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SHOW SOME AMBITION 12-4-07
Tom Warnock
So just as we all expected the Boro notched up a comfortable win over Watford on Saturday, and in truth there was never a doubt in our minds. Well after the fourth went in anyway. But if the weekend's victory showed anything at all, it re-iterated how important Mark Viduka is to this team, and how much we will need his talents next season.
In truth, next season is what's on everybody's mind now as the summer creeps in and we ponder what could have been. What pains me the most is that we are a bottom half team in a poor league.
Just look at the teams above us. Why is that Reading can have six points more than us in their first season in the top flight? Why is it that Manchester City, who just weeks ago were a team in complete disarray with furiously protesting fans, find themselves a point above us? And why is it that a team who have only just sacked their manager are positioned barely one win below us?
And with six games to go, having nothing to play for yet again is the most frustrating thing of all. This is supposed to be the most exciting time of the season, where a year's worth of effort comes to fruition. After all if nothing happens at the end of the season, when does anything happen?
You might say I'm in somewhat pessimistic mood, especially following our second biggest win of the season, and yes there are some positives. It's just frustrating how the positives are so few and far between.
Viduka is a Boro player, for now. Because at times it feels as if all he's doing is creating a great advert for himself in the shop window. His age must be taken into consideration also. The club may not wish to offer him a long term contract because as we saw with the likes of Boksic, the last year or two of such a contract doesn't particularly inspire.
We do need to keep him, but we need to bring in a replacement and I don't feel that we have done in Dong Gook either. He is at the back end of his twenties and doesn't look to have the predatory instincts of a natural striker, and we need someone to score fifteen goals a season to fill Viduka's boots.
As you may recall, a few months ago a young Boro striker by the name of Nathan Porrit was featured in a television programme about the illegal tapping up of footballers. This programme claimed he is being tracked by the big guns such as Chelsea and Liverpool. I personally have yet to see him play at any level but have read of his talents and potential. Why not prepare him over the pre-season and give him an opportunity next season?
We certainly need something, and the money isn't flowing quite as freely as it is at the likes of Chelsea. The onus is on the club's hierarchy to kick start the club with some real quality summer buys. To restructure the team, and possibly the backroom staff, bring in a player or two which sends a message to the fans and the other teams in the league.
This action needs to be taken to ensure we don't endure another season like this, or the last, and countless others. Many have been applauding the appointment of Gareth Southgate and commending his progress - and I agree, he has done a decent job - but bottom half isn't good enough.
Gareth will always be a Boro great, but it's not about being sympathetic to a rookie manager, and the club thinking the fans are satisfied with bottom half finishes will do nothing to motivate change. It doesn't take a genius to work out why there are 10,000 empty seats at every home game.
So come on Lamby, come on Gibbo, show some ambition and let's get this club where it should be. Let's give the fans what they deserve.
TALK ABOUT IT IN THE NEW HOLGATE MESSAGE BOARD
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