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WARNOCK WEEKLY 11-10-07
Tom Warnock
Isn't it strange how you can predict the outcome of an event, be fully expectant of said outcome, and even put money on that outcome, however when the inevitable occurs it still produces reactions of anger, disappointment and utterings of the 'r' word.
This international break has come at a good time, not necessarily for the club, but to give the fans a well-earned break from enduring defensive errors and striking blunders that wouldn't look out of place on a Sunday league pitch.
There are many quarters saying we will get it right and to give Gareth more time and this is exactly what the club want the supporters to say. While they expect us to give the manager time, until that point (whenever it may be) we must pay hundreds of pounds every season to watch our Boro get beaten. Even if we do recover, we will be so far behind the pack that we will stand no chance of achieving European football next season, so effectively the season is over.
I'm not going to get into the specific faults of our performance, because by now it will sound like a broken record. Players and teams make errors for a reason, and when these errors become a regular occurrence, and cease to be one-offs, that means you have a problem. Gareth had all summer to work on mistakes, work on shooting and to gel a team as that is the very purpose of pre-season training and not the purpose of the first eight games.
Last season wasn't Gareth's team, so he could be excused for not really knowing how best to play them, and true, he has only had one season as a manager. But you can't help thinking these are all convenient excuses for the club, who will continue to extract money from the fans in exchange for 13 wins out of 47 - Gareth's managerial record.
It's depressing to think that yet another year will pass without silverware as unless we give it an incredible run in the FA Cup, we will end up with nothing. After being in this league for a decade now we should be doing more than just making up the numbers. There are teams who have entered the league since we did and have had more top half finishes than we have; Reading, Wigan and Pompey have all finished above the halfway line since we last did.
While every Boro fan will acknowledge the contribution of Steve Gibson to both club and region, times change and we mow appear to be getting left behind. Perhaps Steve's heart clouds his judgment at times? I doubt he would tolerate the same mediocre results in his Bulkhaul company. If he did he would never have made it to where he is now.
Viduka left because of a combination of ambition and money. The two go hand in hand and had we been achieving top half finishes, we could have afforded to pay what he wanted and given him the chance to win things - instead we could offer neither.
Players realise this and would rather go to a club who are experiencing a money wielding take-over and an influx of talent, such as a Manchester City. When have Boro ever won the first five home games? When have we ever won five games by October? There are no real reasons why we shouldn't be in the position of a City or a Pompey, again there are convenient excuses - but no reasons.
Football is all about opinions, and I have mine. There will always be the eternal optimists who will fork out for whatever rubbish the players decide to offer, and there will always be the pessimists who won't get off their armchair until we're perched at the top of the league. The most telling opinion is that of the realist, and the club need to pay attention to those fans, or we will disappear from existence.
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