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SET THE READING WRONGS RIGHT 23-8-06
Udayan Mukherjee
Hello to you all, and welcome to the second column from a writer and from a website which surely aim to be the antidote to the annoyingly big team-centric views of any newspaper or football website you could care to mention.
The letters pages are pretty much exclusively " Hello, I'm Joe Bloggs and Im a Chelsea/Man U (I might start calling them Man Ure from now on)/Arsenal/Liverpool/Spurs fan and I really hate that bunch at Chelsea/Man Ure (See, much better!)/Arsenal/Liverpool/Spurs. Blah, Blah, Blah.
Given that this article was written in part after the England game with Greece, I would wish to highlight the (lack of) comments made by the BBC team about Downing, who without having a huge amount of the ball had two assists and was hugely influential in a third.
His general wing play reminded me of when he first properly burst onto the scene, hugging the touchline and darting past the fullback at every opportunity. His crosses were (nearly, as always with our Stewie) spot on as well. Yet at half time they spoke of the trio of Gerrard, Lampard and particularly Owen " My hair looks like a yeti's pubes" Hargreaves as if they would, if technically possible, have their children. Downing was not mentioned, even though this was a youngster taking his first full cap and did really well.
In fact anything remotely about Boro is always included with something derogatory, probably just out of spite. It's annoying to say the least. For some reason the negativity from the outside is mirrored by that on Teesside at present.
Perhaps the reason is the lack of inspiring signings by Sir Gareth, or the fact that football has become, at risk of sounding sexist, a girl's game. Perhaps even that we, quite rightly I may add, are slightly worried that Southgate is not up to it being an unknown quantity. Some are also worried about the alarming holes in certain areas.
Another indirect reason is that the defeat in Eindhoven hurt like hell and eats away at all of us, I'm sure. This is the case especially as it seemed like destiny. With the Boro, however, we always fall into the 'typical Boro' that some so frequently chunter on about. That defeat seems to have detracted away from what was arguably the best season that we've had watching the Boro (remember the highlights, rather than the lowlights!), although the League Cup winning season runs it close.
This uncertainty is even worse following the Reading defeat. I'll leave it to others to dissect the match but the capitulation was abysmal. Never mind that we would all realistically been happy with a draw before the game. To lose after leading 2-0 against what is in essence a Championship side is inexcusable, although in the cold light of day it is important to remember that they were buzzing at being in the Premiership and the Madjeski Stadium was packed to the rafters.
The first twenty-five/thirty mimnutes, apart from a few moments was all Boro at their irresistible best. The two goals in a minute that Reading scored were schoolboy errors, arising mainly from weakness on the flanks.
I commented in my last article about the worrying situation at centre back, but it has to be said that Riggot, PoggyTits and later Davies played well. Arca looks to be very bright attacking, but seems lost (understatement of the century perhaps?) doing defensive duties at times, and criticism from the Boro faithful seems fully justified. Equally, on the right, Stuart Parnaby has never really convinced the fans with most of us thinking that he is never a Premiership right back. I say most of us. I actually like him, he makes some very good tackles, and although he looks laid back he busts a gut most of the time.
Perhaps most worrying of all is the way we seemed to get deeper and deeper after our two goals, allowing Reading to pen us back. This is something that used to piss me off something chronic under the last regime, but I suppose it is so ingrained into the players minds that it will take a while for Southgate to impose his own brand of football.
The midfield looked very useful in the first half hour, as did the Yak. Some of the football was fluent and looked like at least worthy of a UEFA cup spot. However we soon, Rochemback especially, reverted back to the ambling, pottering nature of a pissed up OAP. We got way too deep, and the front two isolated in a way all too painfully reminiscent of Boro under Steve McClaren at their worst.
Although ultimately the game was Crapola on toast, we can still take some positives. Downing looked brilliant early on, Yak looked up for it and we were very fluent attacking wise. Mendieta came on and played like a twenty-nine million pound man, and Davies made some important tackles.
In the midst of the doom and gloom it is important to remember that we are in the middle of a golden era. All the old barriers that blocked our path have been truly demolished, especially in the last few years, by the Boro juggernaut.
That we should be complaining about fourteenth in the top flight and 25-30,000 crowds seems ages away from twenty years ago, when Middlesbrough was on its knees, both in terms of economy and in terms of having a team with the proud lion crest atop it.
Think on it, if you will, as you take your seats against the English champions, twenty years exactly from that fateful day in Hartlepool. If you had predicted our rise back then, or even twelve years ago, then you are certain to have been told you were as mad as a bag of nuts and most likely put into St Lukes.
That we have a good chance of not only getting something from the game, but winning against a team of Galacticos, is nothing sort of astonishing. In many ways, although not nearly as drastic as that time, this is a new beginning and certain parallels can be drawn to that time, not least the uncertainty of our path and being heavily reliant on youngsters. In the absence (as of yet), of any of the signings that we need, it is in these youngsters that we must trust.
The Chelsea game gives us the perfect opportunity to set right the wrongs of Reading game. As long as we focus, and win the mental battle, then we could pull off a shock.
Too many teams are beaten before they even step onto the pitch against Chelsea, we have got to stick it up 'em right from the word go (Is that the most cliché filled sentence ever written?). Shevchenko may be too good for our defence at present, but Viduka and (especially) Yakubu could bully any back line in the league, epitomised by the demolition job that we carried out on them last year.
So Boro lads and lasses, sing your hearts out on Wednesday night, banish the doom and gloom away. A bouncing Riverside may give us the edge we need, and intimidate the Chelsea players.
Incidentally, heres a little interview I conducted with Chelsea fan Dave Look, a man that looks not unentirely like a tramp.
1. If you were to sum up Middlesbrough's playing style in a sentence.
Young, enthusiastic players but the quality isn't quite there yet.
2. Where do you think Middlesbrough will finish this season?
A good solid 10th.
3. Middlesbrough. a)Former industrial powerhouse and upwardly mobile town, or
b) Chemical shitbin.
Obviously b.
4. Who will win the league?
We will but Liverpool will push us all the way.
5. Who will go down?
Hmmm, The three that came up, cant see any of them surviving.
6. What do you think of Gareth Southgate?
A big nosed legend.
7. What do you think of Gareth Southgate's nose?
Big and legendary.
8. Premier League Young players to look out for..
Dean Ashton - the next Alan Shearer. Fabregas - Arsenal's new Viera, but even better.
9. Your tip for player of the season?
Not including Chelsea players I'd say Fabregas again.
10. Biggest donkey in the league?
Duncan Ferguson, if he's still playing for Everton and hasn't been sent to prison.
11. Do you realise that Chelsea's fans are known universally as a bunch of gimpoids? What's your response to that?
Haha, yeah its true.
12. Your Favourite Chelsea Player and why
JT all the way, England's captain for the next decade. Although I love Joe Cole too.
13.Your favourite Non-Chelsea player and why.
Don't really have one. Many apologies.
14.Player that you hate the most.
Roy Keane, even though he's just retired.
15. And finally, the score for the game on Wednesday.
3-0 Chelsea, revenge for last season
Very likely Dave. I'm going for a Brownlee-esque 7-0 to Boro with a Schwarzer hat-trick. No, 2-1 to Boro I say. Keep the faith.
Incidentally, watch out for the writer of this column resuming his duties as a turnstile operator for the Chelsea game, probably knackered after saying "Cheers mate" about 40 billion times. And then watch out for him singing out of tune and out of sync in a wholly embarrassing way.
That's all folks.
P.S. An idea for a Pogatetz song: "Poggy, show us yer Tetz, poggy Poggy show us yer tetz". You know it's mint.
NOW HAVE YOUR SAY IN THE NEW HOLGATE FORUM
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