STEW'S PREVIEWS
SEASON PREVIEW
Stewart Flaherty; 3 Aug 2009
So here we go again! As much as we all sort of enjoy the summer transfers and pre-season building (after all, everyone has reason for optimism in July), it is fair to say that it is on the opening day of the season that the fire is truly ignited.
This season will be important. We were relegated under Bryan Robson - we all remember the tears of Juninho at Leeds.
However painful it was, time moved swiftly on. We were quickly promoted again and we were a Premier League fixture for a long time.
Column Continues Below...
Are we to see a repeat of that? Or are the doom mongerers correct in believing this is the beginning of a dark era for MFC? All questions will be answered on the field.
There is a lot of talk and speculation surrounding our club at the moment. However, in this season preview and in my match previews throughout the season, the majority of my focus will remain on events that occur on the field. This is the ultimate barometer of success in football, and ultimately our performance there will see us either drop further or promoted once more.
So without further delay, my season preview.
OUTLOOK
Boro will face a tough challenge in a league that is full of quality.
When I say quality, I mean players who have performed in this league and in the Premier League hundreds of times. They are not going to be threatening the superpowers of Europe but this is not the lens we should look through. We need to win promotion and it will certainly not be easy.
Boro, like many others, have reason to believe we should be promoted. A logical argument would be that we will field a number of internationals as well as many players with significant Premier League experience.
Adam Johnson and David Wheater have excelled in this league previously, and every time we played a Championship team last year in cups (including Wolves, who ended up Champions) we looked the better team.
However, the following teams will also believe they could be promoted for valid reasons:
Newcastle United - They have the same outlook as Boro, with many Premier League players in their ranks. And how could Martins not score a lot of goals at this level? Players like Steven Taylor should also end up in the post season team of the year. If the squad is ripped apart for financial reasons (which would not be a shame!) that could change, but as of now, they are a threat.
West Brom - They played good football in the Premier League and appear to be keeping the vast majority of their squad together.
Sheffield United - They had one of the best defences in the league last year and narrowly missed out in the play-offs.
Ipswich - Say what you like about Roy Keane but he showed with Sunderland that he is capable of putting a squad together to win promotion.
Reading - A previous Premier League team who will be a tough nut to crack, especially if they keep Stephen Hunt and Liam Rosenior, who are two excellent players.
QPR - Money!
My personal outlook is that the Boro will compete with this bunch in the hunt for promotion.
I shall not be getting too high after wins or ranting and thinking it's the end of the world when we lose.
I do hope and believe that when it all shakes out, we will be in this bunch and have a good chance of reaching the Premier League once more.
If pushed for a final prediction, I believe we will be promoted through winning the play-offs.
SQUAD
Goalkeepers
The jury is still out on a keeper who is yet to become the unquestioned number one and have the confidence of the fans. and that is just Brad Jones!
Danny Coyne will be given his chance, and the age and experience he has always makes me feel better about a goalkeeper. His pre-season performances and communication are being given positive reviews also.
I do not see this position as being a massive problem, but I feel that many teams in this league will have better keepers than us (Kenny at Sheffield United, Carson at West Brom, Enckelman at Cardiff, Bywater AND Carroll at Derby, Wright at Ipswich, Harper at Newcastle).
Verdict: Will win games but there is certainly room for improvement, especially if we gain promotion. Our keepers in no way distinguish themselves as being superior to those in the rest of the division.
Defenders
This is an area where, unlike last year, I believe we will be very strong.
Among the best strikers in this league are the likes of Rob Hulse and Ross McCormack (this is not just my opinion, look at the goals scored).
I am fairly confident about lining up against these players with Robert Huth and David Wheater.
I feel that Justin Hoyte will string the defensive together and add to the attack, whilst Andrew Taylor again should be very good.
Players like Riggott, Williams and McMahon will also give us depth here and I see us keeping many clean sheets.
A goals against column of 35-40 in 46 games should be achievable. This was good enough to get Birmingham promoted and Wolves won the league yet still conceded 52!
Verdict: A very strong area. I feel few teams in the league are as solid as us in this department and we will not find clean sheets hard to come by. However, we will have to have a different conversation should we achieve promotion.
Midfielders
A wait and see department, and an area I feel that really let us down last year.
There is ability in possession without doubt but how solid and structured are they? When we lose possession, will we be strong or will the back line be exposed? Can Arca get end to end? Will the attacking excellence of Johnson be complemented with solid shape on the left and our full back not being outnumbered? Will Yeates make an impact?
I simply have no prediction and this area will make or break us. I am looking forward to seeing it pan out.
The teams with experienced centre midfielders who made solid decisions without being glamorous quite frankly tore us apart too many times last season.
Bates and Digard are apparently injured already. This leaves maybe a line of Arca and Walker in the centre.
If so, I believe Arca has the experience and guile to rack up goals and assists. However, his age and mediocre defensive ability means I would like to see Walker put in more of a holding role. This would prevent us being countered and aid us to keep possession. It may be boring, but it would be very effective and necessary.
Adam Johnson in possession should quite honestly terrorise this league and supply a boat load of goals. Yeates on the right is yet to be seen.
Verdict: In all likelihood, we have a top six midfield but we MUST show the steel and organisation that would make us a team that is difficult to break down. We WILL also create goals.
Forwards
For the purposes of this preview, I am resigned to us losing Tuncay, Alves and Mido.
Mido left us in spirit when he went to Wigan, Tuncay was one of my personal favorites and will get his move, and even if Alves stays, I foresee a disinterested player lacking desire (see the end of Yakubu's playing days with us).
This would leave us with a potential front line of Aliadiere and Emnes.
Whilst the obvious flaw is physical presence and aerial power, this is a dangerous pair without a doubt. They have pace in abundance and with Johnson out left, Boro could become a lightning strike team with the constant threat of being hit on the break playing on opposition minds.
Many back lines in this league will struggle with us and while no player would get 20 goals, the three mentioned could easily reach double figures.
The midfield could chip in and Wheater is a pretty consistent threat at set-pieces. Without having one dominant forward, I see us scoring enough to be in the race.
Verdict: Pace to burn and goals are there.
The emphasis will be on the midfield to set the tone. If we can win the possession battle and get the ball down on the ground, we can get behind and stretch teams. If we are reduced to long, direct balls, it will not suit our personnel and we will struggle.
FANS
We have a part to play too. Many players in this league have seen Middlesbrough for a long time as a Premier League side and at times a real force in the cups. Not many will roll up to the Riverside with a massive belief that they can turn us over.
The only hope they could get is from half empty stadiums or a clearly jaded crowd after the pain of last season.
If we show up in decent numbers (24,000+) and create some real noise, the Riverside can become a really frightening proposition to these teams who will simply not hear that noise or atmosphere every week.
No longer are we the loveable underdog, we are the big guns in this department this season.
Stephanie Logan, August 6, 2009 at 3:04 am Middlesbrough has a long and illustrious Premier League history. The past few years, they have been notorious Giant Killers, upsetting the best teams in the League. Stew is justified in his condfidence that Middlesbrough will soon be back in the Premier League. Liverpool is going to win the championship this season, though.
