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CATCH US IF YOU CAN 16-11-04
Doesn't the Premier League table look sweet at the moment. We are now just over a third of the way into the season and Boro are sitting very pretty in a Champions League spot. Very nice indeed.
I have become accustomed to doing elongated sums at this time of year and trying to work out when we would possibly achieve the traditional survival mark of fourty points but there is no need to do that this season and what a refreshing change that makes.
I can usually quote you from the top of my head the points totals and goal differences of the bottom six or seven clubs at any given point in the season but in this campaign, I am struggling to actually name the bottom four or five teams because it doesn't matter one bit to us. We're at the right end of the table for once and the relegation battle is being fought out on a different planet.
Every commentator and columnist is currently writing about how well we are doing and how bright the future looks. Every report I read on the Boro is talking of the high expectations that we have of ourselves and those expectations are not confined to the Teesside area but are also evident throughout the country.
We are starting to pick up glory supporters now, especially from West and South Yorkshire where the teams based in those areas have been experiencing a collective and dramatic downturn in fortunes for several seasons now. Consequently our catchment area has increased dramatically, along with the size and stature of our club.
The Dawn of Boro's Golden Age, as spoken about in this column way back in July is now in full swing and I don't even feel like I am tempting fate by talking up the Boro in such a big way. A few years ago, it would have felt dangerous to do so but a few years ago we would almost certainly not have come back from being a goal down, as we have done several times this season.
Being top of our European group is obviously very nice as well and whilst going out of The Carling Cup was a massive disappointment, at least we have the consolation that we have bigger fish to fry in the form of bigger trophies to play for. I still fancy us for the FA Cup and I am starting to hear talk about us being serious contenders to lift the UEFA Cup as well.
Is it just a fanciful notion that we can go all the way in the UEFA Cup? Maybe not and the question has to be asked, why shouldn't we? I personally believe that the only thing that will stop us from lifting the Cup is the fact the Champions League rejects will drop into the competition at the next stage, an unfair sytem but one that we must live with. Until we get into The Champions League ourselves.
Having said that, one old habit that we have retained from days of old is raising our game when up against big name opposition so when we do hopefully face the likes of Barcelona and Werder Bremen or whoever we get in the knockout stage - and I am bearing in mind that we still have to clinch the formality of qualification yet - they will most certainly not relish coming to Teesside.
For me personally, the nicest thing about our current success is that we have achieved it whilst not playing consistently well. I know that we were brilliant against Lazio and have been at various other times during the season so far but in the three games since that magical night when we slaughtered the tournament favourites, we have not really lived up to expectations at all in the way that we have played.
But we have moved up the table since then and remained unbeaten in the League, so God help the opposition when we do start playing to our best form and God help the opposition when Mark Viduka finally finds his goalscoring hat again, which surely cannot be too far away now.
Until then, we do have Bolo Zenden knocking them in on a regular basis and in my opinion, he has been our outstanding player recently, along with Mark Schwarzer who is without a doubt responsible for a good percentage of the points that we have so far amassed. I can't imagine why he would want to leave us for Old Trafford as it is quite probably a better bet for a player to sign for us at the moment.
Am I the only Boro fan who is pleased that Stewart Downing was not picked for England's friendly match with Spain this week? I can understand the calls from our supporters for Stewey to gain his first cap but I was definitely not one of those joining in that particular campaign.
I am much happier for him to play only for Boro, as we have enough on our plate at present and the last thing we need right now is our best players having extra games thrust upon them when it looks like the pressure is hardly going to ease up at all.
Stewey will get his chance to play for his country but right now, we need him to retain his fitness and his form and keep on doing what he has been doing so well this season namely helping the Boro to rack up more Premiership points and ensure that this season's foray into Europe is the first of many.
Until next week...
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