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THE ROCKLIFFE FILES - JUST YOU WATCH 19-9-06
Toby Higgins
Well done, Gareth Southgate. Picking Jonathan Woodgate as captain for the no-score, snore-draw at Bolton, was an inspirational choice. I'm not going to say "I told you so", or "you heard it here first", because, although those two statements are in fact true, it would be unprofessional and ever so arrogant. Oh, bugger.
The tough decision is what happens next for the captain's armband at the Boro. Woodgate's performances have been of such a high standard that I even heard Bernie 'The Living Legend' Slaven on the radio suggesting George Boateng be told to concentrate on his own performances, and leave the 'skippering' to Woodgate.
I'm glad he said it really; it's reassuring to know that I'm not the only one who agrees this idea is not impossible to comprehend. It'll be a brave man who takes the armband away from George, but for the good of the team, it probably ought to happen. Of course, if Woodgate's injury proneness rears it's ugly head in the not too distant future, it may not be a decision Gareth has to make.
Anyway, that was last week's topic. Since I last wrote, we have managed to keep our first clean sheet of the season, and have in the process kept our points per game ratio at 1. If 40 points are enough to stay up, and we average 1 per game, it doesn't take a genius to work out that we'll finish on 38 points. Which isn't enough. Obviously.
And, while all the early season talk surrounded our shaky defence, it would seem that, with that area of the side well on the way to making a full recovery, our troubles lie in the attacking department.
There could be many reasons for this. Maybe it's the change in formation to a more defensively minded one, or maybe Southgate's defensive nature creeping into the way he approaches the side. However, this writer believes it's individual players who appear to have lost their form, which has resulted in a miss-firing strike force.
The first of these players is Stewart Downing. As was alluded to last week, this season is potentially huge for Downing, although so far, he appears to be struggling to live up to the high expectation placed upon his still relatively young shoulders. So far, Downing has contributed very little, with the one goal scored at Reading on the opening day the only crumb of consolation in a season that he can so far labelled "disappointing".
Numerous theories exist as to why. One such theory could simply be "too much football". Going to the World Cup on the back of a marathon season with the Boro, maybe Stewy is simply suffering from fatigue, which is bound to affect his role as the explosive left winger that he is.
Maybe, though, the root of the problem is buried a little deeper. Could it be that Downing has lost the drive and the ambition he once harboured as a youngster looking to make it at the top level, and that, in earning a huge amount of money per week, he has been presented with too much, too soon?
Unlikely. It's possible that the recent transfer talk surrounding him and a move to Tottenham Hotspurs has unsettled him, though the player himself did make statements declaring his passion to do well for his current employers, so it's hard to use this as an explanation of his poor form. Maybe the knee injury suffered last Christmas is still bothering him, though again, the theory burns out when you consider that injury was sustained well over six months ago.
Another option, other than him simply being out of form or being asked to play a different role to the one he has done so far in his career (which he hasn't been), is that Downing maybe isn't as good as was first thought.
It's not one I go along with. While he has taken some considerable flack from writers in the media for his England performances, it's hardly justified. His crosses come into the box frequently, making up for the lack of supply from the right, which stopped when Beckham was dropped.
While Joe Cole may be the better option on the left, so long as Lennon, Pennant or Wright-Phillips, rather than Gerrard, perform as wingers on the right, Downing remains the best left footed midfielder in the England squad.
More likely than any of the other suggestions, is that Downing's lack of form is due to a lack of confidence. This is, so far, the only national criticism of Downing in his career, and it would appear to have taken the wind of his sails. His lunge at Emmanuel Eboue a week ago at Arsenal was borne of frustration, and his subsequently withdrawal confirms that he is certainly struggling.
Support is crucial. Getting on his back won't help anything, and as a key attacking threat it's crucial we have him on top of his game. Patience is the key. He has still got it. He's done it before, he'll do it again. Just you watch.
The second player who appears to be struggling is Yakubu. To start filing Yakubu on the same shelf as players like Beck, Ricard and Ricketts is ludicrous; his nineteen goals last season indicate we are dealing with a very talented player. Again, confidence, and possibly fitness, seem to be affecting Yakubu, who was but a shadow of his former self at Arsenal two Saturday's ago, and who failed to capitalise on the chances that came his way at Bolton.
While it's clear Yakubu favours playing alone as a front man, holding the ball up is something he often struggles to do, because, instead of waiting for support, he prefers to turn his marker by out muscling them in order to run into the space behind. See Chelsea and Manchester United at home for proof, were any needed.
While it's too early to begin any criticism of a player who this writer believes on his day, is unplayable, if we are still struggling for goals in two or three games time, it might be time to consider tinkering with the set up slightly. But, as was mentioned early, defensive thoughts have dominated our season thus far.
If I was in the manager's chair for the game against Notts County this Wednesday, I'd be tempted to stick with the Yak, in the hope that a goal or two will launch his season, and ours in the process.
Because, as we all should know by now, if you feed the Yak, then he will score.
Same time next week.
Up the Boro
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