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THE AWAY END - THE ALGARVE TOURNAMENT 1-8-08
John Powls
The Build Up To The Games
My son, Phil, and I have just had the good fortune and great pleasure of attending our first ‘The Away End’ of the new season at The Algarve Tournament.
We followed Boro’s preparation for the new season in a four sided tournament which also involved Celtic, our FA Cup nemesis of last season Cardiff and the Portuguese side Guimares, who finished third in the Portuguese Premier League last term.
When we sorted our hotel for the trip, we got a good deal through a well known travel website and only subsequently discovered we’d stumbled on the hotel the team were staying at.
And what a start to the trip! Just as Phil and I drove up to our hotel on our transfer from the airport, the team coach drew up bringing the lads back from the morning training session.
Phil and I formed an impromptu welcoming party and applauded them off the bus. I don't know who were more surprised – them or us - but I know who were most delighted!
The delights continued in the foyer. Gate stood and talked to Phil and I for ages. In fact, if we hadn't felt the need not to impose on him, we'd probably be chatting still!
In my book, he is a real gent and one of the nicest, most open and friendly chaps it has been my pleasure to meet.
Mind you, we didn't get round to talking goalies!
We chatted about Mido's absence due to visa bureaucracy by the Portuguese authorities; about Southgate going to play ‘two teams’ in these games - like he did in the friendly at York - one in each half; and about Stewie not playing in these games as he has a minor thigh tweak and is being protected. Gate said he was ‘flying’ anyway and needed reining in rather than driving on.
He said they are all gagging for 16 August and that it couldn't come soon enough.
The purpose of the games in The Algarve Tournament was primarily to get some game time into the players to compliment the hard training they were doing in between. Results were secondary.
Gate said he expected them to take to the field tired at this stage of preparation – otherwise the coaches weren’t doing their jobs!
He said they intended to start playing the emerging first choice team and subs for the Spurs game for longer in the next set of friendlies, gradually settling on the team and set-up to start the season.
He told us that he’d had a big meeting with the players and coaches as they’d got back together and set out his vision and tactics for the coming season, which he’d set out in a mission statement. He felt that this had gone down well and that everyone was on board.
Certainly the mood among the players was good humoured, with Tuncay, who has just rejoined after his Euro 2008 exploits, being the centre of the laughter.
We travelled up in the lift with Stewie, who had been training on his own with a physio. He was a bit down at not being able to be with the team but said it wasn't a bad injury.
Ironically, new fitness guru Frank Nuttall, was also crocked in a training session! The curse of Hurworth without even being there! He had got off the team bus hobbling and appeared around the hotel later with an enormous bandage on his leg and couldn't put weight on it.
Tuncay appeared to be giving him some good natured stick and Phil and I said it reminded us of every PE Teacher we had ever known - permanently and extravagantly bandaged whilst berating their charges about their fitness.
Later that day, before Phil and I set out for the venue, we had the opportunity to chat to Coops for a while. He gave us many of the same messages that Gate had earlier and was also one of the nicest guys you could wish to meet.
The Games
The threatened hordes from the wrong side of Offa's Dyke and Hadrian's Wall failed to materialise and Boro were as well supported in numbers (which was not very well – I’d say a couple of thousand for each) as either Cardiff or Celtic. However, I'd have to say that they had the best of it in making a noise.
Strangely for the ‘home’ side, Guimares appeared to have little or no support with them.
In fact, all sets of fans were almost out-numbered by the hordes of GRN (Portuguese National Guard) around the ground and the regiment of para-military private security firm ‘stewards’ inside.
These were all combat fatigues and ammo boots, mirrored shades, muscle on muscle and silently, gum-chewingly menacing.
They looked equipped for a small war that was never even hinted at by the good natured support that is usual at a pre-season friendly tournament. It was also unlike the usual ‘who ate all the pies in a high visibility tabard’ version from the Premiership Away Ends that we know and love.
We only got the micky taken once by the Cardiff fans for the FA Cup debacle last season!
In a nice touch, Gate, Coops and the lads sat amongst the Boro fans when they arrived at the stadium during the game that preceded Celtic v Boro. This was Cardiff v Guimares and during this game, the Boro players signed autographs and had endless photos taken.
A few of the Mackems' players - who were based just up the coast for games against other Portuguese teams - had come to watch their mates play for Boro. Tony McMahon seemed to be the one they knew best.
The game was a good run out and, I think, achieved what Gate, Coops and Steve Agnew had planned for it. As they had said, they played different teams in the two halves.
The rhythm and passing was generally good, as was the movement and interplay.
Interestingly, the first half team played 4-3-3 with debutant Emnes and Alves up front with one other in the wide berths of the three, changing wings from time to time.
Emnes showed some nice touches and ball control and was admirably direct but we’d have liked to have seen the Brazilian down the middle more. He was leaner and fitter than last season and his pace was excellent.
Boro bossed the game but were a little shot shy. Celtic’s only real threat - as was the case throughout the game - came from the lively McGeady.
The second half side was set out 4-5-1 with Aliadiere up front and we played a pressing game, swamping Celtic's midfield and winning the ball high up the pitch.
This forced the error in defence that got Boro the goal when Aliadiere closed down the Celtic goalie, who was under pressure from a rushed back pass. The ball cannoned off Aliadiere and back into the net to put The Reds one up and cruising.
It was good to see Digard in that second half side. He was, as promised, a holding midfielder who got a foot in, tracked back and loved a tackle. He made some strong surging runs through the midfield and his continuity passing was good. However, we'd like to have seen it more progressive than sideways at times.
It was great - and unexpected - to see Gary O'Neil back and looking fit and firing. He played the more central midfield role that many feel is his best position.
All of the lads did well on the night but, for special mention, we’d say Pogi was awesome and our MotM for his first half domination.
Turnbull had the full game in goal and, aside from his impressive physique, it was difficult to tell much about his form from a game where he had so little to do.
It was a shame about injury time - again! We conceded – again - from a late corner and could have lost a game we dominated as Celtic spurned another chance from slack defending that was easier than the one they scored from. More to be addressed on the training ground.
The morning after the night before we had a brief conversation with Gate and the coaching team as they left the breakfast room and we entered - Phil and I had had trouble getting the beds off our backs! That's what we call pre-season training!
They were satisfied with what they had got out of the previous night’s match - mainly getting some more game time into the players – if not the result and the late concession.
Gate's wry comment was "Celtic never looked like scoring... Until they did!"
Two days later, on the evening of the Guimares game, Phil and I saw the team and coaching staff on to the coach at the hotel and had a chat with Pogi. He was another nice guy who was willing to chat! He said that he would be rested that evening as a result of a knock he’d picked up against Celtic.
We got a photo of him with Phil and another with Emnes. The young Dutchman’s English wasn't as good as Pogi's but he was pleasant too - and a little embarrassed when we told him how well we thought he'd played in his first forty-five in a Boro shirt.
By now we were realising that there must be an ‘official arm-round-the- shoulder pose’ for these photos!
We drove to the stadium and despite the police outriders the team coach had, we got there first and were greeted by a cheery wave from Coops who spotted us as they arrived and we were waiting to get through the turnstiles.
We weren’t sure if it was the heat, the different permutations of players or what but the 'first half team' laboured to produce anything against a Guimares side that also offered very little - except some agricultural tackling that looked completely out of place in a friendly.
This was overlooked by a ref from the Algarve FA who produced - with his linos - the worst display of 'homing' and incompetence I've ever seen in a professional game.
Digard and Arca struggled to get any grip and create anything in the centre of midfield.
The pick going forward was Johnno, who tormented the Guimares right back when he was switched to the left, having started on the right. This provoked more attempts to kick Johnno up in the air, including one lunge where the right back injured himself!
Alves had a couple of decent runs and a free kick curled over which resulted from Johnno's best run of the half.
The defence was solid, with Williams impressing alongside the Redcar Rock. Pogi, as he said earlier, had joined Stewie and Brad Jones in the stand on the 'kept out by a minor niggle' list.
It was only later that Phil and I realised that we had neither seen nor heard – on pitch, in stand or at hotel – of Riggs. It later transpired that a shin injury against York had kept him from travelling.
By this stage Catts, who hadn’t been around because of the rumours surrounding his move, had departed the camp for the meetings with Wigan that eventually lead to his transfer.
Turnbull had only one save to make and fumbled. However, he recovered to smother the shot from the forward following up.
Goalless and almost chanceless in the first half - we hoped the 'second half team' could bag a few!
You know how you get that strange, uncanny feeling that it's deja vu all over again!
After an absolutely forgettable second half in which any remaining sliver of quality had deserted both sides and deep into the four minutes of injury time, Boro conceded a corner.
It couldn’t happen again, could it? But no, they cleared it!
Then the Guimares winger cut inside Tony McMahon who'd spent the whole of the second half showing us that he's getting back to his form before the injuries. Maybe in tiredness, he hung a leg out and gave away a free kick.
A full minute of ‘setting the up wall’ got Huth a booking. It was time not only wasted but wasted with knobs on as the wall failed to stop the kick curling round the despairing Turnbull and into his side of the net.
The whistle blew immediately and we had finished bottom of the Algarve Cup.
The 'second half team' had produced no better than their first half counterparts.
Emnes and Aliadiere showed flashes of their better work but were mostly isolated.
Robert Huth looked as sadly out of touch as he had looked sound against Celtic.
The midfield continued to lack grip and fluency, as it had in the first half, and that was the key to the difference between the Celtic game and this one.
On that night, Boro had had that grip and fluency and so played on the deck and played through midfield. They looked good because of it.
On this occasion, the central midfield - in fact all of midfield bar Johnno (who was our MotM for all the seventy minutes he was on) - went AWOL.
Boro couldn't and didn't play through the midfield. The link between back and front disappeared and so defenders came under more pressure than they needed to – even from a side with as limited ambition as Guimares.
And when the defenders looked forward there was no pass other than the big lump up the pitch that Aliadiere jumped gamely for despite that not being his strength, or the attempt at a booming sixty yard diagonal which forced Emnes and Aliadiere wide in search of the ball.
Inevitably, out there, they were much less effective.
It didn’t help that the resurgent Gary O'Neil was missing too – also protecting a knock from the Celtic game.
After...
Apart from getting some more game time into the players, Phil and I couldn't see what Gate would have gained from the Guimares game or what he'd have learned.
This was except that Boro are a hugely better side when they get it down and play through a fully operating midfield and that they were still repeating some of last season's mistakes.
The zonal marking at corners with the front post unguarded is being persisted with and either needs more work or the realisation that the system has to change because it’s not yet working after two seasons.
Maybe the game time was enough and we remembered what Gate had said about tiredness at the end of the halves and results being secondary at this stage.
We were sure he would be looking for more from the next few friendlies than we got in the Guimares game and maybe there was enough that can be built on from the performances in the Celtic game.
The Boro side that played and the end of the ‘one team each half’ approach at Carlisle seemed to signal that Gate’s pre-season plan that he talked to us about in the hotel was coming to fruition.
A second pre-season goal for Aliadiere, and Digard notching his first in red and white with a twenty-five yard screamer, were very much to be welcomed.
Phil and I are hugely pleased to have had this experience and thrilled to have felt closer to the team and coaches for a few days. They were - to a man – courteous and friendly and showed the sort of behaviour that made you proud to be associated with the club.
As Phil and I were waiting for our flight in Faro airport early the following morning, we were, unfortunately, surrounded by the jubilant Cardiff team who seemed more pleased with their win over Celtic the previous evening than with winning the Tournament.
But we saw two folks who we hadn't seen with the Boro party at the hotel. First was one of the newer additions to our scouting team, Gordon McQueen. The other was a pensive and pacing Keith Lamb, glued to his mobile. More deals in the offing?
If he was still working on Catts out and Harper in, then on the basis of the Algarve and what we know of Harper, we would have asked him and Gate to think again.
Harper's a younger version of The Boat or Mustoe-Lite, if you will. There's nothing wrong with that of course. However, the add-on margin because of Arsenal’s sell-on clauses make his asking price a poor investment of relatively scarce resources.
But, above all, he would give the side very little added variety on what we already have with Digard, O'Neil and Shawky.
In a squad that Gate says will not break the bank and will be limited to around twenty outfield players, we still lack a forward thinking, creative, passing, right sided midfielder who is going to provide Alves, Mido, Aliadiere and Tuncay with the ammo they'll need.
It mustn't be all down to Stewie again and the supply doesn't all have to come from the wings – Phil and I don't think that route particularly suits Alves anyway.
Whilst Arca had his moments in the Celtic game, he was poor (although not alone in that) against Guimares. No supply, not enough pace and no grip or fluency. He is also prone to the sorts of mistakes in the wrong places that littered his games for Boro last term.
We don't see the team getting the central midfield service Boro need from him alone and certainly not consistently enough. But his left footed creativity could be balanced in the squad by a right footed alternative.
So, Boro do need to add one more to the mix but it needs to be an athlete/artist with a right foot rather than another athlete/artisan.
Rumours in recent days have indicated that Harper may not be in the sights any more, in favour of someone like David Dunn.
Phil and I would prefer ‘someone like’ – Benayoun or last season’s target Malbranque spring to mind (although the latter has now moved to Sunderland) - but at least the thinking on type is right.
Taking a New Zealand left back on trial came out of ‘left field’ and can hardly be a priority when compared with an experienced goalie and an athlete/artist for midfield.
We believe that most Boro fans wish Gate well and hope he succeeds this season. Phil and I certainly do and meeting him has only strengthened that view.
But even the Gate diehards say that this is a make or break season for the manager, who will also face the comparisons with Ince at Blackburn. This is despite all the differences there at club and individual level.
Gate knows it too and is doing lots of the right things (including sorting out the training/fitness coaches and the first team coaches as this column, amongst others, has been asking for for ages) to get Boro stable in mid-table and pushing for top half.
He has said that he is done with the compromises he felt he had to make last season, which he now knows were a mistake. He has made it clear to the squad that it’s ‘my way or the highway’. Good.
But all that makes the major and absolutely unnecessary (given the going rate for very available, top flight, experienced custodians this close season) risk that he is planning to take on one of the two inexperienced goalkeepers all the more difficult to understand. But it’s his risk to take, of course.
The Premiership is going to be a tougher League this season than last and many have invested or will invest more than Boro have, or seemingly can, in strengthening their squads. This includes some of the newly promoted sides and those that we can expect to be in the same area of the League as Boro.
That means every Boro squad place has to be filled with someone worth that place.
With the addition of an experienced Premiership quality goalkeeper and the right creative right-sided midfielder before the season starts, Phil and I predict that Boro will finish in the range of eighth to eleventh.
We also think that Alves will be top scorer approaching twenty Premiership goals and that our goal difference will be improved by reduced goals conceded.
If the team is fit and organised, Boro’s disciplinary record will improve.
As the squad stands currently, we predict it to be more in the range of twelfth to sixteenth with Alves’ haul much reduced and our goals conceded to continue to be too high.
If the team aren’t as fit or organised as they could be, then the disciplinary record will continue to cost.
If you add a couple of good cup runs, the absence of another relegation dogfight and the decent football that Gate has said he wants, particularly at The Riverside, our estimation is that most fans would be happy with eighth to eleventh and a firm base set to push on the following season.
No-one that I hear – even the most foam-handed – is being unrealistic. So we have no need to hear the ‘Europe, here we come’ stuff from anywhere in the club – especially when it is nakedly about selling tickets just before a deadline.
It should go without saying that this is predicated on Boro not losing any of those we must hang on to – Stewie, Luke Young, Johnno etc.
In off the field matters, this column has often been a critic of what has caused many to have fallen out with MFC whilst still loving Boro.
It was a feature of last season’s pre-season column and the mid-season review.
But I like a lot of what Neil Bausor is doing as Chief Operating Officer - more power to him.
The return of the swooshing white band on the home shirt followed by the Inter Milan style away strip was a masterstroke. The season ticket price freeze with the offers for kids were as much as could be expected in the current economic climate and the new Boro Pride membership scheme is another good idea.
I find he also responds when approached and is willing to listen – that in itself is a huge step forward.
‘Yerjokin’aren’ya’! Quote of the Week
Supplied, with comment, in our absence in The Algarve by my mate Ian:
“We must learn a lesson about switching off and conceding late goals. We’ve got to work at it.” - Gareth Southgate
Gosh! Obviously when Gate said the new season would start with a clean slate he also meant airbrushing history and removing all the
lessons we had to learn from last season about not playing at the end
of matches, conceding and not defending set pieces, failing to turn good football and possession into goals, only playing half a game... etc, etc.
The Away End will return after the first away game of the new season at Liverpool on Saturday 23rd August 2008.
Like last season, John will deliver a ‘Ten Game Test’ review of the season so far at the end of October.
BACK TO THE AWAY END INDEX
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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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