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LETTERS FROM FAR OFF PLACES 26-8-04
I recently looked back at some of my pre-season rantings about how good this season was going to be and how well Boro were going to do and realised that I was open to ridicule if we had a poor season, as my earlier columns were there in red and white for all to see.
But that thought lasted a mere trifle of a split second and having witnessed the events at Highbury on Sunday and the magnificent performance at Craven Cottage last night, I say again, without hesitation- this is the dawn of a Golden Age for Boro and all will bow before the might of Ironopolis! I can see great things ahead for Boro this season so long as this spirit and determination remain.
But on a sadder note, we must bid farewell to Juninho this week. Much has already been said of his love for Boro and it is common knowledge that he did not really want to leave. However, I was always sceptical about his 'undying loyalty' to Middlesbrough because although he was definitely not shedding crocodile tears in the Elland Road centre spot on that awful day in May 1997, he did leave us shortly afterwards. So perhaps he only loves the club when it is doing well?
There have been some fine Juninho moments over the last eight years and TLF will never be forgotten on Teesside. If he has to go, then he could not have been sold to a better club. We have done some great business with Celtic over the years with the likes of Bobby Murdoch, Tony Mowbray and Andy Payton transferring between the two clubs. But it's a shame that he can't make just one last appearance for us and have the opportunity to say a celebratory farewell, as the chances of a fourth spell at Boro look incredibly remote. But football is a harsh game and there is little room for sentiment in the big business environment that the sport operates within.
Talking of which, the first management casualty of the season happened this week only two games into the campaign. Paul Sturrock's sacking gained the man a lot of sympathy within the world of football and as usual, the League Manager's Association were quick off the mark in their defence of their latest unemployed comrade. How could the nasty Southampton chairman do this? The manager wasn't given a fair chance. The board should be sacked, not the manager.
Bloody rubbish! Paul Sturrock was not up to the job of managing a Premier league club and when you analyse the stories that are doing the rounds about his brief reign at Southampton, then it is a wonder that he lasted as long as he did.
Apparently, he cancelled a day off that had been given to the players but still took that day off himself. He was late for every single training session and during training, would sit in the dugout and not communicate with the players at all. Premiership players do not recognise lower league promotions as big achievements and so Sturrock needed to earn respect from day one. He didn't, so he was fired. Simple really.
The beginning of the new Premier league season, Arsenal's new unbeaten record and Sturrock's sacking amongst other items have kept Sven out of the news recently, thank goodness but England's failure at Euro 2004 is still cropping up in conversation on a regular basis. Darius Vassell made an extremely neanderthal comment in last week's Sun whilst praising the fans for their support over his missed penalty in Portugal. And I quote;
"I had letters from all around the country, including as far away as Middlesbrough."
He must have been referring to the one that he got from his old Villa mates on Teesside, one of whom had a similar experience in 1996. Or maybe it was the one from me calling him a prat. Incidentally, said striker's name should be pronounced Da-ree-uss Va-sal, not Da-ryus Ver-sell as he prefers to be known. If you want to know my reasoning for this, check out the letter that we recently received from Howard Wilkinson.
Until next week.
Steve
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