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KEEP THE FAITH SON 22-11-05
How some people have the nerve to be negative and to criticise after Sunday's win against Fulham is just beyond me. I simply cannot find the words to show my sheer disbelief at what I heard on Century after the game. Why they didn't cut the bloke off I've got no idea.
This man, who described himself as an ex-season ticket holder who wasn't at the game, said he wasn't happy about the commitment shown by the players. A bit rich I feel, coming from someone who himself clearly doesn't have the commitment to even turn up. To watch it on television and question tactics etc is one thing, to but watch it on television and question commitment is ridiculous.
It's that kind of comment that annoys me. I know not everyone can go to the games, and if you can't then I'm sure you wish you could. But that bloke is the kind of fan the club could do without, as being negative for the sake of it doesn't help anyone. Had he been critical after the Sunderland game then fair enough, everyone was, but after such an exciting win like Sunday's, there's just no need. We won the game, after all.
Ten goals in two home games, Boro scoring seven of them and winning them both shows that we as fans are certainly being entertained at the moment. If goals, chances and wins are not enough to satisfy fans, then nothing ever will be.
Be in no doubt, the game really was exciting and anyone who wasn't at the game really missed out. As seen on the match report on this website, one fan was quoted as saying, "I'm leaving the ground and it's only half-time. I'd have been better off taking the wife shopping." This is a defeatist attitude if ever I saw one, but at the end of the day he was the one who missed out.
There were one or two fans sat near me who obviously considered leaving at half time as well. I sat with my mate Frank in the North Stand on Sunday as his dad was abroad and so couldn't get to the game, although he was watching it on the Norwegian version of Sky Sports 1.
At half time, Frank's dad assured him via a text message that the second half would be a different story. I wasn't sure. Games against Sunderland and Portsmouth have left a bitter taste in the mouth that has proved tricky to wash out. Only time would tell.
James Morrison's well-taken equaliser gave renewed hope, which was almost instantly quashed by Papa Bouba Diop's back post header. Frank looked to have thrown in the towel, but another text from his dad convinced us both that there was still time.
Yakubu may have been offside when he forced Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink's shot over the line, but as they say, 'what goes around comes around'. A month ago we lost 2-1 away at West Ham, whose second goal didn't even cross the line. We deserved our luck on Sunday.
And Jimmy Floyd's well taken winner was also well deserved. He missed a chance or two during the game but he never let his head drop, unlike some of the strikers at the club. His clinical finish showed why he has earned the reputation as one of the best finishers in the world, and whether he is rewarded with a new contract or not, he is certainly playing well at the moment.
It was nice to see a bit of composure towards the end of the game too. Yakubu and Rochemback showed great experience to keep the ball in the corner for as long as possible. It may not have been pretty, but it guaranteed the win.
It looks like the new players in the squad are just about ready to start producing the goods on a weekly basis. Yakubu's record of eight goals in thirteen starts is more than impressive, and Emmanuel "Mad Dog" Pogatetz is beginning to look good. Although Queudrue is better going forward than him, it seems to be working.
Fabio Rochemback also looks to be improving with every game, but it could still be a while before we see him at his best. Some fans don't seem to have that kind of patience, as one North Stand fan was heard shouting "Fabio, Tekhimback".
Szilard Nemeth was fairly influential when he was introduced at half time. Nemeth, who has hardly been used at all so far this season, arrived on the pitch wearing gloves, but within minutes had removed them and thrown them to the dugout. "Leave the gloves on, take Nemeth off", remarked made by one disgruntled fan.
Steve McClaren believes that the game summed up our hit and miss season so far. It's a fair reflection, and one I agree with. The key is that it's against teams like Fulham at home that we have struggled, so hopefully this will finally be the turning point for the rest of our campaign.
In an interview with Century, McClaren was asked to give his assessment of the game, to which he replied, "It was always going to be a football match". You don't know whether to laugh or cry at such a response.
McClaren is set to sign his new contract later today, which will keep him at the club until 2009. Whether you love him or hate him, he's set to be around for a while yet. But more on that next week.
The points were much needed because had we lost, we would have been level on points with Fulham, with Europe looking a long way off. Don't panic yet because there is still everything to play for this season.
The trip to AZ Alkmar on Thursday could end up affecting the result against WBA the following Sunday. We are almost certainly through to the next round of the UEFA Cup, no matter what the result in Holland, so it might be an opportunity to rotate the squad slightly and make sure key players are fit for the WBA match, which I see as being the more important of the two by some distance.
Both me and Frank left the ground on Sunday feeling we had been given an education in supporting Boro. While there were times when we questioned if the game was getting away from us, his Dad kept us right. At the end of the match, Frank showed me one final text off his Dad. They were words of wisdom, which I would encourage every fan to remember when things look like they might not be going right at the Boro.
"Keep the faith, son, keep the faith."
Same time next week... UP THE BORO!!!
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