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TOBY HIGGINS - THE ROCKLIFFE FILES
PREDICTABLY UNPREDICTABLE 28-3-06
The very last line of last week's Rockcliffe Files read, 'If only our beloved game of football was that predictable'. This was a reference to last week's prediction that we would draw West Ham in the cup, which did of course happen. So, with my newly discovered ability to predict the future, how I didn't see Bolton's equaliser coming on Sunday afternoon is a mystery.
I expected them to take the lead though. It wasn't the first time we have gone behind at home this season. Far from it. So far Charlton, Sunderland, Portsmouth, Fulham, Tottenham, Blackburn, Wigan, Aston Villa and now Bolton have all scored before us in a Premier League game at the Riverside, and from the possible twenty-seven points available to these teams, we have only taken eight. It is somewhat fortunate that we have taken nine points from nine against last season's top three sides.
On Sunday though, when Jimmy put us 3-1 up, that was it for me. Game, set and match. Despite our erratic home form, I thought this was the day we cruised over the finishing line with plenty of gas left in the tank, which just goes to show that following the Boro is predictably unpredictable.
The collapse commenced with the introduction of Bolton forward Jared Borgetti. It was he who was fouled by a clumsy Ugo Ehiogu challenge, and after a few choice words from Mark Viduka and a smart save from Aussie colleague Mark Schwarzer, Jay Jay 'so good they named him twice' Okocha smashed home the rebound.
As so often this season, a poorly dealt with set piece proved our downfall, as Radhi Jaidi ghosted in unmarked to head an equaliser for the team in white and level the score at 3-3, just as Mido had done for Spurs in mid-December.
What happened next made our last minute winner even more sweet. Kevin Davies' challenge on Manu Pogatetz was fair enough, even if his arms were raised, but it was Davies' following actions that lead to the heated confrontations afterwards.
I don't know exactly what was shown on SkySports regarding the build up to the incident, but I know that the footage on Match of the Day 2 didn't show the full series of events. For those unsure, allow me to explain how I saw it happen right in front of me.
Davies and Pogatetz jumped for a header, with Davies' elbow striking Pogatetz in the face. This resulted in blood pouring from Pogatetz' head, meaning the referee should have stopped the game immediately. However, play went on and as it emerged Pogatetz was in fact hurt, players and fans began shouting for the ball to be kicked out so Pogatetz could receive treatment. Borgetti had the ball and attempted to roll it out of play, but Davies, the original 'offender' made a determined effort to keep the ball in play so Pogatetz couldn't get the treatment hew needed.
Surely with 25,000 fans and the players on the pitch screaming for the ball to be kicked out, it's no accident that Davies kept the ball in. His reaction suggests that he did it to stop the physio coming on, and it also confirms that he is a fucking prick. All MOTD2 showed was Pogatetz jumping up and confronting Davies on the touchline, with no mention of what Davies had just done.
The referee throughout the entire incident was appalling. While I eagerly wait to hear what resident referee Graham Frankland has to say on the matter, I could not believe that Howard Webb failed to notice a player lying on the ground with blood pouring from his head. Following that, the fact that Davies went unpunished for raising his hands to Pogatetz, is simply ridiculous.
Pogatetz did have a rush of blood to the head (the gags get worse, trust me) and his reaction was wrong, but the whole incident shows Bolton for what they are- dirty, cheating scum. Surprisingly, Fred Flintstone look-a-like Sam Allardyce actually agreed with referee Webb's decision not to book Davies. Amazing how referees are only ever wrong when the decision is against you, isn't it?
But it was Pogatetz who had the last laugh, as Yakubu's world-class cross allowed the sliding Stuart Parnaby to net his fourth goal of the season. Oh, how we celebrated.
Parnaby has had another solid season and is now first choice right back having stayed injury free long enough to see off Tony McMahon and drug free long enough to see of Abel Xavier. As a big fan of Parnaby, I can't see what all the fuss is about McMahon anyway. He has yet to make twenty senior starts for us and Parnaby is much more versatile and accomplished. Parnaby for England can't be a bad shout, can it?
As has been well documented elsewhere, April is a very busy month and could well be a very expensive one, with five of the eight games being at home, and that's without progress in either cup competition or a trip to Bolton that still hasn't been re-arranged.
Thursday night sees us visit Swiss league leaders Basle for the first leg of our UEFA Cup quarter final. I get nervous even talking about it. I've heard some promising things about our opponents and apparently they pass the Basle around well really well.
Leaving daft gags to one side for a moment, at least we go into the match with smiles on our faces, safe in the knowledge that the Geordies are at home, watching the Basle...
I'll stop it now.
Same time next week. UP THE BORO!!!
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