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ALL SQUARE 25-9-07
Toby Higgins
The upcoming season's fixture list arriving onto our computer screens is often the first time we can start getting genuinely excited about the joys and perils we are set to face for another year, as we support the Boro around the country on a weekly basis. One of the most disappointing aspects of this season's list was that both of our home derby games were gone by the end of September.
Google defines a 'derby' in many ways. "A bowler hat: a felt hat that is round and hard with a narrow brim"; "a city in the East Midlands of England"; "A classic race for three-year-old pacers or trotters" and, finally, "a sports (often Association football (soccer), rugby union, rugby league or Australian Rules Football) match between local rival teams". While some are more accurate, they are all in fact, wrong.
A derby is much more important than just a "match between local rival teams". It's the chance to hold the bragging rights until the next time the opposition visits (it could be years before Sunderland come back to the Riverside), the chance to soak up the atmosphere before and during the game, knowing it means just a little bit more than just any other game; the chance to walk away afterwards as winners.
To that end, both of our home derbies this season have been disappointing. On both occasions, each team has come away thinking that a draw probably wasn't the end of the world, given the circumstances, and that each will live to fight another day. That both finished 2-2, and that Julio Arca scored an equaliser in both, is proof that lightning can strike twice.
It's not the only similarity in the games against the Geordies and Mackems. In both, players scored against their former teams, in Mark Viduka, and then Arca and (DJ) Downing, and twice, we were denied a win because of a strike that wouldn't look out of place in any goal of the month competition.
Unlucky? Of course; to be denied twice in such a helpless manner is unfortunate; particularly as the players who have hit those shots, N'Zogbia and Miller respectively, have done so with their supposedly weaker feet, and even Grant Leadbitter's opener smacked of fluke. But we shouldn't wallow in self pity. It's is only a matter of weeks since we snuck three points out of Craven Cottage, and if this is us going even in terms of luck, then so be it.
Sunderland will no doubt be more pleased with the result than us; even if you disregard everything that happened during the game, a basic rule of thumb is that the home team looks to win and the away team will take a draw, but given the emphatic timing of Sunderland's leveller, it feels more like a defeat. More significant than the result, though, was the extent of the injuries suffered by Mido, Arca and Tuncay.
Now, whoever reported, within moments of the full time whistle, that Tuncay had a broken leg clearly wasn't at the game or was winding us all up. I'm no doctor, but I'd have thought a condition of having a broken leg is the inability to walk which Tuncay not only did as he left the field, but also as he played on for a few minutes after succumbing the injury. Thankfully, his injury isn't that bad.
Nor is Mido's. It's hard not to love this guy; I find him easily the most watchable out of them all, not for his football talent particularly (though the guy has it in abundance), but more for the way he behaves on the field.
After Gary O'Neil had failed to pick out the Egyptian from the right, with Boro having won a corner, Mido grabbed O'Neil's head with both hands and said something to him, presumably along the lines of, "pass the fucker to me next time".
There was nothing violent or particularly aggressive about it; it was almost childlike enthusiasm more than anything, but it just shows the guy really cares about winning, if nothing else. Every time an attack breaks down, he looks like he's going to burst into tears.
His willingness to play on despite quite clearly being unable to run properly demonstrates this quality, if not also a little stupidity. He obviously knew what the consequences of his leaving the field would be, as presumably, he'd seen enough of Lee Dong-Gook play to know how good he is. And now, after the eighty minutes I saw him play on Saturday, so have I. He hasn't got it.
I very much doubt that Southgate had ever seen the guy play in the flesh before he bought him because if he had he never would have signed him. He looks and sounds like a really nice, honest, genuine guy (if it's possible to get that impression from someone who you've only seen from the stands and heard talk in interviews) but he's no Premiership footballer, that's for sure.
He's slow, weak, and, as we saw at the back end of last season, panics in front of goal. He was totally muscled out of the game against Sunderland and it actually looked, and felt, like playing with ten men. While we now go to Spurs on Wednesday night with very little chance of scoring, let alone of being in the draw for round four by Thursday morning, at least Mido and Tuncay are expected to be back by Sunday.
The same can't be said for Julio Arca though. The Argentine revelation, whose poor touch lead to Sunderland's opener, will be out for two months minimum which is a disaster, given the partnership that Jubio Arcemback (credit to James "if-it's-good-enough-for-Samanda,-it's-good-enough-for-us" Bassett) had created, which was so strong it kept skipper George Boateng on the bench.
Arca will be missed, more for his long hair and very short socks than anything else, but his goals this season have been crucial too. His willingness to break into the area is something Rochemback can't do, so the number of goals scored by Downing, currently the joint top English goal scorer in the league this season, and O'Neil, who looks uncannily like Steven Gerrard from behind, will have to make up for the lack of goals the new reshuffled centre midfield will get.
Mido, Tuncay and Alidalialidere can't return from injury quickly enough, and unless we hang on for penalties at Spurs, we could well be crashing out of the Carling Cup this week.
Also, with last week's article about players breaking their duck against us in mind, what an awful time to be playing Everton.
Andy Johnson, anyone?
Same time next week,
UpTheBoro
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A GUARANTEED PROFIT OF AT LEAST £41.00 ON THE FA CUP FINAL
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Please note that the bonuses are valid for new customers only so if you already have an account with one or more of the bookies we are using, you won't be able to do this. If that is the case, mail us or phone us on 01642 223229 and we'll create an alternative bet for you using different bookies.
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