro who fought back - the traditional Christmas curse well in evidence. Blackburn therefore enjoyed a quick double over us and we slump to only one win in eight! Whatever the excuses we must stop thinking we have a right to win games based on the talent of the squad. With George Boateng out for six to eight weeks again following an injury midweek the midfield looked very thin today, leaving a tricky conundrum for upcoming games. In short we just don't play with the energy or commitment that say Wigan or Man City exhibit week in week out; it is becoming the norm and not the exception. How things can improve as we travel to Bolton I do not know.
My MOTM: An unlucky Yakubu just scrapes it from a bad bunch.
Boro 0 Blackburn 1
Not for the first time this season, and possibly not for the last, the fans stayed away in droves as Boro attempted to ease through to the semi-final in this Carling cup home tie. What actually happened was one of the worst games of football ever played in the North-East at top flight level! In an attacking sense we were non-existent, looking less than bothered throughout, despite the constant threat from a much more lively Blackburn team. The defense worked moderately hard to keep them out with some success for the most part, but it always looked like our best result would be 0-0.As the game "climaxed" it was the visitors that deservedly broke through with a Paul Dickov strike a minute from time. Schwarzer had performed competently until then, but another slight lack of reaction time allowed the goal that ultimately sealed the tie. Massimo Maccarone was unlucky not to take it to extra time with an injury time hit against the base of the Blackburn post, but it was not tot be. The boss rightly claimed there was not a single player that came out with any credit, stating that we "limped out" of the cup without a proper fight. Perhaps the heavy Christmas schedule, including a re-match with Blackburn on Boxing Day was on a lot of people's minds but this was a very winable game and a huge disappointment all round.
My MOTM: At a push Andy Johnson at least looked interested in continuing his progress and gets the vote.
Tuesday, December 20, 2005
Going Nowhere!
23 year old Nigerian International and this season's top scorer, Aiyegbeni Yakubu (or The Yak as he is lovingly known by the fans) has made the popular decision to snub the upcoming African Nations Cup in a bid to become the Premiership's top scorer. Better news for Christmas there could not have been!The tournament is due to make a big dent in many premiership squads, with players making it to the final stages likely to miss up to nine games in the top flight. This had been a big worry for fans with so many crucial games coming up in that period, but Yakubu announced his non-participation this morning to some relief from the Boro faithful. It seems he does not get on well with the Nigerian manager, and although he states he would dearly love to compete for his nation in the prestigious tournament he feels the experience would be bitter-sweet in light of his relationship with Augustine Equavoen. Well, their loss is Boro's gain for sure. It is still possible for the African team to persuade him otherwise, but for now The Yak seems adamant, and with a real shot at beating the likes of Henry, Owen, Lampard et al to the golden boot why not?!
Go on The Yak!!!
Monday, December 19, 2005
Boro 3 Spurs 3
An action packed game played at high tempo, there was no doubt we were aiming to win this in an attacking way - and we should have done. Going forward we were very tasty, looking threatening from every angle. Unfortunately a defensive record that is worse than every other team bar Sunderland again let us down. The match was so incident packed it is difficult to say that if one thing hadn't happened things would have been different, but the fiasco behind the Spurs opener made us look pathetic. Thank God for the Yak, who goes from strength to strength, scoring a beautiful volley before they had a chance to grow too much in confidence. Then came a stunning run and finish from James Morisson (since accredited to Yakubu who gave it a slight deflection) to take us ahead. From which point we should have sown it up but for Paul Robinson's heroics against drives from Yak and Vids.But again, their equaliser shouldn't have happened. Thank God for fighting Franck, popping up with a fierce header. Surely we would hold on now... but no, the effort dipped once more and Mido was there to take a share of the points for the visitors - very annoying, for fans and the manager alike! A great spectacle for the neutral, but it doesn't aid our premiership cause that much; 20 points and 13th place coming up to Christmas is way below expectation and even with a solid run of undefeated games we will struggle to keep a foothold in the top half now. Still, never give up.
A game noteworthy for one other incident: the sickening knock-out of Morisson from a boot to the face. Every player on the pitch was concerned as he lay motionless and it was a huge relief to hear he was alright afterwards after such a good game.
My MOTM: Morisson. He looks better and better and must keep his place in the starting line-up. Yak was next best for me.
Sunday, December 18, 2005
Boro 2 Litex Lovetch 0
Not the most mouth watering of fixtures, with Boro already guaranteed progression to the last 32, a fact reflected in the turnout at the Riverside, the worst of the season at just over 9000. That said it was a chance to finish top of the group and potentially get a lesser team in the draw, as well as a chance to blood a few more youngsters with first team experience. Matthew Bates, Adam Johnson and Jason Kennedy all got starts together with semi-regular and best of the young bunch James Morisson; even Lee Cattermole got a run out later on. Up front it was also a chance for Massimo Maccarone to sate his case in an embarrassment of riches for in form strikers.The game started brightly and looked like a likely runaway victory after ten minutes but that dried up to become a frustrating midfield battle with some poor passing and low levels of commitment. For 5 minutes in the second half news came through that AZ were top and Boro were finally spurred into action, breaking the deadlock through Johnson's excellent run and cross for Maccarone's head at the far post. A surge of confidence hit the Italian thereafter with a screamer from 35 yards going just over before an equally ambitious piledriver hit the top corner of the net minutes later! 2-0 and all over, but it was a game where we controlled the first and the last 10 minutes and were simply rubbish inbetween, notably the dual goalscorer who was looking unlikely to hit a barn door for the majority.
Ten points and first place! All good. The subsequent draw however muted the celabrations slightly when we nabbed a tie against Stuttgart, easily the best 3rd placed team from the other groups with 3 out of 4 wins and 9 points to there highly reputable name. It will be a tough tough challenge to say the least - but we are yet to concede a goal let alone lose a game and must be confidant. Roll on February!
My MOTM: For 90 minutes Adam Johnson was the best player on the field, but it would be churlish to deny Massimo his day.
Wednesday, December 14, 2005
Liverpool 2 Boro 0
Managed to miss both the live action and the highlights of this one due to the oblivion of the first of the Christmas parties, and I'm quite glad! Chelsea followed by this always looked like the hardest couple of fixtures all season and anything at all would have been a bonus. As it turned out we gave the blues their hardest home game of the season and were not too shabby for the majority at Anfield either. We came closest to scoring first in both games and were simply denied the necessary luck to get something out of either one. Here Mark Viduka must have thought he'd got one in past a defense that has only conceded 6 goals in 13 games in the premiership, only to be denied by the magic leg of Reina who seemed to be going the wrong way before the well placed limb saved the home team's blushes.Then up popped Morientes, proving that if a bad run of any description needs ending then just play Boro! He hasn't even looked like scoring in months and then he goes and gets two against us... The second of which apparently caused a lot of controversy along the lines of the "gaining an advantage by an offside position" rule - although way offside when the ball was played across the field away from him play went on, resulting in a goal and game over when the ball did eventually come to him from a Franck Queudrue knock on.
So... Our league position has slipped again, but in no way truly reflects our merit at this point - We will finish higher than this, but it has not been great for confidence. And it doesn't get much easier with a solid looking Spurs team arriving on Teesside for Sunday's encounter which is a must win in my book; we must take advantage of a run of home games (including two cup games and 2 against Blackburn in 5 days). Christmas is notoriously a slack period for us and that hoodoo cannot be allowed to take hold, or 2006 could be looking a little grim!
My MOTM: The fans voted for Riggott or Southgate, so not having seen it that's good enough for me despite no clean sheet once more.
Sunday, December 04, 2005
Chelsea 1 Boro 0
With chelsea's 100% record at Stamford Bridge this season many would have been forgiven for chalking this one down as a definite away defeat, but with Boro having lost only twice in the last twelve, and with a great record against the top teams, there was a good case for a fighting draw. The blues displayed a lot of respect for us in the first half and it was Jimmy who came closest to breaking the possession based deadlock when his 15 yard shot came back off the inside of Cech's post and into his arms. In fact it took over an hour before Chelsea pinched one through a John Terry header from a Damian Duff corner - previously we had managed to clear a couple of their half chances off the line but this one trickled over agonisingly and proved the only goal of the game.With another injury forced reshuffle at the back (Riggott for Ehiogu, Bates for Parnaby, Pogatetz for Queudrue) we coped admirably with their attacking forces for the majority of the time, with Drogba looking match rusty and Lampard uncharacteristically wayward. Going forward was more difficult - George Boateng did well at times, holding up the ball and winning some crucial midfield battles, but the service up front was average at best and against this defense that isn't quite good enough. Funny though that most fans, including me, are willing to accept this as a reasonable result - it shows that we are a long way off from a "no one is unbeatable" attitude, the kind of attitude we may need against Liverpool at Anfield next week!
On other news: I got my cup wish with a home draw against Blackburn Rovers in the Carling Cup quarter final. Doncaster managed to draw Arsenal, setting us up nicely for a semi-final rematch with the gunners...
My MOTM: George Boateng - against a non-vintage Chelski looked most likely to get something for us throughout
Friday, December 02, 2005
Boro 2 Crystal Palace 1
We were promised a full strength squad to push on for a quarter final place and that's exactly what we got. Captain Gareth Southgate even made a speech before the game (apparently) to try and convince those not involved in the Cardiff final 2 seasons ago just how important this trophy is for the club. And since I was down in Middlesbrough for work I took the opportunity to get myself to the Riverside for my first live game in 3 years! It has been tough for the fans to meet the demands of so many games this year, what with Uefa cup and this, so just over 10 thousand turned out on a frosty night that turned out well in the end.A patchy first half ended 1-0 to the visitors after Queudrue's surreal own goal right in front of me in the North stand. We played well enough to at least be level despite some sloppy passing with Mark Viduka especially looking dangerous. Sure enough our problems were ironed out at half time resulting in a blistering strike from the in-form Aussie to bring us deservingly level on 50 minutes. 5 minutes later and we looked to be cruising after Vids set up Nemeth for one of the best goals I've seen him score, a short range touch from a narrow angle that even had a bit of curl on it! After that the result looked nailed on even if Palace didn't totally crumble.
Man Utd and Arsenal also cruised through to the last eight and would ideally be avoided in Saturday's draw, with Doncaster the only non premiership team left in. Personally I'd settle for a home tie against a Birmingham or a Blackburn. Not long to find out and with the commitment the team is showing in this competition we could again go all the way. £17 well spent!
My MOTM: Viduka, with no sign of taking it easy and a superb strike right up there with the season's best.
