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COMINGS AND GOINGS 18-4-07
Rob Dixon
For all the happiness that pummelling Watford brings, it's amazing how it only takes a drab home defeat to a side in a similar predicament as yours to bring you crashing down to Earth.
I realised after seeing the line-up for Boro's home defeat to Villa just how much of an average/below average Premiership side we are. For instance, if you take away just two players from Gareth Southgate's now settled starting XI (in Saturday's case, Julio Arca and Mark Viduka), we become a less settled and blatantly less effective proposition.
When you consider that Messrs Lamb and Gibson are yet to gain the signatures of two of our very own 'untouchables' (Woodgate and the aforementioned Viduka), this doesn't bode well for the future.
It is obvious changes need to be made in personnel at the club, but losing either both or one those players would be detrimental - and in the case of the Aussie, it would be devastating.
I can't have been the only person to become a little more concerned about our chances on Saturday when I learnt Viduka wasn't available. It is a proven scientific fact that he gives the team an extra attacking edge and flair that they completely lack without him. He brings players into the game, has an air of unpredictability and a wise head of experience that is beneficial to the younger generations coming through.
Of course, if Woodgate and Viduka did sign on, that wouldn't be our only movement in the transfer market. Players will leave, players need to leave.
Malcolm Christie showed on Saturday why we have ineffective backup for our first choice strikers. In my opinion, we need him out. Also, my excitement of Boro entering the Asian market for Dong Gook Lee has turned to despair. Why sign a player on an eighteen month contract when he's going to take six to twelve months to settle into the style of English football? Oh dear. Unfortunately, we won't see Lee leaving for a more useful alternative - and for now, I still hold some hope that he'll come good.
In the midfield, Fabio Rochemback and Gaizka Mendieta's numbers are up. I used to hold out some hope for Rocky, but two goals in two games from him have done little to make me change my verdict. On Saturday, the free kick was fortuitous, while his foul that won Villa a free kick from which they scored their second was inexplicable. How much longer do we need to put up with his poor challenges?
Plus, how much longer do we need to have a (probably overpaid) Spaniard warming the Reserves bench? Why hasn't Mendi gone earlier? Don't even get me started on Jason Euell.
At the back, Stuart Parnaby may be on the way out too. I thought he was a revelation in our UEFA Cup side last year, but this year injuries and bad luck have seen him lose his place to the fantastically haired Abel Xavier. While Parnaby is somewhat lacking in quality, if we keep Xavier and he gets injured, I'm worried we'd have no real back up for the right full back position.
With these players looking likely to depart at the end of the season, my attention would automatically turn to who would be coming in to replace these players. However, consideration of this also makes me fearful of the future.
Smaller clubs are using their initiative to price Premiership sides out of buying their players and when that's twinned with our lack of attractiveness to other top-flight players, where do we get our new squad members from?
It may be a tad pessimistic, but who wants to come to a middling Premiership side who, without a couple of the current squad, will probably spend next season looking over their shoulder? Where do you find players who care more about success and their passion for the club than their pay packet? I'll leave Mr Gareth to fathom out the answers to those questions.
I believe in our coach, but the forthcoming close season may be the most crucial period of his managerial career yet.
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