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TOBY HIGGINS - THE ROCKLIFFE FILES
NO FEAR 26-4-06
Let's make no bones about it, this isn't the article I wanted to write, nor is it the one you wanted to read. The 'beauty' of football, if that's what you can call it in such situations as we currently find ourselves, is that the entire complex of a season can change in a split second.
Call me soft or pathetic, but Sunday hit me hard. It hit us all hard. Maybe it was my own fault for talking up our chances and getting one step ahead of myself. Having watched Liverpool defeat Chelsea in the first semi-final on Saturday evening, I honestly felt our name was on the trophy. In fact, just to be in the final and not have to play Chelsea would have been sweet enough, without even lifting the Cup itself.
It was on the way to Villa Park that for the first time it crossed my mind that it might not be our day. And I can't really explain why. It was a feeling in such contrast to that which I felt on the way to the Riverside for the game against Basle. Against Basle, we were the underdogs who had nothing to lose and everything to gain. Against West Ham though, we were the favourites who had everything to lose, and ultimately did.
It's not the first time I've come away from an F.A. Cup semi-final feeling down. Way back in April 2002, I walked out of Old Trafford almost in tears feeling we were robbed. We had out-sung and out-battled Arsenal that day, with a midfield consisting of Debeve, Jonhston, Mustoe and Wilkshire. We lost as underdogs, having conceded an own goal, but I walked away proud to be a Middlesbrough fan, proud of my fellow 29,000 supporters who were there, and was left dreaming of the next time we would get a chance to make it to the F.A. Cup final.
Unfortunately, walking away from Villa Park, the feeling was rather different. Whereas against Arsenal I came out knowing that those players in red had given their all, and that they couldn't have done anything more to prevent the final result, against West Ham I felt some players didn't want it enough, certainly not as much as the Hammers.
Circumstances are extremely different now when compared to the 2001/2002 season, and fatigue, as well as Schwarzer's injury, will of course be the obvious answer to all of our questions. However, certain players just didn't seem to fancy it, or if they did, went about hiding it very well.
Downing was shockingly poor. Yakubu's touch and awareness have deserted him, along with his goals, and for all his experience, Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink was almost anonymous throughout. Riggott and Southgate struggled to cope with the power of Harewood and Ashton, and Riggott's missed chance at the end was much simpler than the one missed by Joe Cole at Old Trafford the day before.
Indeed it was the performance of players like Downing and Yakubu that was the most disappointing thing. Downing is a winger, not a combative midfielder in the same mould as Cattermole, Parlour or Boateng. Still, football is a man's game and if you don't want to challenge for a ball that's 70/30 in your favour, then maybe you're not cut out for top flight football.
Not even that, but Downing looks afraid to take his man on for fear of getting hurt. Giggs and Pires don't charge around tackling people, but they have taken their fair share of kickings from defenders over the years because they know that they have to in order to create chances. Unfortunately, a full back's prerogative is to make sure the winger doesn't beat him, and that often means that both parties get hurt. Downing's talent cannot be questioned, and there are not many, if any, English players with a left foot like his. But he is a long way from being the finished article, and judging by his performance on Sunday, his commitment will soon be questioned.
Yakubu looks like a player who simply isn't enjoying his football any more. James Bassett has mentioned this in his recent reflections on Yakubu's first season with the Boro, and it's an article I would recommend reading.
Winning on Sunday would also have taken the pressure off for Thursday's UEFA Cup semi-final against Steaua. As I hinted at the beginning of this article, things can change so quickly in this crazy game, and all of a sudden this season is in danger of ending with no cups, no European football for next year, no big name stars and no manager.
It would be a real shame if we didn't make it to a final this year, as this is the best squad of players that I've ever seen at the Boro, and we are a side capable of winning things at the highest level. Whether we have enough big game players or not will be the real test on Thursday, and beyond that, in the final itself. We need players to start taking responsibility and to try and make things happen for us, instead of watching the game pass them by and only realising what's required of them when it's too late to do anything about it. Creative players like Downing, Morrison, Rochemback and Yakubu all need to perform.
Bucharest are no pushovers though, as has been well documented elsewhere, and they score most of their goals away from home. Without wanting to state the obvious (but doing so anyway), we need to recover from Sunday's defeat in order to progress on Thursday. What worries me is that I still haven't gotten over it, so all I can do is hope that the players themselves have.
How we all wish we could go back to last Wednesday, when we revelled with excitement at the prospect of two cup finals, and a squad of players ready to take on the World. The difference between now and then, apart from the fact we are out of the F.A. Cup, is that fear of failure is now weighing down on our shoulders. Pressure to prevent a trophyless, and therefore unsuccessful season is mounting.
To say that a trophyless season is an unsuccessful one is yet another signal of how far we have come. Us, just a small town in Europe, disgruntled because we only made the F.A. Cup semi-final and the UEFA Cup semi-final, and all that with very little fear of relegation throughout. Not so long ago, finishing fourth bottom would have been regarded as a good season.
We have nothing to fear on Thursday. If we lose, what's the worst that can happen? Boro will still be here next August, battling against all the odds like we always have done, and always will do. The only thing we have to fear on Thursday is fear itself.
Same time next week.UP THE BORO!
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