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MAN OF THE YEAR 2007 - PART ONE
Compiled and written by James Bassett and Toby Higgins
In 2004 it was Boudewijn Zenden, in 2005 it was George Boateng, last year it could only ever have been Massimo Maccarone, but who will win ComeOnBoro.com's prestigious Man Of The Year award in 2007?
Before we begin the ten-man countdown, let's just run over the criteria: there really aren't any.
Anyone who has helped further the Boro cause will be considered. However, for the uninitiated, back in 2004 we decided that Steve Gibson and whoever happens to be the manager at the time are exempt. So despite their stellar work this year, neither Gibson nor Gareth Southgate will be included.
Enough preamble, let's get this thing started...
10. Mido
In De-Nile
There is no better way to win over sceptical fans than to score on your debut and then against the local rivals the very next week.
It's what Mido did and it's earned him number ten in our Man of the Year awards.
Dubbed by many as a 'panic buy' after the sale of Yakubu, Mido's start of two goals in his first two games, as well as his willingness to play through the pain barrier against Sunderland when he was quite clearly injured, have impressed the doubters.
A question mark remains (with some) over his long-term temperament though. Having seen him go through six clubs before Boro at the age of just twenty-four, the doubters will question his loyalty and commitment.
Despite this, however, we have still yet to see a fully fit Mido due to untimely injuries, so his future on Teesside looks bright.
9. James Morrison
WALLOP!
2007 has been a pretty unremarkable year for James Morrison. His career at The Riverside petered out and it shows little sign of improving at West Brom. However, he merits inclusion in this list for one thing: THIS.
Plenty of people have brought down Cristiano Ronaldo but no one this brazenly and recklessly. It was a horrible challenge and, no matter what you think of Ronaldo, utterly unjustified.
But watching it at the time felt good. We had been very hard done by to only draw with United in the original quarter-final at The Riverside as Rob Styles harshly awarded a penalty for handball against George Boateng.
Then, during the replay at Old Trafford, Mike Dean handed United a penalty for a very inocuous challenge by Jonathan Woodgate on, of course, Ronaldo (click here). Boro were feeling rightly aggrieved.
We might have expected Cattermole, Boateng or Pogatetz to mirror the crowd's mood by thumping into Ronaldo as he sought to wind the clock down, but not James Morrison. And yet there he was, leaping knee-high into Ronaldo as he dribbled the ball into the corner.
It may have marked the end of Morrison's stay at The Riverside but as ways to sign-off go, it wasn't a bad one.
8. Tuncay Sanli
The future King of Teesside?
Having failed to learn the lesson that Lee Dong Gook should have taught us, this Youtube clip showing Tuncay Sanli making Seb Hines look a wee bit silly (click here) got us all excited about what this Turkish superstar might bring to the Riverside.
The former heart of Fenerbache, however, didn't set the field alight immediately. With Jeremie Aliadiere starting up front alongside the now totally disinterested Yakubu, Tuncay began the season as Boro's nominal right-winger.
With Yakubu sold, Tuncay was moved into a central role to support the newly arrived Mido in the Egyptian's debut against Fulham.
Having been substituted at half-time in that fixture, Tuncay was then inexplicably slotted in behind not only Mido and Aliadiere in the pecking order, but also Lee Dong Gook, Tom Craddock and Ben Hutchinson.
Those of us who spotted his talent with a pair of promising, if not fully polished, performances against Blackburn and Wigan were left scratching our heads. What were we seeing that Southgate wasn't? Was Tuncay causing problems in the dressing room? Was Southgate jealous of his hair?
These questions remain unanswered but having once again been inexplicably benched in favour of Dong Gook, Tuncay came on against Reading and scored, securing Boro the point their efforts more than merited.
In the next game, at home against Arsenal, he easily eclipsed Arsenal's glittering array of stars with not just his effort, but his skill too. The athletic pairing of Kolo Toure and William Gallas simply couldn't cope.
This past weekend, in a tight and tense game against Derby, it was Tuncay's stunning volley that gave Boro all three points.
With a work rate that puts Mark Viduka and Yakubu to shame, undeniable quality and a growing affinity with the crowd, Tuncay promises to be Boro's most important player in 2008.
7. Emmanuel Pogatetz
Terminator
Rumour had it that Emmanuel Pogatetz was on borrowed time at the Boro when Gareth Southgate took over.
Apparently, the new manager didn't much fancy the Austrian, and after signing Julio Arca, Robert Huth and Jonathan Woodgate, as well as being able to rely on the presence of the emerging Andrew Taylor, it looked like Pogatetz was heading for the door.
How costly a mistake that could have been is something that, thankfully, we'll never know.
After being shuffled into centre half, 'Mad Dog' has proved just how important he is to the team and his versatility makes him a huge asset.
His uncompromising style of defending and the aggression that flows through him on a match day is something the Teesside public appreciate fully, and despite missing the start of this season with injury, Pogatetz will be hoping to cement his place in defence despite the vast competition for places.
6. Jonathan Woodgate
Needs a haircut
Every Pogatetz needs a Woodgate though and Boro's defence looks at its best when these two are part of it.
That their names look similar is not the only comparison that can be drawn between Woody and his manager. Woodgate's calm, almost relaxed playing style was something characterised by Southgate the player, with Woodgate being very much a reader of the game who can play a bit too.
While it's still almost a surprise to see Woodgate's name on the team sheet as frequently as it appears, it's something no Boro fan is going to contest. Despite somewhat lacklustre performances in the 2007/2008 season, he and Pogatetz have been so crucial to Boro's defence since January, that they've earned numbers six and seven in our Man of the Year countdown.
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