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AND SO IT BEGINS 2-8-05
And so it begins. my first ever weekly column! Get in! At just 17 years and 107 days, which I believe makes me the youngest writer at ComeOnBoro.com, I feel ready to begin what will hopefully be for me a long and successful career in sports journalism. And for this golden opportunity, I would like to thank the good people at ComeOnBoro.com, my mum, dad, and all the little people who stood by me through everything...
Enough of the sentiment. Now, I know that you must be thinking. "What will I find in this weekly bundle of emotion?" If indeed this is what you're thinking, I should turn my attentions away from writing and move towards becoming a telepathic genius, but either way this column will bring you up close and personal with the views of your average teenaged Boro fan, as each week I discover the innermost feelings of today's typical 6th form common room and bring them to you, in "The Rockcliffe Files"...
So here we are in August, with the long, hot and football-free hell known as the summer almost over. Big Brother has been one of the nation's biggest talking points (again), the cricket looks to have gone 'Pete Tong' after only the 1st Test (again) and the papers are full of transfer talk and outlandish speculation (again).
And while this summer has most defiantly lacked the presence of a major international tournament, for England this was probably a good year to not have to face the hot climates of foreign lands. Steven Gerrard doesn't know what he wants, Michael Owen doesn't know what Real Madrid want and Man Utd know what Rio wants but won't give him it.
Not to mention Ashley Cole, Kieron Dyer and the usual talk surrounding David Beckham. So, with the backbone of the squad seemingly involved in contract or transfer sagas and after a long season, the players probably needed a rest, poor things.
So where am I going with this seemingly pointless discussion of England and overpaid players? Well, England isn't the only team who benefited from the lack of football this summer. We, the Mighty Boro, gain in the sense that any potential summer signings aren't on international duty and then on holiday before discussions can take place, and so if it becomes clear that negotiations have failed, we have time to go out and find another player before the end of the transfer window.
But more significantly, when England go away, Steve McClaren goes with them. I'm sure now you can see my train of thought. While I'm not in England's training camps and therefore I cannot comment fully on how much Steve McClaren is benefiting from being part of that set-up, I would tend to agree with the section of fans who claim that Boro are gaining very little from the arrangement, other than keeping the manager happy.
Don't get me wrong, I'm a big McClaren fan and whilst what he has done to turn around Robson's team of fading, ex-pro's was fantastic, I just wonder whether if in the off-season months we need McClaren to go on holiday, take some time out and come back in July ready to do the business in the transfer market and on the training ground.
The other side of the argument is centred around the fact that McClaren can scout players both inside the England training camp and who play for other nations, and that he can learn new coaching skills which he can bring back to Rockcliffe and use with his own players. Some also say that he is a representative for Middlesbrough Football Club inside the England set-up, which is true, but I question whether the pros out weight the cons.
After all, other than Juninho, how many players has McClaren brought in after seeing them in action either for or against England? Owen Hargreaves decision to stay put in Germany has demonstrated my point perfectly, a young England player with potential who couldn't be wooed by Stevie Mc's charm.
And are the club not a little naïve in letting their main man get his feet under the table at his next job while he is still employed by Boro? Anyway, there was no international football, and so for this summer at least, the club defiantly gained. It is at this point I would like to confirm my allegiance to England, Boro and Steve McClaren - each of whom has my fullest support, even if I do occasionally disagree with their decisions!
The club also lost out badly this summer. Bolo Zenden's earth shattering decision to leave the club on a Bosman style transfer was the worst piece of transfer news I've heard for a very long time. I'll admit, when I first saw Zenden the winger I was far from impressed. He looked unable to beat his man, cross a ball or put his foot in where it hurts. He even started last season badly by giving away a soft penalty against Newcastle in the very first game, although his cross for JFH's "hand of God" finish very much spared his blushes.
He was extremely lucky in my eyes, as it was after all, only the injury to Gaizka Mendieta and the emergence of Stewey Downing which prompted the reshuffle that took Zenden to the middle of midfield. I don't care what anyone says, Zenden is much more effective in the centre. He put his body on the line for us at times and provided a more than capable partner for George Boateng. He won't be easy to replace.
But from what I can gather, Zenden won't necessarily be given a standing ovation upon his return with his latest source of finance, Liverpool. Most of the people I've talked to about Zenden feel he is "after the money", a view echoed by myself.
Yeah, ok, he was a classy player for us, and when Boateng was injured, Bolo often seemed the only one interested in that midfield. And fair enough, Liverpool are (somehow) the Champions of Europe. But having out played them at home and come away from Anfield scratching our heads at how we only acquired a point, Liverpool are clearly not the best side in the Premiership, never mind Europe.
Had Bolo stayed with us he would could have gone on to become a hero but at 28 he's no spring chicken, and at Liverpool he won't be given half as long to impress as he had with us. He has left behind a set of fans and a club which really valued him and where he was becoming an icon. He has also turned his back on a regular place in the first XI.
As for his place in the Liverpool team, Gerrard and Alonso will be almost impossible to dislodge from the centre of midfield and a place on the wing may be the best he can hope for. But with John Arne Riise and others in his way, Bolo will spend a lot of the 2005/2006 season warming the benches in the various places Liverpool will visit. After all, he couldn't get into Raneri's Chelsea team, never mind Mourinho's, so what chance has he of being a success in Rafa's Revolution? I'll let you be the judge.
Having read the interview with Bolo conducted by ComeOnBoro.com, I feel Zenden never really appreciated how popular he was, and, unfortunately, I don't think I can wish him all the best with his career from this point. The way he acted on the pitch towards the fans, at home and especially away, had me convinced he cared about this club and its supporters. The key word in the previous sentence is "acted". It was all an act. Zenden didn't care. His decision shows that.
But we all know the real reason behind the move; Liverpool will pay for Zenden's petrol to and from the training ground.
So with pre-season well and truly underway, I can't help but notice the worryingly low number of new faces recruited to help our push for glory. Yakubu is a big signing in every sense of the word and will certainly be influential for us next season, particularly away from home.
Pogatetz will do a job for the 17 games that Franck Queudrue will miss through suspension, and the return of "magic" Massimo Maccarone gives further depth in case the six strikers ahead of him become injured.
But where are the 24-28 year olds we were promised by McClaren at the beginning of the summer? Having said that, there is still time for the signings to flood in, and I hope by the time I come to write next week's column I will be discussing and assessing our newest signings...
And finally for this week, a quick word on pre-season so far. The first team hasn't really featured too heavily so far. Yakubu got off the mark at Hearts, the game at Darlo was a bit of a washout all in all, and the game in Portugal against Lisbon seemed to be a disaster, but self respect and confidence were restored against Real Betis.
The young players (who I don't envy, they are only my age, after all) appear to have done really well in these games, and if called upon I have full faith in them. Good luck to them all this season.
So that's it, the first week completed. Same time next week. UP THE BORO!
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