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DEEP IN MY HEART
Middlesbrough vs. Manchester United, 6th April 2008, Riverside Stadium, Premier League
James Keen
This fixture will complete our schedule of games against the ‘Big Four’, although to be fair, it’s more the big three as Liverpool shouldn’t really be included.
We generally give a good effort against the big boys but we don’t win often enough against them.
Manchester United beat us 4-1 at their place; Liverpool beat us 3-2 and scraped a 1-1 draw at ours; Arsenal narrowly earned a 1-1 draw at theirs and we beat them 2-1 at ours; Chelsea beat us 2-0 and 1-0.
From seven games, that is only one win and two draws - five points from a possible twenty-one.
On Sunday, we need to make it eight points from twenty-four and have our say in the title race.
We have traditionally done alright against United but last season we managed just two draws from our four games. However, we managed to concede a penalty in every game and we didn't lose by more than one goal.
In other words, we have a chance.
Against Chelsea a mix of complacency and bad luck cost us - how Afonso didn’t bag his first for the club I’ll never know.
But on a positive note, at least he was there!
Alves has the natural ability to be in the right place at the right time. He now just needs his first goal to give him the belief that he is good enough to be a Premiership player.
He did everything right but for the final contact. But with just one Premier League start under his belt, it’s not surprising that he’s struggling a little.
A player like Alves will relish the chance to play against our nation's biggest and best team. I reckon he’d be worth a pop from the start but I don’t think big Gareth will opt for a changed line-up.
Alves, though, will not be the main focal point of this game as Cristiano Ronaldo will take that pressure off.
The best player in the world? Probably.
He’s been a thorn in our side for a couple of years. This culminated in James Morrison’s finest ever moment in a Boro shirt - a flying kick across his thigh in the FA Cup replay last season.
Magic.
Ronaldo will try to embarrass us in the same way he did Aston Villa last week but Boro must not rise to his taunts and play him the correct way. Get close, get tight and get in firm but fair.
It’ll be a wonderful chance for Young, Pogatetz, Taylor and Wheater to prove their value to our side and the greatest test of where we have reached as a club.
Let's not forget their other threats however: Giggs, Nani, Anderson, Rooney, Tevez and Saha.
We have a lot to think about in the next few days and come Sunday morning we must be ready.
Cattermole, Boateng, Rochemback, Arca and Shawky give us five options in the middle of the park. We need to choose wisely and go for two lads who will stay focused and stick to their tasks.
Any indiscipline and United will tear through us.
They are an awesome side but they are not infallible. We’ve proven that in the past and we’ll show that again in the future. Anyone remember 4-1 when Mendieta played like a £30million player for once?
You see, strange things can happen!
This could be our day. Let’s throw the title race wide open and win this game, not for Chelsea, not for Arsenal, but for us and all the fans who will be watching the Cardiff v Barnsley game with a tear in the eye.
Our dream is gone but we can make a new dream.
C’mon Boro!
The Outcome: My head correctly predicted a 1-0 defeat last week. My heart is telling me to expect a 1-1 draw but my head can’t see it and says we'll probably slip to a 1-0 defeat.
Last Season: Middlesbrough 1-2 Manchester United, Morrison 66, Saha 19, Fletcher 68 (2/12/06)
Boro Form (most recent result first): LWDDLL
Man United Form: WWWWWL
Probable Teams:
Boro: Schwarzer, Young, Pogatetz, Wheater, Huth, O’Neil, Cattermole, Boateng, Downing, Aliadiere, Tuncay
Man United: Van der Sar, Brown, Evra, Ferdinand, Silvestre, Park, Fletcher, Giggs, Ronaldo, Rooney, Tevez
Man to Watch: Cristiano Ronaldo
RETURN TO DEEP IN MY HEART INDEX HERE
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