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THE GHOST OF CHRISTMAS FAILURE 15-12-04
An article was published in a national newspaper earlier this year giving the impression that Arsene Wenger had managed to persuade the FA to abandon the festive period match programme. To think that they may adopt the traditional Christmas break, as taken in other European countries is a truly horrible thought.
I don't know how much truth there was in that particular article but if the suggestion really does come to fruition, then they will effectively remove the one and only thing that a lot of people have to look forward to during the season of gluttony.
Furthermore, we can all kiss goodbye to the stage of the Premiership that is often the most exciting and entertaining and can sometimes be the most decisive, especially at the bottom end of the table. But thankfully, that is no longer something that we have to concern ourselves with.
There are advantages for the clubs in taking a mid season break. For example, players would in theory return in prime condition in mid January but this advantage would be most beneficial to the biggest clubs and it is no reason to scotch the enjoyment that the schedule brings.
Compared with a long three week gap in the Premiership fixture list, any benefits to our club of taking a break would be of scant consolation. It's bad enough having to miss the odd Saturday in an International week.
In short, the Christmas football is the one and only thing that keeps me sane during the montonous drudge that is Yuletide and I doubt if I am alone in that sentiment.
I suppose that if the worst came to the worst and our Festive entertainment was shelved, we would no longer have to worry about a repeat of Boro's traditional Christmas slump and never again would we have to put up with offhand comments about our poor record in New Year's Day matches.
Having said that, I suspect that this record will be adjusted over the next three weeks. Here is Boro's record over the Christmas period since 2000, Premiership matches only.
2000-01
16-12 Chelsea (H) 1-0
23-12 Tottenham (A) 0-0
26-12 Liverpool (H) 1-0
30-12 Coventry (H) 1-1
01-01 Leeds (A) 1-1
2001-02
15-12 Man Utd (H) 0-1
26-12 Newcastle (A) 0-3
29-12 Arsenal (A) 1-2
01-01 Everton (H) 1-0
2002-03
14-12 Chelsea (H) 1-1
21-12 Arsenal (A) 0-2
26-12 Man Utd (H) 3-1
28-12 Aston Villa (A) 0-1
01-12 Blackburn (A) 0-1
2003-04
13-12 Charlton (H) 0-0
26-12 Blackburn (A) 2-2
28-12 Man Utd (H) 0-1
07-01 Fulham (H) 2-1
So 2000-01 excepted, where we managed only four goals in our five game unbeaten run, our Christmas record is really not very impressive at all. From the last three season's thirteen Christmas matches, we have acumulated twelve points from a possible thirty nine, kept two clean sheets and only three times have we scored more than once.
Take away the massive result against Manchester United on Boxing Day two years ago and we would be left with virtually no Christmas cheer at all.
So the only thing that I want for Christmas this year is an end to Boro's lousy holiday record. And as we are now in the period of our history where we are putting past hoodoos and curses right behind us for good, this should be the season that we spit in the face of adversity and defy the Ghost of Christmas Failure by clocking in with a good haul of points from our Christmas programme.
We killed off the curse of 'new manager's first game syndrome' this year, not once, not twice but three times. You won't find any gypsies taking a leak on Ayresome Park's doorstep and condemning us to years of FA Cup agony any more and we are well out of the habit of losing to relegation fodder.
So this Christmas, let's break yet another hoodoo and storm through our schedule and make sure that our appearance in Europe this season is more than a cameo.
As usual, we the supporters can play our part by staying positive and getting right behind the lads when things are not quite going the way we would like them to be going. We really need to show our strength now and keep shouting the team on to victory because we can make a difference and we do make a difference. Stay positive at all times and don't knock the side when they are down. Just shout even louder and will the side on to victory. It works.
I will stick my neck out now and give you my predictions for Boro's results this Christmas, the year that we make our traditional slump a thing of the past and bury it beneath the Holgate wall for good.
18-12 Villa (H) 2-2 - Keeps us nicely ahead of one of our main rivals for a place in Europe. Ray Parlour to score his first Boro goal.
26-12 Birmingham (A) 3-1 - Brucey will be wishing he'd taken the Geordie job when Stewey Downing tears his defence to pieces and Viduka gets his first Boro hat trick.
28-12 Norwich (H) 4-0 - Easy rout against a side whose manager doesn't even believe they can stay up. Mind you, they probably serve up the best Christmas dinner in the Premiership with Delia and Bernard Matthews on board.
01-01 Man Utd (H) 3-1 - Jimmy to strike the fear of God (Steve Gibson?) into Fergie's defence and make his face turn redder than it usually is.
03-01 Chelsea (A) 1-1 - Bolo to finally prove to his old club that they should never have let him go. Mind you, we have won more trophies than they have in the last two seasons.
Eleven points from fifteen will be our best return from the Festive period fixtures ever in the top flight, as far as I am aware. Not only do I believe that it is possible, I believe that we will do it and do it in style.
So ComeOnBoro- make it a Christmas to remember.
Santa Claus is a Boro fan!
Onwards Into the Top Four!
All will bow before the might of Raymond the red haired right winger...
...I'll get my coat.
Until next week.
Steve
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