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THE AWAY END - THE REEBOK STADIUM - 15-11-07
John Powls
It's been a funny (peculiar rather than ha-ha) couple of weeks on the websites since the last Away End after the Manchester United game.
Despite the 4-1 defeat at Manchester United the balance of views from the editorials, bloggers and posters was relatively upbeat. They chose to take the positives from a game that wasn't the humiliation many feared - a sort of 'some green shoots of recovery, however frail and tender' story.
In contrast, and despite the fact that we ended with a rot-stopping draw, the Spurs game provoked a very different and more downbeat response. The green shoots had died off in the first frosts and the ground that was left exposed looked very barren indeed.
This may be explained by the differing expectations from the two games but the feelings are consistent and palpable.
Virtually all of the exchanges on blogs and message boards this last week - and some players and Southgate have joined in too - have been about whether it was right for the team and, by extension Southgate and MFC, to be booed at half and full time against Spurs.
In some cases the booing extended to individuals during the game who are clearly seen to be more culpable or less motivated than others.
The Gazette website had an online poll on the subject. It concluded that:
The majority of Boro fans agree with Lee Cattermole's post-match tirade that supporters were wrong to boo at the end of Saturday's draw with Spurs. 43% thought Cattermole was right, 32.8% said he was wrong but it was understandable and 24.2% thought that he was "out of order".
That's an interesting positive spin on the results but you could equally argue that less than half thought he was right. This mirrors the debate that has been going on.
Stewie has now admitted - although Southgate denies it - that he has been to see the manager this week about a transfer because of the barracking. It can't be right that Stewie should be a victim when for years now he has had to carry the provider responsibility for the side virtually on his own. Other teams know this and double mark him.
It must be difficult for all the local lads. This is even more reason why we need to sort our current predicament out - and quick.
At the same time another Premiership manager - the now ex-Wigan Chris Hutchings - has bitten the dust for a record not too dissimilar to Southgate's at Boro.
The imminence of the international break, the fact that over a third of the season has already gone and the need to give any replacement regime a chance to turn things around (and possibly assess what deals need to be done in January) means that the trigger finger of a number of chairmen is getting itchy. That is if they haven't fired already.
In various newspaper 'flying a kite' stories Southgate has either been told he's for the chop if he doesn't win against insert team name here, he's been told his job is safe, or he's had the dreaded vote of confidence. The first and last amount to the same thing.
Paul Jewell's name has been put in the frame by some to replace Southgate. That would be as likely to be successful as Bolton choosing Megson - the contract doubling up as one of the longest and least understandable suicide notes in history. Jewell's Premiership track record is no better than Southgate's or Megson's.
If Southgate goes then we must have what Gibbo promised us when the ex-incumbent left for Eng-er-lund. Namely a top drawer manager. This is not a rooky who'll do as he's told or a Championship manager who has flirted unsuccessfully with the Premiership. Two mistakes in a row would be unforgivable.
And Gibbo mustn't hobble us by exercising his fetishes for 'must be English and must be available'. To do so would most likely be a case of out of the frying pan and into the fire.
All this had rather muted the debate about the Bolton game. From what can be gleaned the view is that it was not so much a six pointer, not so much a matter of life and death, but much more important than that.
Yet the fans had no real confidence that they were going to come away from the Reebok with anything.
The previous week Bolton picked up a point at West Ham. They probably did enough to get all three because they dominated the game after the Hammers scored. How did we do there? Oh, yes, I remember that away day...
To everyone's surprise - and probably even their own - the Trotters came away from their UEFA Cup tie with Bayern Munich, the current leaders of the Bundesliga, with a battling 2-2 draw last Thursday. They also played a weakened team to keep a number of players fresh for the game against Boro.
This boded well for the home side going into their game against the Boro.
In preparation for the Bolton game the Boro took the squad on an outward bound course in the Lakes. Why on earth did we do this? Given the ease with which we seem to pick up injuries on the flat at Hurworth, can you imagine what havoc could have been wreaked by hiking, climbing and mountain biking?!
In best 'Dad's Army' style you could ask Southgate, "Is that wise, Captain Mainwaring?"
I wonder when the lads were around the Lakeland campfire of an evening, bonding, if they played a few games.
Well I have one for them. When my kids were young there were a series of books called 'Where's Wally?' The idea was for parents and kids to look at pictures full of amusing crowd scenes together and pick out Wally from the crowd. To help you with this, Wally was a geeky chap in a red and black jumper and stripy bobble hat.
Instead of 'Where's Wally', Southgate could lead the lads in a game of 'Where's Shawky?' No, seriously, where is he? Not in the team, not on the bench and not in the reserves.even Mendi has been seen there!!
Southgate has yet again been talking about scouting players for all parts of the team come January. He also says that he expects the fruits of his new scouting system to take five years to come through.
I can see the point of a long term scouting investment a la Wenger to ensure a constant stream of young talent but we need proven talent now otherwise there's no point in the long term investment - at least not in Premiership quality talent anyway.
On Sunday I steeled myself and bought a copy of the Mail On Sunday because there was supposed to be some featured stuff about Boro - a novelty in itself.
There was a 'conversation' between Sir Bobby Robson and Gibbo which came off like something from a curious new spin off of 'Jurassic Park' with a meeting between a fossilised dinosaur and one that has been re-created from multi-million year old DNA. Only this time the dinosaurs are running the Park.
It seems we lost out on having a 'top drawer' German manager, Hitzfeld, because he committed the cardinal sin of wanting to bring his own coaching team with him and Gibbo didn't want us to become 'Teesside-on-Rhine'. That must make Huth feel right at home.
It is also the mentality that hobbled the early part of Southgate's reign. Some of McClaren's coaching cast-offs are now showing their mettle with Eng-er-lund and have him hobbled whilst at the Boro, the others, when combined with the inexperienced Southgate, meant that little was actually achieved.
The 'conversation' drivelled on in such a jingoistic vein and contained the re-assuring news that whatever happens, presumably including relegation, Southgate is staying. The Count isn't going to be budged from his position as Park Commandant and there's to be no place for the fans (or indeed anyone else) in the direction of Gibbo's MFC. Never has an apostrophe been so appropriate.
There was also a side-bar piece that stated that Southgate had already had a bid accepted (for final conclusion on 1 January) for a French striker called Daniel Cousins for £1.5m (no, me neither). He is currently languishing in Rangers' reserves because he can't score goals in the Scottish Premiership. Well, that'll do the trick then. And presumably Gibbo, having sanctioned the signing of Aliadiere, has no problem with Teesside-sur-Seine!
After the 0-0 draw at Bolton I don't see anything better in 'The Ides of Villa' at home - our usual season nadir. We may have Mido back but it will be his first game and Villa are akin to a more sophisticated Bolton. They did well in their Second City derby at the weekend, however, winning at Birmingham City in an early kick off.
Against Bolton I thought we'd go with what we did against Spurs, with the only question being who would partner Wheater. In the event it turned out that Woody hadn't made it and Pogo could only claim a place on the bench. For some reason Rocky was absent - rope burn? - and The Boat wass back as captain.
And, what a surprise! There - sitting on the bench next to a geeky chap with a black and red stripy jumper and bobble hat - was Shawky! Despite the poverty of what followed, Southgate wasn't moved to bring him on.
The good folk of Bolton aren't bad judges as it was the lowest crowd they have ever had for a Premiership game.
Overall, the important thing was not losing. Thank goodness it wasn't the performance that mattered because both teams could have ended up with minus points. A clean sheet away from home was also a positive. But you can't help wondering if draws and performances like this are enough now.
It was also psychologically important not to go into the bottom three but we continue to flirt with relegation mighty closely and dropped a place after Spurs helped us out by tonking Wigan. They leap-frogged us in the process however.
Against that - and that's pretty slim pickings - if we'd carried any threat up front it was a game we might have won.
The boo-boys may also note that what little quality we did have, yet again, was down to Stewie. Catts seems to have won the honours in the engine room and Riggs seemed to have recovered some of his defensive nous.
In this game we did look physically robust, organised and determined even if, according to more than one account that zero star rated the game, we were hopeless and Bolton little better.
We have also picked up another couple of injuries - to Rocky (AGAIN in training) and to Taylor in the game. Although that gave an opportunity for the return of Pogo we don't want to see him having to cover for Taylor for any longer than an hour of this game.
Taylor has something called plantarfasciitis - which sounds vaguely horticultural. It isn't destined to become as fashionable as 'metatarsal' but it is, apparently, pretty painful.
The international break will hopefully allow us to get those two, and hopefully more, back fit.
The most complementary thing I have heard in any of the live coverage of the game was that it was 'scrappy and uneventful'. The most common comments were that both sides lacked any sort of quality or confidence. Another view was that 'both managers - especially Megson - must be tearing their hair out in frustration'.
Southgate, with proto-mullet still intact, said afterwards that the Lakes' experience was helpful. Assumedly he meant that rock climbing and abseiling down a waterfall was a good approximation to a cold, wet afternoon in Bolton! No job at their local tourist board, then.
The rest of the detail of the game is best drawn a veil over! Absolutely dire.
On MOTD later there were about ninety seconds of 'highlights' and the pundits declined to even comment about the game when asked.
What will the reaction from Boro fans be this coming fortnight? I think the point and the clean sheet - and Gibbo having now painted himself into a corner by saying Southgate is staying whatever - will just about keep the baying for managerial blood in check. Everyone is so desperate for even small positives to latch on to.
There will be much interest in the progress of the injured players so Southgate has some real selection choices to make and the bench isn't just the last fit outfielders.
But I still can't see anything but another rock bottom crowd against Villa and we'll need a good start and performance to avoid our third home defeat in a row against them.
The Away End will return after the Reading game on 1 December when my mate Ian, my son Phil and I will darken the doors of the Mad Stad (as the locals are wont to call it).
'Yerjokin'aren'ya' Quotes of the Week
"Gareth Southgate wants his team to climb out of trouble and to the brink of the Premier League top ten by Christmas."
"Fabio Rochemback is hoping to emulate Juninho and win a Brazil call-up."
Both from the Evening Gazette. To quote Dad's Army again - "I think you're in the realms of fantasy there."
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John Powls is a published poet with five books of his work in print. He is a regular performer of his work at major literary festivals and exhibitions in the UK and America, often working with musicians, painters with photographer Carol Ballenger.
Check out Red Shoes 250 for more of John Powls, right here.
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