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TEN REASONS WHY BORO WILL WIN THE UEFA CUP 9-2-05
I'm a week early with this but for some strange reason, I am in the mood already and can't shake it off. So here we go with just a few of the reasons why Boro are going to win the 2005 UEFA Cup.
1. We have nothing else to play for.
We threw away the Carling Cup and didn't really bother with the FA Cup, so that leaves just European qualification to play for and of course, the UEFA Cup. And after all I have said this season about how well we are going to do, if we did finish the season trophyless, it would take all summer to clean the egg off my face.
Whilst 'having nothing else to play for' is not a good enough reason by itself to put money on us, the resumption of the UEFA Cup will give us a lift that will drive us on to more glory nights like we had last year.
2. Injury problems.
Our rotten luck has to end at some point and all the signs point to a changing tide in the very near future. Finally and after what seemed like an eternity, Mark Viduka has spoken and as he has now started running again, I imagine that it won't be too long before he once again takes the field for us.
It's been very difficult to refrain from using injuries as the excuse for our poor run but if you checked out The Physio Room website the week that this was written but yes, we do have the worst injury list in the Premiership.
But the very good news is that other than Gaizka Mendieta, all of our walking wounded are scheduled to return sooner rather than later and by the time the competition kicks off next week, we should be well on the way to being able to field something a bit more like our strongest side.
3. We're as good as the rest.
We killed off the favourites in November and should waltz past Graz AK. Feyenoord are doing well right now and scored seven goals away from home at the weekend. I fancy them to put Sporting Lisbon out because I think that their style of play will be too much for Lisbon to handle. And if we do meet them in the next round and we can stifle Van Bommell, we will win. Gullitt's side have adopted a very English style of play this season and we can match it.
As for the others, Benfica were my tournament favourites during the group stages but they seem to have lost their fire a little since their season resumed. A loss to Sporting on the opening day of the second stage of season and a recent home defeat to Beira-Mar (Beira-Who?) confirms this and we shouldn't be so worried about them anymore.
Take Schalke 04, Stuttgart and Valencia out of the equation and we have nothing to fear from any of the others and I include a currently faltering Ajax in that list. With a full strength side, we are as good as any of the others in this competition, including the aforementioned three.
4. Fortress Riverside.
If we can recreate the atmosphere and belief that we had at the Lazio game, nobody will beat us at The Riverside.
There are no one off home or away games in this competition any more. It's two legged all the way to Lisbon now and every team we draw will have to come to Teesside. They should be quaking in their boots at the very thought...
5. We always raise our game for the big ones.
This year's FA Cup excluded, of course. This is one trait that we have kept back from the old days. But at least we have dropped the part where we get beaten by the 'smaller' clubs. The bigger the draw, the better in the latter stages because the bigger the name, the bigger the motivation for us.
6. Burning ambition.
The ambition at the club did not die during our poor run in December and January and as confidence rebuilds itself through healing injuries and better results, that ambition will re-appear on the field and is worth a few extra cup-tie wins all by itself.
7. The favourites never win European competitions.
For the last four seasons and possibly before as well, it's been either the second or third favourites who have won both the UEFA Cup and the Champions League. Boro are third favourites for the UEFA Cup this year.
8. It's the next stage of our rebirth.
The Carling Cup was great but now that the celebrations have died down and we are about to hand the trophy over, we can say this.
We are now ready to move onto bigger things and replace Cardiff 29-2-04 as the greatest day in our history with something far bigger and better.
9. European football was the main reason why we signed so many good players in the summer.
We beat several 'bigger' clubs to the signatures of Reiziger, Parlour, Hasselbaink, Viduka and Zenden because we were in Europe. Simply put, it was the main short term reason for them to come to Teesside and perhaps time will tell that our best collective performances have been saved for this competition.
10. This was always the aim.
We can never devalue Cardiff 29-2-04 and whatever happens in the future, I doubt if anyone would want to lose those great memories. However, it was never meant to be our crowning glory or anything like the pinnacle of achievements for us. It was a stepping stone to bigger things and I believe that this season's UEFA Cup campaign has been in the planning room for at least three years now.
All part of the big picture and the hidden agenda for success that is locked away in a cupboard somewhere inside The Riverside Stadium. Alongside the space that has been reserved for the 2005 UEFA Cup.
Until next week.
Steve
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