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RAMADAN-A DING DONG 29-9-06
Calum Law
A friend of mine has presently embarked on his month-long period of Ramadan. At the moment, it's even money whether his period of fasting will end before that of Boro's goal-shy forward line.
But contemplating another toothless home display, Gareth Southgate knew who was to blame: the fans. 'I have played here,' he helpfully reminded any goldfish and/or Alzheimer's victims at the press conference, 'and it can sometimes be difficult.' Not, however, if you play for Blackburn.
Since we're on a religious theme this week, one is obliged to counter: "'why beholdest thy the mote in thy brother's eye and see not the beam in thine own' - mate."
After all, I do believe if the crowd had been asked to send out a team for a home fixture to Blackburn, they wouldn't have lined up 4-5-1 with Jason Euell keeping a world-class striker on the bench. Therefore, when the inevitable happened, and Blackburn, encouraged by the the home side's craven tactics, wrested the initiative and scored - it should hardly come as a shock if the self same crowd registers its bewilderment/disappointment at the interval.
It makes sense for Southgate to buy into the 'Boro fans are fickle' line frequently spun by McClaren when he sensed the sword swish in his neck region. For the very good reason that it's basically true. But Boro fans are historically fickle because Boro F.C. is likewise; the club and it's supporters are like two incorrigible adulterers who've agreed to an open marriage. This is a team that hasn't won two league matches in a row for fifty-odd games and since Southgate was around for all of them, we're entitled to ask 'what do you expect?'
Gareth would clearly prefer the simple, blind faith of the Geordies, the Brethren of the Barcode. But he needs to understand that if they are the equivalent of those Shi'ites who jump around in a circle whipping themselves in a frenzy of self-flagellation, our tradition is different: more urbane and quizzical - a bit like the Quakers say.
Southgate has been here a handful of seasons, during which time he has hoisted our first ever trophy, and as such deserves both our gratitude and our patience. But it hardly equips him to understand the unbroken narrative theme of the 120 years prior to his arrival which was of mirages, false dawns, blue moons and airborne pigs.
I remember as a boy and a youth (when other parts of Ayresome Park were full) finding myself in the South Terrace - legendary perch of the nay-sayers. My callow ears would be astonished at the vituperation, the cynicism that would pour forth. But in time I grew to understand it.
There were fellows on that terrace after all who'd stood there for half a century and more, who'd shelled out good money every week and received not a scrap of glory in return. And what's more the same could be said of their fathers, and grandfathers - their doubt had bona fide lineage. Whether or not their stories of Brian Clough leaving because his teammates were throwing games were true, their agnostic outlook was perfectly logical. Their life experience entitled them to augment Mark Twain's axiom that in life 'only [three] things are certain: death and taxes [and Boro flattering to deceive]'.
One could put an entirely different spin on things; for before 2004, was there a better supported club in the world that had never won a domestic trophy? I doubt it.
All in all 'you get what you pay for'. They've paid us with one trophy in 130 years and hence the clamour that greets them has a disbelieving undertone. Were crowds capable of being psychologically profiled, Boro's would probably be 'fundamentally well-adjusted though prone to withdraw into melancholia. (Sunderland's would be 'cognitively sub-normal with obsessive/compulsive behaviours': Newcastle's would be 'clinically insane'.)
And from his early pronouncements Gareth would probably have fitted right in on the South Terrace - he's definitely a glass half empty sort of chap. In some senses his desire to damp down expectations is welcome in the wake of the last manager (who was relentlessly on-message when it came to the marketing of Project McClaren). The concern however, is that his tendency to circumspection will, indeed is, being picked up by his squad; for it's a truism that, besides talent, the most important quality a football team can acquire is confidence.
Yes Gareth, we know we only finished fourteenth last season: but it was accepted by all and sundry that our position was unnaturally depressed as a result of having to play some thirty plus cup games in the midst of that league programme. So with Boateng and Downing hopefully returning, we should be looking, in a composed and purposeful way, to bury Sheffield United good and proper and send Warnock back where he belongs - amongst the lower orders.
Time for a bit of fire and brimstone from the Reverend Southgate.
NOW HAVE YOUR SAY IN THE NEW HOLGATE FORUM
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