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PREMIER LEAGUE MUST BE OUR PRIORITY 4-1-07
Karl Watson and Tom Warnock
Warnock says:
I'll start simply by wishing you a Happy New Year and best wishes for 2007.
Well Christmas is all over, and for most it's back to the usual routine. 'Routine', however is not a word which we have come to associate with the Boro, and this Christmas defied the normal trend. How? Because we actually picked up some points. Seven from an available twelve isn't bad going, considering our form this season.
Despite only losing one of our Christmas and New Year fixtures, it's still hard to feel satisfied. Still no away victory, still entrenched in the bottom half and still failing to really inspire on the pitch.
It was disappointing not to push on and get a win at Ewood. Rovers were poor and were really there for the taking. The manner in which we conceded both goals was typical of this season, and giving away penalties is becoming an all too familiar occurance. It simply must be stopped.
There has been a case for debate over some of the decisions, but it's no coincidence that we keep conceding them, and more often than not they're costing us points.
In the same game, we conceded the second goal in an amateurish fashion. The entire Boro team was encamped in our own penalty area, allowing an easy cross to pick out McCarthy. Listeners of Bernie Slaven will have noted his disapproval of this 'tactic' whereby we fill the penalty area with all eleven of our players at corners. This is another thing which is costing us points, and both are easily preventable for professionals, or should I say they should be.
That game was there for the taking, and it was the perfect chance to break our duck. We must be more ruthless and take the game by the scruff of the neck. Credit is due to Gareth for starting with two forwards, something which I think he needs to do in every game. He was singing the praises of Mark Viduka, and rightly so.
Viduka showed his worth versus Sheffield United. He was involved in every goal and gave us that extra bit of class which we missed in his absence. If we can keep him fit, and get the Yak to gel with him, then they could be the catalyst for a climb up the table.
Our defence undoubtedly needs to improve, with only keeping three clean sheets in our last ten games, and Sheffield being the first game we've hit the net more than twice in, we can no longer rely on our strikers to get us out of trouble.
Just in case your hangover has lasted longer than expected you might not know it's now the transfer window and this means Gareth's first real chance to go after players he's been looking at. Who those players will be is another matter. We do need to strengthen up front, just so we have someone able to cover for injuries. The same is true for other positions; we have no natural replacement for Morrison when he's out injured.
Signing players is one of the few things which Gareth cannot have learned during his playing days, and so will be a challenge to him. I'm not expecting any big signings during this window but hopefully I will be proven wrong.
However its difficult to see where the money will come from. Gibson will be reluctant to invest heavily due to falling crowds and a likely bottom half finish. It seems likely we will be relying on loan deals or free transfers this January.
It's been a refreshingly different Christmas period, but there is still huge room for improvement. It's almost a shame that the league is broken up by the FA Cup, because we could do with containing any momentum we have in the league at the present moment.
However on the other hand it does give us a platform for a confidence boosting win. But we need to ensure we exert our class on the game from the start to avoid being embarrassed by a lower league club and replicating our Carling Cup exit.
Watson says:
As the bells chimed at midnight and the last few glasses of sherry were consumed the festive period drew to its close once again and the festive period Middlesbrough fans were dreading thankfully did not live up to pessimistic forecasts. Seven points out of a possible twelve was very welcome on Teesside and there does appear to be light at the end of what was once a very gloomy tunnel.
Things couldn't be much better could they? Middlesbrough are unbeaten this year and the Teessiders have yet to be beaten away from home! However Middlesbrough have yet to play away from home this year! This season's away record is dismal and it is as simple as this. Boro's home form alone will not be enough to keep us in the Premiership.
Our recent performances away from home have been far from breathtaking but we are getting very close to securing our first away win since last season's visit to Eastlands. The points we pick up on our travels will be the most crucial points of our season. Our home record remains credible and if we were to win more games away from home we could be sitting mid table before we know it. Wouldn't that cure our New Year hangovers?
The inconsistency remains to haunt Gareth Southgate's team. This has been something that has become a thorn in our rose and how desperately we need someone to come and pick out this thorn immediately. We have seen in recent games that the team is able to string together more than two passes, is able to create chances and can play decent football. However it is the results that matter and no sooner are we picking points up at home, we simply drop points by not gaining points away from the Riverside.
The result against Sheffield United was imperative and although we faced a few scares from the moment Mark Viduka put Middlesbrough ahead there was only going to be one winner. However do our players and our performances look superior to the opposition in front of us? Or are our performances reminiscent of teams that find themselves in the top half of the table pushing for European football?
The transfer market is now open and Gareth has admitted there will be activity. However the prospect of signing players from lower divisions does not set my heart racing and make me pinch myself. Talk of signing David Nugent means fending off Sheffield United. Is this a trend we wish to follow? Fending off teams that have just been promoted for someone's signature is not what we would have expected in September. We need to go back to the days where we were attempted to break the bank to sign outstanding players whilst fending off teams that are far superior to ourselves.
Reports have suggested Middlesbrough have had a bid turned down for West Bromwich Albion's Zoltan Gera. Zoltan was a player that impressed me greatly during his debut year in the Premiership. I was surprised he did not start the 2006/07 season at a Premiership club. He has not been able to show off his credentials in this season's Championship as I feel it is too physical for him.
He would fill up the vacant position on that right hand side and he has a great deal of talent. However the price tag remains a little too high for my liking. WBA are no mugs; they will look to get as much for him as possible. I would definitely like to see what he could do in a Middlesbrough shirt though the price will be the determinant factor.
Massimo Maccarone has expressed his desire to return to Italy and I feel Gareth will only sell if we are to sign Jeremie Aliadiere on loan or David Nugent permanently. Out of the two mentioned I would most definitely prefer the latter. In a recent article I expressed my displeasure at the possible signing. However I am intrigued to see what he can do in the Premiership and I would definitely prefer to see him in a Middlesbrough shirt than any other.
However the most important signing will not happen in January, it will happen when the season draws to a close in May. Jonathan Woodgate is a world class, international defender. If we are to have genuine aspirations of achieving UEFA cup and even Champions League football via qualification through the Premiership, we have to be looking at keeping the calibre of Woodgate.
I cannot see Jonathan staying permanently because he has achieved his ambition of playing for Middlesbrough. He is a top draw player and top draw players want to look at how many medals and trophies they won when they hang up their boots. Gareth has expressed that in order to keep Woody we have to meet his ambitions. Firstly in order to do this the captain's armband must be placed around his arm.
George Boateng is playing horrifically and he is slowly slipping down the pecking order. Only that captain's armband is keeping George in the first team. I am still not impressed by George and I would like to see him stripped of the armband. At the very least, Woodgate must be given the captaincy if we expect him to stay.
There is now a welcome break from the Premiership and the FA Cup allows some fans to forget the difficulties of the Premiership and allow us once again to dream of a trip to Cardiff (because Wembley won't be ready) and the delights of silverware.
Last season's adventures in cup competitions led to very lacklustre performances in the Premiership and if it wasn't for the good results attained at the beginning of the season then last season could have ended in relegation. As much as I would love another trophy in the cabinet the league must be our priority this season and if we are defeated at Hull on Saturday it will not determine our Premiership fate.
TALK ABOUT IT IN THE NEW HOLGATE MESSAGE BOARD
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