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MAN OF THE YEAR AWARDS 2005
James Bassett
Welcome to the ComeOnBoro.com Man Of The Year awards. The awards are now in their second year and are intended to pay tribute to the men who have played the greatest part in Boro's successes over the past year. Each of the following ten men can be very proud of their achievements, but there can only be one ComeOnBoro.com Man Of The Year and he will be unveiled on Friday 16th December.
In case anybody is wondering about the criteria used for selection; while we are looking for the person who did the most to further the Boro cause either on or off the pitch, both Steve McClaren and Steve Gibson are ineligible. Gibson would win the award every year and McClaren, despite coaching his team to some tepid displays this year, would also probably feature strongly.
However, where other members of the hierarchy have gone above and beyond the call of duty, they may be eligible. Women are also eligible. But we aren't all that likely to see any, are we?
Enjoy the countdown from ten to six and be sure to join us next week for the final five.
10. Boudewijn Zenden
Crap hair, rubbish website.
He may have finished top last year, but if you're surprised that Zenden hasn't managed to hold on to pole position, then I've got a bridge to sell you. The foppy Dutchman transferred to Liverpool when it looked certain that Steven Gerrard would move to Chelsea and thus free up a starting berth in the midfield of the reigning European champions. However, Gerrard turned the Roubles down and now, three months into the new season and with Zenden having started just seven Premiership games, most Boro fans are still experiencing the warming glow that only a healthy dose of Schadenfreude can provide.
However, before he left the club, Bolo was Boro's most influential player and could easily have become a Boro legend. 2004 may have been the zenith of Bolo's Boro career (and, let's be honest, his career as a whole), but he still did more than his fair share in 2005. He might have only managed a solitary league goal - the penalty that wasn't against Fulham - but he did kick start our 2005 UEFA Cup campaign with a goal in the Arnold Schwarzenegger stadium against Grazer AK. Excellent performances against Liverpool, Charlton and West Brom helped eke Boro into Europe, albeit by the narrowest of margins. And, let's face it, as much as we might dislike him now, he's a better player than Doriva.
9. Gaizka Mendieta
Crap hair, good player.
Manchester United can do strange things to people. They made the undeniably brilliant Juan Sebastian Veron and Diego Forlan look like pub players, they turned David May into a European Cup winner, turned Arsenal from the most fluid attacking team of the last thirty years into a withering wreck and transformed Gaizka Mendieta back into a world class central midfielder.
Two seasons before his move to Boro, Mendieta had been the driving force behind Valencia's emergence as one of the strongest teams in Europe. However, a big money move to Lazio was met with failure as Mendieta failed to acclimatise to Italian football. And, to be fair to the monk-haired wonder, he was played at right-back by then manager Alberto Zaccheroni.
He arrived on Teesside with a one-year loan deal that was made permanent after one season without Boro paying a transfer fee. Boro fans were excited (in fact, this no way over excited writer called the transfer, "the best in the history of football.") and Mendieta, well. he didn't do much.
A goal against Wigan in the League Cup was followed immediately with a goal against Wolves and much later in the season a goal against Birmingham as Boro crushed the Blues 5-3. His perfectly weighted through ball began the attack that lead to Joseph Job's opener in the Carling Cup Final, but it was a disappointing time for a player with such a fierce reputation. After a muted season, he was crocked against Portsmouth in October 2004 and didn't play again until August 2005.
The Manchester United game on 29th October 2005 - a year and five days after the Portsmouth game - changed all that. Collecting the ball just outside the centre circle, Mendieta ran ten yards with the ball and smashed a bending shot which van der Sar could only palm into his own net. Whether van der Sar should have saved it is a moot point; the goal gave Mendieta a belief that he was still a great player. Sixty minutes later, he combined with Yakubu to slot home Boro's final goal in their famous 4-1 victory. It was probably the best individual performance from a Boro player The Riverside has seen.
Mendieta was a changed man. His delightful pass to Yakubu against Dnipro indicated that the man had rediscovered his form. Shots from distance with both his right and left foot also proved that the man has found the confidence that's been lacking since he arrived in 2003. Boro can only hope that this run continues for another couple of years.
8. Dave Parnaby
Better with kids than Gary Glitter.
Dave Parnaby continues to work miracles with his youth programme. Last year, Stewart Downing came to prominence but injuries and an over-reliance on him by the rest of the team has stunted his growth.
This year James Morrison, Danny Graham, Tony McMahon, Adam Johnson, Jason Kennedy, David Wheater and Matthew Bates have all had runs in the first team. And Parnaby, as the man charged with grooming these young talents into top flight professional footballers, should take enormous credit for the injection of youthful vigour and enthusiasm throughout the Boro squad.
Of course, the minute they get into the first team, they get injured or ignored in favour of Portuguese drug runners, but Parnaby can't be blamed for that.
7. Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink
The Incredible Sulk.
It's fair to say that Boro fans, perhaps more than any other Premiership fans, appreciate grafters. For this reason, Hasselbaink was always going to have an uneasy relationship with elements of the Riverside crowd.
He can look a bit lazy and he can look very disinterested at times and he doesn't see it as his job to chase hopeless causes. He's a powerful front man with a shot like a rocket and, if he leaves in January or the summer, Boro will be a substantially weaker team without him. For evidence, witness the 'UEFA Cup Play Off' against Manchester City on the final day of the last season.
Boro needed a solitary point to secure UEFA Cup qualification but hadn't played particularly well since a 3-2 win against City in the previous December. True to form, Boro began the encounter at the City Of Manchester Stadium poorly. Then, in the 23rd minute, Boro won a freekick about 30 yards out. Zenden tried to roll the ball to Hasselbaink but didn't play the ball far enough and was fortunate to be fouled. Boro were awarded a second freekick. Frustrated with his wantaway team mate, Hasselbaink shoved Zenden out the way and smashed the ball past David James from 30 yards. It was the goal that would permit Boro a second consecutive season of UEFA Cup exploits.
The arrival of Yakubu has marginalised Jimmy and there are strong rumours that the Dutchman may be on his way out of the Riverside in the near future. It would be a real shame to see a player of his pedigree leave so soon.
6. Yakubu Aiyegbeni
The new Ravanelli?
Having arrived on Teesside with a bout of malaria, Yakubu proceeded to saunter around against Liverpool and swung hilariously at a diabolical air-shot against Charlton. Boro fans were beginning to think we'd been sold a duffer.
However, a return of eight goals from fourteen league games has made the £7.5 million transfer fee look like good value. Steve McClaren was right to wonder why "the big clubs" weren't interested in Yakubu's services. Arsenal, in particular, could certainly benefit from having such a wonderful predator on their books. Hasselbaink might be more resolute and Viduka is certainly cleverer, but Yakubu has proved himself to be arguably the finest striker in the league when it comes to anticipation.
His first touch was poor against Arsenal, but he reacted quicker than Kolo Toure and effortlessly curled the ball around Jens Lehmann. Yakubu instinctively anticipated Viduka's knockdown against Wigan and should've scored against Sunderland from an almost identical situation. Furthermore, his first goal against Villa came from anticipating a defensive error. In addition, his pace and strength has been enough to cause problems for supposedly world class defenders like Rio Ferdinand and John Terry.
McClaren's critics often cite the fact that he squandered £8.15million on an unproven striker who has not proved himself to be Premiership quality. They may be right, but those same critics must acknowledge the fact that McClaren has more than made amends with the signing of one of the league's best centre forwards.
THE 2005 MAN OF THE YEAR AWARDS PART II
THE 2004 MAN OF THE YEAR AWARDS
BACK TO AWARDS INDEX
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