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Deep in my heart...
Middlesbrough vs Portsmouth, 15th October 2005, Riverside Stadium
James Keen
A nice welcome break. Enough time for everyone to calm down and regain focus. That's how I see the international break. Some people say that it disrupts your flow, disallows you to gain any sort of momentum.
But lets face it, what Boro needed was to be able to regroup, reasses and begin to understand why things haven't been going exactly swimmingly. We didn't have a flow to lose.
Our away form so far is good. Two wins from two in the Midlands in the same season isn't something we have become accustomed to. But it's the home form that worries us. Only one game won, against Arsenal - the only game we have scored in at the Riverside.
The game with the lacklustre Portsmouth is one where with the right planning and motivation Boro could easily claim the win. But I do face having egg on my face with this game.
Before Boro's unlucky 2-0 defeat to Spurs I critiscised them for being too excited about beating "the most impotent side in the league", or Portsmouth as their own fans lovingly know them.
And so I am treating this game with trepidation. Because not only were they already impotent after the sale of Yakubu to this weekend's hosts, but they also have Lua Lua out injured. If ever there was a time to play Pompey, this is it.
Scouring through the Portsmouth squad it's difficult to see where Portsmouth will harm the Boro because they haven't got any particular class. Admittedly both Silva and Vignal are internationals, but then so is Peter Crouch!
And realistically, a backline of Griffin, O'Brien, Stefanovic and Priske should be nothing more than honest. They should be a hard battling, scrappy defence and Boro should be able to cut through them with the same ease that Portsmouth cut through us at Fratton Park a year and a half ago.
The most pleasing thing about the victory at Villa Park was that Steve McClaren played his players where they should be played. He didn't pander to his big guns by putting Jimmy Floyd in and didn't try to squeeze two left backs into the same side.
He put out a side that had something to prove. Admittedly, I was a little shocked when I saw Szilard lining up on the left but, hats off, it worked. And with Doriva, George, Gaizka and Rochemback making up the rest of the midfield five, Boro made Villa look second rate.
So, in theory, Boro should be able to transfer this form to the Riverside and thus we should all be looking forward to a display of exquisite football and a plethora of goals. The reality I'm sure will be much different. But for the time we can dream.
Portsmouth will set their stall out to defend as they did at St. James' Park and as they have done all season. And at the Riverside, as Sunderland will testify, that can work.
Boro have just got to make sure that they keep their heads and carry on playing as they know they can. The quality, ultimately, shines through.
McClaren's selection this week will be interesting to see. Steve seems to have found a position where Fabio can flourish, although playing with a 4-5-1 at home is always a little bit silly, mainly owing to the critiscism by the supporters of the negative approach.
But as an old adage goes "If it ain't broke, don't fix it!". Not always true, but maybe the best option. But I do believe that McClaren will change things a little, in order to prepare for Europe on Thursday.
I think that Frank Queudrue will be preferred to Pogatetz after his exploits with Austria, including a red card against Northern Ireland. Pogatetz though will probably be included at Grasshoppers.
Massimo and Yakubu should start against Portsmouth, making way for Jimmy and Viduka to start against Grasshoppers, fresh and raring to go. In midfield McClaren is slightly more limited by the injuries he has to key players
Downing is out until Jaunary and Parlour until December and so we will probably see a couple of youngsters blooded in the coming games. It would also be nice to see Mendieta getting a second successive game under his belt, and starting to find the form that made him a £30million player.
All in all this should be a game Boro will win, in spite of Portsmouth being unbeaten against Boro in the Premier league. Two draws and two Portsmouth wins means nothing when Portsmouth have been knocked out of the League Cup by Gillingham, have lost their best striker (Yakubu) and have only beaten relegation fodder, Everton, in the league this season.
My head is telling me a 2-0 win is round the corner, but my heart is telling me it may be a little closer. 2-1.
Probable Teams;
Middlesbrough: Schwarzer, Xavier, Queudrue, Riggott, Southgate, Boateng, Rochemback, Mendieta, Johnson, Maccarone, Yakubu
Portsmouth: Ashdown, Griffin, Priske, O'Brien, Stefanovic, Vignal, O'Neil, Diao, Vukic, Taylor, Silva
Form;
Middlesbrough WWDLdW
Portsmouth LWDLLd
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