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MIDDLESBROUGH v ASTON VILLA - SOUTHGATE DEMANDS TIME TO SETTLE
Middlesbrough boss Gareth Southgate has urged people to give his new-look strike-force a chance to prove themselves.
The Teessiders head into Saturday's Premier League clash with Aston Villa having scored just five goals in their last nine games.
Only two of those - Jeremie Aliadiere's strike in the 4-1 defeat at Manchester United and youngster Ben Hutchinson's consolation strike at Manchester City - have come from Southgate's frontmen with the club's forward line under intense scrutiny.
The reason for that is perhaps understandable - Boro lost both Mark Viduka and Ayegbeni Yakubu, who supplied 35 goals between them last season, during the summer.
Southgate invested heavily to bring Mido, Aliadiere and Tuncay Sanli to the Riverside Stadium to plug the gap, but has at times had to rely upon Hutchinson and fellow Academy graduate Tom Craddock as injuries have taken their toll.
But with the three senior men having managed only three goals between them to date, questions have been asked about the firepower at the manager's disposal.
He, however, believes the goals will come, but insists that task is not simply down to the frontmen.
Southgate said: "We have to get goals from all departments and we would not be alone in the league in terms of not having somebody on five or six goals.
"It is very early in the season to be judging that. The obvious thing people will point to is the players we have lost, but they have gone, there is nothing we can do about that.
"We can get the best out of the players we have got and we believe we have got players who can have an effect in this league and an impact.
"Three of those forwards have just joined the club so you have got to give them time to settle - and we have been without them for a fair number of the games as well."
Egypt international Mido could return from a groin injury which has sidelined him for the last three games, while Southgate will also hope to have midfielder Fabio Rochemback from a hamstring problem and Julio Arca has an outside chance of making the squad after recovering from knee ligament damage.
England defender Jonathan Woodgate has returned to light training after his hamstring injury, while full-back Andrew Taylor is rated at 50-50 with his foot problem.
However, one man who will be available is central defender Emanuel Pogatetz, who was used as a substitute in the 0-0 draw at Bolton last time out on his return from a double bout of knee surgery.
Boro head into the game having ended a run of five successive defeats by taking a point apiece against Tottenham and Wanderers.
However, they have not won a league game in eight attempts, and lost 4-0 and 3-1 respectively to Villa on their own park in the last two seasons.
By Bettingzone.co.uk
Used with permission.
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