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UNCHARTERED TERRITORY 15-04-05
We really are in uncharted territory now. Into the last six games of the season with a place in Europe to play for. It's been almost thirty years since the last time we were in this postion. We didn't pull it off then but this time round, we appear to be holding a lot of aces.
Last week, I said that we needed three or four wins from our remaining seven matches. The defeat to Arsenal means that we now need to win at least half of our last six to qualify for next season's UEFA Cup.
Of the last six games, Boro are well capable of winning the lot. And we are well capable of losing the lot as well. But I imagine that what will actually happen is something in the middle of those two scenarios.
So let's glean three wins from the last six matches. Manchester City is first on the list as I doubt that they will have anything to play for in the last game of the season.
Nevertheless, Stuart Pearce will see the game as a cup final as his chances of landing the manager's job on a permanent basis may depend on the result of the game against Boro...
Next up is Newcastle. I sense that the Geordies could fall apart at any moment. Lauren has blown apart the myth of team unity that Souness had tried to sell since Bowyer and Dyer's fight and last night's heavy defeat in Lisbon will have shattered their belief. I don't think they will have recovered by the time we arrive at St James'.
However, if they can pull off some sort of result in Sunday's FA Cup semi, then they could get on another roll which could spell bad news for us...
Spurs at home. We have a great record against them at The Riverside and their challenge for a European place is in jeopardy because of yet more rumblings from within. It could be all over by the time we play them.
Yet we could be neck and neck for sixth, or even fifth place by the time the last but one fixture arrives and anything can happen in a 'cup final'...
If maximum points is too much to expect from the games with Manchester City, Spurs and Newcastle, then we have other chances against Fulham who appear to be in freefall, West Brom who remain relegation threatened and Liverpool, who play us in between their Champions League semi-final double header with Chelsea.
However, West Brom are playing well and picking up points, Fulham need a win badly and Liverpool will be a tough game, whatever their recent form.
And there is always the chance that we will pick up more injuries during the remainder of the season. The situation reached the point of farce last weekend when Skippy was injured in the warm up. Now Stuart Parnaby has picked up a strain in training and it seems as though the situation has no end.
But this is Boro and we should be used to the team doing things the hard way by now.
It's great that our season is not over by early April, as is usually the case and whatever happens during the run-in, you can guarantee that it won't be boring.
But will your nerves be able to stand it...?
Until next week.
Steve
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