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WATFORD PERFORMANCE WAS WHAT WE NEEDED 10-4-07
Karl Watson
Well with just six games left and no Easter Monday visit to Anfield, there is little to talk about with regards to Middlesbrough football club at the moment.
It was a satisfying win on Saturday against Watford in front of what was a promising crowd; however anything else than a comfortable and emphatic win would have sent the fan's blood pressure through the roof.
The performance was what we needed. It reassured many that we do have the ability to beat the bottom sides at home with ease and with what was perhaps an under strength squad. However out of the six games played against the bottom three we have only won four.
It just makes you think that these are teams we should be beating home and away every season and those six extra points which should have been picked up (in hindsight) would have seen us sitting in the top half in the league with realistic chances of European football. This is something that must be addressed next season.
The league is now tighter than it has ever been, going into its fifteenth year as the world's elite division. The divide between Europe and relegation has never been closer, with teams like Everton, Portsmouth and Reading launching attacks for the top six.
These clubs are no 'bigger' or 'better' than what we are. We have great facilities at Middlesbrough, a fantastic chairman, and a great group of fans that will turn up just so long as the football is good enough. It should be Boro that are making these ambitious attempts for Champions League football.
When Viduka, Hasselbaink, Reiziger and Ray Parlour were signed up in the summer of 2004, all players talked of their ambition of playing in Europe and making an assault at the top four. As these ambitions faltered, so did the players desire to play for the club that was stuck in mid table mediocrity.
The only one of those four who still remains at the club is Aussie Mark Viduka. He was very good on Saturday and really showed his class once again. We have to sign him up next year. In fact, it is an absolute must. Hot prospects such as David Nugent would love the chance to learn from players like Viduka and Yakubu and if we want to progress as a club on and off the pitch, Viduka has to be part of the plans.
Keeping our best players will enhance our chances of gaining the best possible players during the summer, whilst enhancing our chances of a better performance in the league next year.
In order to attract the best names, we have to make an impression from now till the end of the season in the league. In terms of anything to play for, I feel our season is pretty much over.
We face visits to Liverpool and Manchester United and if we perform well and take something from these games, it may make people take notice of Boro and make players feel we are a club going places and that they would want to be part of it.
A top ten finish may just be beyond us because of a demanding last six games of the season, but this shouldn't stop our players' effort in trying to achieve this.
We have to make an impression. England's and the world's best players would definitely be more interested in a move to Middlesbrough if we were to finish in the top ten, and this way they would have more of a desire to play for the club rather than for their pay cheque.
The higher up we finish, the better calibre of players we can attract, and more and more fans would turn up next season to urge the players on to success. Last year's activity in the transfer market was hindered due to McClaren's exit to England and the inability to secure a manager in quick time.
Now Southgate is the man in charge, he has the full summer to assess what he has and what it is we need. Gareth has been singing Adam Johnson's praise after his performance on Saturday, but I hope this doesn't mean he will play either Downing or Johnson on the right hand side and not look to purchase a naturally right sided player.
This summer we must be looking to break the bank, especially with the high financial rewards attached to next year's Premiership finishing positions and Sky TV's money. We have already been linked with some mouth watering players however actually signing these players is a different matter.
As fans we have to keep the faith. Despite a poor season and what could be a poor finish (due to difficult fixtures) we may not have much to sing about when we play Fulham on the last day of the season. We do have little to play for but I would like to see us finish in the top ten which will help us attract better players and would also be a good result in Southgate's first season.
Our target now is surely a top half position and this starts on Saturday in a game which we should be looking to win against a Villa side who have only won a handful of games in twenty.
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