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MAYBE BORO CAN BRING THE CUP HOME 15-2-07
Udayan Mukherjee
It doesn't happen very often, apart from the surreal few months between February and May 2006, but at the moment there is genuine cause for Middlesbrough supporters to go to games with a smile on their face in anticipation of a good game.
Having been completely devoid of ideas, passion and inspiration before the turn of the year, Middlesbrough looked to be a rudderless ship on the way to oblivion. The unspoken hurt of Eindhoven was a burden on our shoulders, a constant nagging feeling of what could have been. After the highs, the fairytale that was last season, it was perhaps understandable for players and fans to wonder if it had all been worth it.
A season of 'transition', a positive by word for shit football and a lack of ambition was on the cards, and added to a lack of real signings to capture the imagination without the carrot of European football to dangle in front of them, meant that it was always going to one of endurance rather than enjoyment.
The turn of the new year and the release of Round, and presumably the tired mentality of the previous regime has released us to play a refreshing attacking game, something that the Teesside public have needed for year upon year.
Many Middlesbrough supporters were underwhelmed by the signing of Julio Arca in the summer, mainly because it would probably have taken someone of the calibre of Zambrotta or Roberto Carlos to truly replace Franck Queudrue, such was the regard he was held in by supporters of this club.
After breaking his leg early on his Middlesbrough career, and given the emergence of Andrew Taylor as a very decent left back, I for one reckoned that his time at Middlesbrough would be an unhappy one. However, since being introduced to the central midfield role, he has flourished in a way that belies the opinion that many of us had that he would be simply a stop gap.
His close control and passing ability in the middle of the park have been a revelation and a vital part in the now much more fluid Boro machine. The link up on the left hand side of our team is now comparable to the (quite) successful team of 2004-05 when Stewie, Queudrue and Bolo Zenden linked up so well.
The way Arca has played has also seen Stewart Downing come out of his shell, having someone who spoon feeds him at every opportunity, and provides him with an inside pass if needs be.
A mention must also go out to Fabio Rochemback who in recent weeks has come back into the team and while not quite performing up to his undoubted potential has given his all, which is one of the main critiscisms levelled at him for his time with us apart from the obvious defects that were apparent to the Boro faithful, in that he is "ABloodyforeignnancywithanalicebandandlookslikearightdoyle". From the Chelsea and Bristol games, he seems to remain to be a very capable footballer, but still has an annoying habit of misplacing passes even more than George Boateng (some feat, all considering).
The fairies in his head also seem to be telling him that it's OK to shoot as soon as he can vaguely see the goal, even though he couldn't hit a cow's arse with a banjo. Incidentally, the cliché involving cows arses and banjos is deeply silly. Who exactly (apart from those in the deep south of the USA) has a banjo, and if you do can you afford to go around bashing poor bovine posterior with one, thus breaking said stringed instrument? I certainly couldn't, and I assume most of the Teesside demographic would have financial problems with it as well. Perhaps 'you couldn't hit Micheal Ricketts with a pie' would be more apt. Although he would probably like that, the big fat bastard.
The piece of the puzzle that has recurrently been the problem has still not been solved however and that is the right hand side. After being given a run in the team and playing reasonably well, James Morrison seems to have been cast aside, having not even been on the substitutes bench against Brizzle City.
Although Lee Cattermole has potential and bags of energy, he would be the first to admit that he is not technically proficient enough ( yet) to pull off the role with any degree of consistency. The recent trend of bringing on Adam Johnson and switching Downing to the left also seems to have some potential although the youngster has the physique of a young girl (a disease known as JonGreeningitis) it is clear he has bags of skill. It remains to be seen whether the youngster from Sunderland can bulk out a little, because it is almost always required to be capable both physically and technically in the hurly burly of the Premiership.
It is understandable that Gareth Southgate was not willing to get the chequebook for a right handed midfielder, because the club do not want to be held to ransom by clubs of the ilk of West Brom. For us to make the step forward next season however, it is essential that gap is filled.
After all the optimism that the new year has brought, it is important to remember that with the Boro there's always a fall ahead when you're up, and light at the end of the tunnel when we're down. Hopefully, we can avoid a fall and thus keep the consistency, skill and passion that has served us so well in recent weeks and months.
One disturbing trend that has emerged from the two Bristol city games is the inability to hold on to achieve results. Remedying this problem is a must if the recent wonderful play is to result in some kind of achievement during the tenure of Gareth Southgate. We don't want to be like Tottenham used to be - decent players and games, but always finishing in midtable.
After the successes that Middlesbrough have had, I believe we can aim higher, starting against Tony Mowbray's West Brom in the cup.
If Boro can keep up their recent run of results, there is no reason why we can't finish in the top half and go on a cup run. Who knows, maybe we can even go a couple better in the cup and bring it home.
Up the Boro
That's all folks,
Udayan Mukherjee
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