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Untypical Boro is a lively topical blog by the Evening Gazette's award winning football columnist Anthony Vickers that aims to get behind the headlines to flesh out the stories that Boro fans are talking about.

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Boro Spread Seasonal Cheer

Posted by on December 24, 2006 11:16 AM | 

PHEW! That's a relief. Defeat would have been unthinkable and would have raised some damning question-marks over the boss and the players and left Boro in the bottom three for Christmas. It may have been a PR own goal as thousands of wide-eyed quid-a- kidders trudged home from their first ever game nursing emotional wounds and resolving never to go again.


In fact, Boro did enough to spread some festive cheer on Teesside, shore up their position in the table on a day when other results all went their way and raise confidence levels going into what will be three far harder games in the next week. The kids seemed happy too.

The problems haven't gone away but the immense presence at the back of Jonathan Woodgate and transformed partner Manu Pogatetz, the return of a lively Mark Viduka playing for a new contract and the prospect of James Morrison continuing to become the player we all hoped he would be are grounds for revived optimism in what will be a tense and testing spell.

Charlton are awful and are as good as down, along with Watford. Now Boro are in there with six other teams scrapping to avoid that third and final ticket to football and finacial oblivion. It will be a fraught few months and we will need to dip into our reserves of resolve, loyalty and patience.

That's your lot for now. If you think I'm writing on Christmas Day you must be even sadder than I am. Thanks for your support and participation. Merry Christmas.

Comments (4)

chris wrote...

Part time at the gazette now i see ;)...merry xmas vic

Posted by: chris  | December 24, 2006 11:56 AM

John Powls wrote...

Vic

Hope you had a good Xmas.

Great summing up of the Charlton game and glad you didn't fall for the ra-ra I heard surrounding Arca after that game. Yes, his best game for us but that's saying little and particularly against Charlton.

Even then he and The Boat went AWOL in the last 15 minutes and left us exposed in the usual way - an attack with more confidence than theirs would have made us pay - and they almost did.

Given time and room, which he had against Charlton but will get about 3 times in an average Prem season, he can pick a pass. But he's achingly slow and has a tendency prevalent amongst South American players who aren't as good as they think they are, to have to do a pirouette every time he receives the ball and often to 'showboat' by passing square within inches of an opponent.

The first simply slows the momentum going forward and the second is a hospital pass waiting to happen. Both are a liablility against even the average Prem midfield - as Fulham showed very effectively the week before when Arca got taken off at half time.

For someone with experience as a defender (albeit as a Mackem in the worst defence in Prem history) he is very reluctant to do his shift going backwards.

A more encouraging scrap against Everton though the 'don't protect the defence/don't supply to the strikers' weakness of our centre midfield showed again. Thanks goodness for Woody and the defence and for Veruka making something (almost) out of very little.

As you say we'll need the same resolve and more in the next 2. 4 points at least must be the target.

It will be a fraught few months - I share your analysis in your penultimate paragraph. But it could be less fraught if we get into business swiftly in the transfer window.

If we register players early we have the best part of a 2 week window from Prem games to train with them before a six pointer at Charlton - who will doubtless be less of a soft touch under Pardew.

Minimum requirement - a box to box midfielder (left or right sided but right for preference), a right winger and a striker.

Possibilities (not in order of preference or position):-
Stephen Appiah, Gera, Simon Whaley (Preston), Nugent, Varney (Crewe; more of a long term bet and maybe for the Summer), Ashley Young, Alan Smith (loan from ManUre; turned down a loan to the Championship recently but didn't say he wouldn't go out. His kind of grit would be just the sort of tonic we need).

Notice I haven't mentioned Alliadiere. In my view, just what we don't need. Hasn't done it for the Gunners or anywhere else when out on loan - so our coaches are going to get him to perform!???. Too lightweight and effete for a relegation scrap.

Posted by: John Powls  | December 27, 2006 10:37 AM

Nigel Empson (Mumbai) wrote...

Four points from two games and two clean sheets is a good start. There's no argument about the positions we need filling and little about the players we need to move on - it's the players coming in that is the big test for Gate (and the Club).

It's clear that we aren't going to have the resources or ability to attract high quality proven players, nor do we want average (Arca and Euell) type players, so it seems we'll have to go for the uncut diamonds - tough to find at the best of times...

Posted by: Nigel Empson (Mumbai)  | December 27, 2006 2:11 PM

John Powls wrote...

Another name to add to the list of potentials. A fine young midfielder from Chelski who is behind Makelele and Essien in their pecking order (no, not Geremi - not even in a Lucky Bag) ... Diarra.

Re Alan Smith; I was interested to read yesterday that he is going through the same sort of intensive programme that Woody is doing with us and needs some competitive games to go alongside it, just as we have succeeded in doing with Woody. What about it, Sir Alex?

In his interview yesterday Gate hinted at looking at the right sort of players who can make the step up from Championship and the other English Leagues.

Does that rule out the 2 Hibs midfielders with whom everyone in the bottom half of the Prem, including us, seems to be being linked at present?

I hope it doesn't mean Watson who was a previous target for us, allegedly, but who can't now get into a poor Palace side.

Going into the lower leagues is always a gamble - for every Ashton there's an Earnshaw, an Ellington and a Stead. But the lads mentioned above - Nugent, Whaley and Varney look sound to me and we know Gera can do it in the Prem.

Posted by: John Powls  | December 29, 2006 11:22 AM

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