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THAT'S MORE LIKE IT 14-9-06
Karl Watson and Tom Warnock
Watson says...
Now that's what I call defending. Jonathan Woodgate made it a debut to remember with an absolutely barnstorming display against an Arsenal team which were just fifteen minutes away from Champions League glory last season.
Defensively, it was a display that was reminiscent of the early days under Steve McClaren; it had everything that was lacking against Harry Redknapp's Portsmouth. Against Pompey there was a distinct lack of a leader, but the acquisition of Jonathan Woodgate has put a stop to this. Let's just hope he can remain fit and avoid serious and long-term injury.
Woodgate proved on Saturday that it is only a matter of time before he begins to knock on the door of Steve McClaren and England and force his way back into the international set-up. For a player that has not played football in months, starting against Arsenal may have seemed like a pretty daunting prospect. However Woodgate handled the occasion superbly and his performance was outstanding.
On Saturday, Woodgate proved his worth and everyone saw his immense qualities. Finally, our back line began to communicate and rarely were the centre backs covering for out of position full backs. Woodgate's ability to read the game is phenomenal and as a result Arsenal looked to different methods to create goal-scoring opportunities. Everything they threw at our back four was defended superbly. It appeared we didn't fear any of their stars and there was a fantastic belief amongst the players.
Woodgate organised the back four brilliantly and if this scenario continues on a regular basis, many teams will struggle to break us down. Thierry Henry, one of the fastest, most talented footballers in the world today, didn't cause our defence many problems during the course of ninety minutes. This was because Woodgate simply stopped him from performing. I couldn't believe what I was seeing when Woodgate matched Henry for pace in the box. If Henry can't beat Woodgate in the box over five-ten yards, then who can?
The result was one to savour, especially after a dreadful show against Portsmouth two weeks earlier. Perhaps we were a little fortuitous to come back with a 1-1 draw when we only had one shot on target all game, but in football if you don't take your chances you don't win games. Yes, Arsenal may have had 70% possession but they did little with it and they were reduced to shots from eighteen yards because our defence held firm when previously it would have crumbled.
The result was made even sweeter especially as our captain George Boateng, was sent off with well over thirty minutes of the second half remaining. After the referee had produced the second yellow, our boys were fantastic. Every player played a massive part and they knew that no matter how much it would hurt their tiring legs, they had to dig even deeper and fight through the pain barrier. They did exactly that. Woodgate looked absolutely shattered during the last ten minutes, but this was his debut for his hometown club, and running on reserve wasn't going to deter his spirit.
Someone desperately needs to remind referee Rob Styles that there are still fifteen weeks left till Christmas and there is no need to produce so many cards on an afternoon in early September. His performance did seem to favour the home team but at least our players left the Emirates saying that we won a point from our display, rather than the referee denying us three with a poor decision. In all honesty, I thought he got the penalty decision spot on and I was just so surprised Stewy made such a silly challenge. There seemed to be a lack of danger and the full back was heading into a bit of a cul-de-sac but let's be honest, if that had been Andrew Davies falling to the floor, we would have been shouting at the top of our voices for a penalty kick.
Boateng can really have no complaints with his sending off. Both were worthy of yellow cards and maybe it just slipped his mind that he currently wears the captain's armband. The second yellow was terribly petty and he was never going to win the ball. For a player of his experience it was a surprise to see him even challenge for the ball.
I felt Gareth got the first eleven and the substitutions spot-on on Saturday and this will give him much confidence for the next few games. The decision to leave out Viduka and play Yakubu up front by himself seemed brave but when travelling back to Teesside on Saturday evening he must have had a smile on his face thinking to himself, 'I got that right today'.
Next is a very hard away game in Lancashire against a hard working Bolton team who are prone to using dirty tactics to get three points. Our record against the Trotters in their own back yard is abysmal and it is time to finally end the drought. Jonathan Woodgate could be in for a very busy ninety minutes, as Kevin Davies will be a handful to mark.
Let's just hope this is not typical Middlesbrough again. Out of the four games we have played thus far, many would not have predicted us dropping points against Reading and Portsmouth, and taking points from the Champions, and Arsenal. We have always been able to compete against the big boys, but there is no point in picking up points against them only to lose our next game against mediocre opposition. Getting results against the top six, home or away is always a big bonus so its time to capitalise on these fantastic results.
Gareth has now got to motivate the players effectively to ensure that against mid tabled teams, our players are still giving their all and we can finally start winning the games we are expected to win. It may be early doors but the next three games could shape our season. It will either tell us that we are destined for mid-tabled security because of our inability to beat mediocre teams. We are set for a very hard season in the bottom half because we will struggle to beat many teams. Or, it will tell us that we can finally put away the 'smaller' teams in the league and we can push towards a respectable position in the top half.
Yes, we are not going to win every game against those that are on a par with us, but it is proven that those teams who win these types of games we have coming up finish in higher positions. However it would not surprise me if we were to put in another woeful performance and get beat 2 or 3-0 against Bolton. So Come on Boro lets capitalise on what was a great result at the Emirates and put these demons to bed. Lets show Bolton we can kick and fight just as hard, and lets show them that the Carling Cup went to Teesside for a reason.
Warnock Says...
So the Boro did it again, suprising many neutrals and frustrating even more Gooners by shutting out Arsenal from all but the penalty spot. A quality debut from Woodgate and a highly organised and disciplined team performance finally brought us some joy from the red part of North London.
While many of those neutrals would think Boro fans should be feeling very assured and confident ahead of Saturday's trip to Bolton, we know better. Why? Because we know that the Boro are about as consistent as Gareth Southgate's nose, and for those who aren't sure, that's not at all. Any outsiders looking in would assume that all is hunky-dory, but again we know better.
There seems to be a mood, which isn't too dissimilar to the post-Chelsea air around the supporters. And while prior to the Arsenal match I was actually believing that we could get a result, I think of Bolton away and think after going to the opera, will the players really be up for a visit to the Punch and Judy show.
To strip down the analogy, will we have a repeat of the last two seasons, where following a masterful performance versus top opposition, the team fail to capitalise and flop to a so called 'lesser team'. If we can eradicate our long-lived inconsistencies, then can we begin to move forward and secure a league position we know that set of players is capable of. Of course, only time will tell.
Casting an eye back to Arsenal, it was certainly a deserved point, and if it wasn't for a penalty it would have been three. Unlucky to Stew, but I'm sure he would admit it was a foul.
Highly encouraging was the way we valiantly defended our lead for so long and only cracked once Arsenal had a man advantage. Woodgate looks to be a very good acquisition, and if we're lucky we will see him at his world class best, something Newcastle and Real Madrid didn't have the privilege of seeing.
George will feel aggrieved at his dismissal, and you've got to feel a degree of sympathy for him. However in time he will learn not to pick up bookings for dissent, this kind of composure comes with the territory as captain. The second yellow was harsh at best, collisions occur in football matches and it was the linesman's job to see that this was in fact just that. The two yellows means there can be no appeal of course, and he will miss the next game, perhaps leaving a window of opportunity for Woodgate to show he can have an even bigger impact if trusted with the captaincy, even if it is just for one game.
After the horror show of Portsmouth, the manager answered the critics by picking a team and formation which worked perfectly. Jason Euell rewarded his selection with an assured display and a delicate assist to boot. Extremely pleasing was the performance of the back four, Taylor banished the ghosts of last season's game and Davies deserves special praise for his focussed and calm performance.
Again we seem to have been cursed with a long-term injury at such an early stage and to one of our most important players. Without implying that I'm glad to see Riggot hurt, which would be completely the wrong message, it may turn out to be a blessing in disguise as it will prevent any temptation for the manager to 'rotate' centre backs. Huth isn't far from full fitness and will likely feature against Notts County alongside our hometown lad Woodgate.
A result against Bolton would be fantastic, it's a tough ground to go to and coming away from Arsenal and Bolton with two draws would be promising before the visit of Blackburn, which is a game we must look to win convincingly if we're to satisfy to home crowd. Let's hope by then that we've all but forgotten the Portsmouth game and we're pulling even further away from the Geordies.
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