The Red Lion Roars

Boro 2 West Ham 0

2006-04-17T22:30:00.000+01:00

More first team rest days and starts for Bates, Wheater and substitutes role for Massimo Maccarone. As Bernie Slaven said on Century FM commentary, we had maybe five or six who would start next Sunday, whereas they were almost full strength. Even so, it was obvious very early on who was most likely to win the day. It is getting hard to keep track of what happened in what game as the Easter schedule piles the pressure on the joints and the muscles and you have to wonder how much the players are on auto-pilot too?

Franck Queudrue came back in, still sporting his bandages and looked like the first goalscorer of the afternoon with some delightful interplay with Viduka to burst through their defense, one two and just miss at the far post. The wait wasn't too long though before Jimmy Floyd fired in yet another bullet to put pressure on the Yak for seasons top scorer. At the break we looked totally in control. In the second half when Adam Johnson went down in the box it was all set for an easy afternoon. Jimmy was in charitable mood and allowed Maccarone to step up for the penalty, which he jst managed to squeeze past Hislop's outstretched right hand. Game over and a chance to ease of the pedals as the clock ticked down.

Everybody knows the FA cup semi will be a completely different game, but, to be honest, I can't see what they can do to live with us full strength, unless luck is the biggest factor of the day - and it often is, so I'm not counting any chickens, but if we score early it is ours to lose; they are average at best, and even though very tough when they have their backs up, so are we and I predict a similar scoreline at Villa Park come the Sabbeth. In the league, up to 13th and above Man City with 43 points and a game in hand. 50 points and a top ten finish are still a slight possibility, but now let's turn our heads to Romania...!

My MOTM: Matthew Bates, a classy assist for the first goal and solid at the back covering for the big boys.

Portsmouth 1 Boro 0

2006-04-15T22:00:00.000+01:00

Back to Fratton Park for the Yak and a game that was ten times more essential for them to win than us. Pompey have done miracles in recent weeks to put together a string of wins and draws to drag themselves out of the relegation zone and todays narrow win was enough to build a gap between them and the two midlands sides whose form is nowhere near as good. MaClaren made use of the squad to give starts to Brad Jones, Andrew Taylor and Matthew Bates and to give another youngster a chance later on in the shape of David Wheater. Altogether six players from the win against Charlton were rested, wisely.

There were chances to clinch this one without too much effort in the first half, with Yakubu, understandably looking sharp against his old team. Both keepers were mostly redundant, however, and it took a bit of above average skill from Gary O'Neill, one of their better talents on the day, to win it. Jones, who had had a good game deputising for Mark Schwarzer up to that point, was blameless really and takes no shame from conceding. Going frorward in an effort to get back into it we looked in third gear until very late on when a chance fell to Wheater at the back post, missed by inches to make it a memorable day for him. Full time and Boro remain on 40 points in 14th place.

Next up: the FA cup dress rehearsal at the Riverside, as West Ham come up north to see what we are made of! You can bet the general effort will go up a notch or two as we strive to show them who's boss and strike the fear of God into them. Following two league defeats I feel it is important that we win this one to stay in the habit of success - we need to get the balance right and not risk too many key players. This schedule is intense and next Thursday and Sunday are the important ones...

My MOTM: Impressed by Brad Jones and Andrew Taylor who can share a weakly contested prize.

Boro 4 Charlton 2

2006-04-12T23:00:00.000+01:00

With so many games recently it would be easy to make excuses for defeat in such important games, but Basle gave us the scent of winning, confidence and goalscoring ease. Charlton made a fast start from the blocks and the much talked about Darren Bent could have had two in the first ten minutes, forcing us into comeback mode again. But no, their early ascendence was snuffed out by a long range Rochemback free kick that curled, caught their keeper unsighted and crept in the net. "Operation Riverside" (Charlton fans attempt to turn the away disadvantage into a home game atmosphere) was derailed and then back on again in about a minute, when Bryan Hughes found himself totally undefended in the penalty area straight from the re-start. The makings of a good game, but quite frustrating.

More possession and control led to our second from James Morrison, with a hint of an own goal from replacement defender Fortune. Either way we had the lead again and looked wary of letting it go so easily this time. A classic cup tie developed in the second half with chances for both sides until the pressure was relieved by Jimmy Floyd, a sweet move and a trademark netbuster to make it 3-1. Mirroring the first half, our celebrations were still echoing in our throats when they replied with a lucky goal, deflected off Gareth Southgate from a goalmouth scramble. Unphased, Morrison, Downing and Rochemback did everything right, as they had done most of the game, eventually presenting Mark Viduka with a chance 99% of all players in the world would not have been able to make - twisting one way then the other before placing it inch perfect for a decisive winner. The Aussie is in the form of his life and it was a delight to end the tie in that way.

So, two semi-finals! Bloody hell! And we deserve it. Key players are coming to form at just the right time, and with a congested fixture list of six games in 14 days we are sure going to need that. We are one game away form another season in Europe through the FA cup, with Liverpool and Chelsea not needing their Uefa spot whoever gets to the final from West Ham and us gets the prize! On current form the Hammers must be terrified of us, with only a scrappy league win over us during our bad patch and our possible fatigue to pin their hopes to. As the boss says - we must take advantage of this position. I suspect the upcoming league games will be an opportunity to field some more youngsters as we prepare for the big ones. Exciting times regardless.

My MOTM: Praise to Morrison and Downing out wide, but Mark Viduka is different class just now and wins my vote.

Boro 1 Newcastle 2

2006-04-09T20:30:00.000+01:00

Difficult fixture: to have a local derby at home shortly after the adrenalin rush of reaching a Uefa cup semi-final and shortly before an FA cup quarter-final replay - of course we wanted to win, but surely energy conservation and not picking up injuries had to come into it. Poor old Franck Queudrue then, who having bled for the cause in both of the last two victories, head tightly bandaged, got a third knock to the same spot from a defensive header early on. Nice to see bravery and battling, but that must put him out for a bit now. And for the rest, it certainly looked like we attempted to cruise through at about 80%, making it a pretty even contest, as we are clearly the better team at this point of the season.

Ameobi caused us most concern in the first half for them, looking bright and fast onto the ball, getting in all sorts of positions. A goal came for them from a set-piece (an area of our game that needs real work in the run-in) before the half, and another in the second half from Ameobi's industry and guile. The game seemed dead for a few minutes until Boro pride kicked in and we decided to make a fight of it. Pushing forward more adventurously we piled a few shots onto the stats sheet before good old George popped up with a rare goal. The game opened up in the last quarter and an equaliser would not have been too surprising. However, a little fatigue crept in inevitably and The Toon held on for a mostly bloodless victory.

No big deal to lose this one now our premiership status for next season is assured and we must concentrate on the silverware. It was an opportunity, like the recent Charlton league game, to leapfrog a few teams we deserve to be ahead of, but it was not to be. We may well end up 15th or 16th this season and win two cups! I would certainly settle for that at this (or any) point, but so far we have won nothing and our season is in a strange limbo - success and failure separated by a very thin line.

My MOTM: Fabio Rochemback looked good, confident at last, but Boateng is our unsung talisman and deserves some credit just now.

Boro 4 Basle 1 (4-3 agg)

2006-04-07T15:15:00.000+01:00

The greatest game played at the Riverside! We have heard that a few times this season but, speaking personally, this is it. Deflated but not totally flat following the first leg defeat in Switzerland we certainly had it all to do and set up the team with an eye to doing it. Two goals would bring us level and into extra time, three goals would win it, but an away goal from them would leave us needing four and facing an almost certain exit from our European adventure for this year. It is hard to criticise players who played every minute of the match like it was the last but we were almost too panicky at the start - looking dangerous going forward but rushing a little too much in the search for the killer pass. Ultimately this led to their break and the dreaded away goal, coming from Eduardo, one of their most promising players from the away leg.

Rather than let our heads drop, however, we steeled ourselves to one hell of a battle in the run up to the final whistle and desperation seemed to lift everyone's game - it was do or die, and slowly but surely we began to do. Crucially Viduka used his sheer strength to make our pressure yield gold at last before half time - a platform to build on, even though three second half goals without reply were still required. Second half and it was all Boro as the Swiss began to run scared, sensing the fire in our bellies and banking on the odds-on likelihood of being able to shut us down before the end. Our response was to bring on a third striker in Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink and go for broke. Shortly after and hope sprang eternal as Yakubu's ball put through Vids one on one with the keeper - quick sidestep and a lovely finish brought us within two with almost half an hour left. Practically every ball was ours - we camped out in their half and they remained backs to the wall. On came Massimo Maccarone to make it four strikers on the pitch, and to say I was on the edge of my seat is a monster understatement! Time ticked, nails were bitten as shot after shot was saved, deflected or missed. Just as I was cursing their man of the match, the keeper, up popped Jimmy with the cheekiest of chip / lobs from outside the area leaving him rooted and the Boro fans in ecstasy, screaming "one more" with ten minutes to go. Unbelievable stuff. Then their big centre half (who looked like Frankenstein's monster) was sent off and we were almost favourites to progress! Rochemback, Viduka, Yakubu all missed chances and the nerves were threadbare when fairytale took over and Roch's shot was parried into the bald Italian's path for a narrow angle shot... tipped, going towards goal... IN!!! At which point I ran two full circuits of the bar I was in, kissing strangers and spilling everyone's drinks!

THE most amazing comeback I have ever seen was complete - forget Liverpool in the Champs league final, this was better! I have not felt such a surge of sport related joy in years - truly magnificent!!! One late corner and an all too near miss from the visitors to give one last heart in mouth moment that would have been too cruel for words. We did it, but more importantly we deserved it - we were the best team and proved it in the hardest way. And now a semi-final with Steaua Bucharest. No fear - is our name on this cup or what?! Mustn't get carried away but with football like this how can you not? Glory that I will never forget and a match that goes straight to the top of my list of great Boro games ever. Wonderful!

My MOTM: Every man Jack of them! Talk of lack of commitment buried forever - incredible team effort.

Man City 0 Boro 1

2006-04-03T16:30:00.000+01:00

What a story and what a season it has been for eighteen year old Lee Cattermole! No Boro fan could deny that the tears shed at the end of the 4-0 defeat by Villa and then the howls of badge-kissing joy yesterday are not exactly what every football supporter wants to see from one of its players. The entire football league are jealous of our youngsters at the moment and it is this young man's time to take the spotlight, deservedly so. Stepping in for more experienced players earning several times his wage, because of injury, Cattermole has outplayed them all. Now alongside James Morrison, he is a must pick ahead of his inconsistent seniors.

The first half of this match was pretty dull, both sides struggling to get a decent chance in on the opposing keeper - City just didn't appear to be trying and Boro looked a little weary if much more willing. After the break though it was a different matter as Downing, Rochemback, Yakubu, Cattermole and Boateng all found their passing boots and began stringing together move after move. The inevitable goal came from Downing's pinpoint pass on to the head of Cattermole for a never to be forgotten debut strike. And it looked like only the beginning - a dozen or so clear cut chances for the Yak, Parnaby and notably Morrison went astray in mostly unlucky circumstances, or through the guile of David James in goal, City's best player by a street on the day.

One nil did the job though and as the boss said, let's save the goals for Thursday, we will need them. It was certainly an encouraging display second half and playing that well must give us a chance at least against the Swiss champions in the game of the season so far. Praise should go to captain Chris Riggott and stand in keeper Brad Jones for the clean sheet (his best performance all year in my opinion) - perhaps it was their performances that won this for us rather than the attackers? Still in 14th place, but level on points with Pearce's warhorses now, and still closing in on that top ten place that will allow us to be as proud as we deserve to be.

My MOTM: Who could take the occasion away from Lee Cattermole? Effort, enthusiasm, toughness, determination and now finishing - good on you, lad!!!

Basle 2 Boro 0

2006-03-30T23:00:00.000+01:00

What happens to Boro when we decide we are very confident and surely the best team? We lose, that's what. It happens all the time! I can understand the excitement that we were only four games away from a Uefa cup final, but we have to win first. Basle are there in the last eight on merit, and whilst saying we underestimated them may be a bit harsh, I have to say that tactically we were a little off. OK so we didn't do too much wrong and were victims to an unlucky spell when the conditions acted against us. But no excuses.

Delgado and Degan terrorised us all night, and in the first half especially always looked like getting something from their forward moves, as they appeared to relish the slippery pitch that Boro players were falling all over on. Their control and movement seemed generally better, although the home advantage was very evident. We had our chances, mostly squandered, but there was just a sense of it not being our night when just as thoughts of getting in at half time crept in we found ourselves victim to a one, two nightmare. Their first was more than fortunate, as captain for the night Chris Riggott ducked out of the way of a long range effort that dipped, curled, slid off the surface and caught Mark Schwarzer with his boots stuck in the mud and unable to leap in time. Before we had barely a chance to say "I don't believe that" it was two, as Degan zoomed down the right, taking advantage of Franck Quedrue's lethargy before sending the big Aussie the wrong way.

Leaving us torn between the absolute necessity of not conceding a third and the importance of an away goal in the second half. Riggot and then Ehiougu hit the woodwork, Jimmy came close, and Mad Dog cracked his skull open for the cause, but it was a Swiss night and we come back to Teesside with the proverbial mountain to climb. It is more a Ben Nevis than an Everest, it has to be said - we will be favourites to win on the night at the Riverside, there are certainly goals to be had against them, but whether we can score two or more without reply is another thing. Surely the only thing to do is fly at them gung-ho from the kickoff and hope for a hatful. It could be the end of a sweet adventure, but not quite yet...

My MOTM: Riggott - unlucky not to score, critical stop on the line to prevent them getting a third and obviously upset in interview afterwards (which is the attitude we need).

Boro 4 Bolton 3

2006-03-26T19:30:00.000+01:00

We've played a lot of games recently, but not too many home league games, so it was nice to play host to Bolton - a team we have a good record against in recent times. They had European aspirations, but we had a good run of form to boast - it was 50/50 who would come out on top. With the worst possible of starts, conceding in the first 3 minutes, it looked very quickly like their day. But with in form strikers like Jimmy Floyd and Mark Viduka no team is safe! A penalty from the Dutchman that wriggled under the body of their keeper brought a sigh of relief to the lips of player and fans alike. It was soon added to by another from the Mark Viduka classics collection to give us a deserved half time lead.

Jimmy made it three one with a typical opportunist's goal early in the second half and from then on we went down a gear and into cruise mode. Bad idea. Bolton came back with trademark grit and determination, exploiting the less than committed defending that began to creep into our game as we clockwatched, hoping for the game to end with us still in front. We got a big wake-up call at 3-3 and Bolton can consider themselves unlucky not to have taken at least a point from the game. But it was academy graduate Stuart Parnaby that sealed it for the Boro with only seconds to go - a perfect cross from substitute Yakubu tapped in by him before George Boateng, following up behind, had a chance for the glory.

To score four goals against a good team is wonderful, but to concede 3 again, with at least 2 of them completely unnecessary, is a typical reflection of our season. We continue to remain vulnerable at the back, opposing teams know that, and pretty soon we will surely be in for another Arsenal style kicking if we don't shore it up. Regardless of that though we have reached the dizzy heights of 14th again, leapfrogging Villa and Fulham - two teams we are most definitely better than and deserve to stay above from here on in. Newcastle and Man City are next in the firing line - the latter of which we face next weekend. We need to beat them 6-0 to go ahead of them on goal difference (not going to happen), but we have a game in hand on those two teams and should be above them soon enough with a good result on Sunday.

My MOTM: Mark Viduka - at the top of his game, bringing out the tricks and holding up play to great effect.

Charlton 0 Boro 0

2006-03-23T22:15:00.000Z

Bad luck as much as bad play has given Charlton two wins over us this season, and with a semi final at stake you could be sure they would be hungry for a third. But Boro are beginning to believe (at last) that they can beat anyone on their day and came to the Valley with a lot of bravado. Charlton themselves had only had one win in seven before this (against the Boro) so weren't exactly settling the world alight in their traditional end of season slump - leaving the door wide open for us to go through.

In reality it was a very even affair, with both teams scrambling in midfield for moderately skilful scraps. If anything, Charlton showed more spirit, especially in the first half, but chances for both teams were rare. Yakubu had a very early open header go way off target, and Schwarzer turned away a limp close range effort to leave things at stalemate. The second half was much the same and I heard myself screaming for two substitutions: Morisson for Medieta and in form Viduka for Hasselbaink. My first wish was granted not before time, as the Spaniard made one wayward pass too many. But Viduka came on for Yakubu (probably being wrapped in cotton wool for the Uefa cup), leaving the two most experienced strikers to try and steal something late on. Viduka's influence was immediate, his expert hold-up play leading to some of our best chances, including a few for himself. But it was Morisson who had the most glaring chances go astray in the last fifteen minutes - on the night it was just destined to go to extra time.

With 3 of the four ties being decided in 90 minutes it was inevitable that the team that needed a reply least got one. The tie will be held up until 12th April due to the congested fixture list and offers a terrific incentive to the eventual winner in a relatively soft match-up with West Ham, as Chelsea and Liverpool contest the main event - at least in the media's eyes! Myself, I couldn't be happier to be away from the limelight. With a home tie for a place in the semis and a fifty fifty game on neutral territory to come I will be disappointed not to reach the final. And if we do, even a defeat would mean a Uefa cup spot for next season! There is a lot at stake!

My MOTM: Ugo Egiogu - bloodied for the cause and one of the best defensive performances in months from him, beating Schwarzer to the prize by a bump on the head.

Blackburn 3 Boro 2

2006-03-18T21:00:00.000Z

It could have been so much better in the league this season. A point never better demonstrated than in our last two away games at Charlton and today at Blackburn Rovers - two games that we should have won, but in the end didn't even get a draw out of. Not 6 points, not 2 points for trying, nil points - and that's our season!

Blackburn have gone on a great run since beating us twice at the turn of the year and must have felt good about facing us again, despite our terrific cup runs. Craig Bellemy was touted pre-match as their biggest threat and so it proved, with 2 top notch goals sandwiched either side of a soft free kick from Pederson. Defensively, then, we have gone back to the bad old days of conceding too many in unnecessary circumstances. When you add to it all that their winner came when down to ten men, you just want the season to end now so we can regroup, sign some new names to strengthen the backline and start again from scratch. Going forward has not really been a problem, however, and today was no different with it being Viduka's turn to shine: three awesome goals in three consecutive games for the Aussie, who is hitting form at a key time for us. Rochemback also doubled his total with a fine effort to draw the game level with more than twenty minutes to go, but it was not to be.

It is worrying not to be able to tie up a game against ten men, and a timely reminder that with this squad any kind of complacency can lead to suicide. The top ten now seems a very long way off. But at least the relegation zone is as equally unlikely with a good ten point cushion and the bottom four all looking dreadful at the moment. To the cups our focus goes then, and first up is a quick rematch at the Valley against Charlton. There are some big teams left in the hat, but I don't count Charlton as one of them, to be honest - they are very beatable and with the right team selection and attitude I fancy us to win and win well to make it to the semis. Big game. Very exciting to be in the shake-up at the business end.

My MOTM: James Morrison, back with avengeance, picking up where he left off by being involved in everything we did right.

Roma 2 Boro 1 (2-2 agg - Boro win on away goals)

2006-03-16T23:15:00.000Z

The most glorious night for Boro since the Carling cup final in Cardiff was a night that will live very long in the memory. There was more than a little hope, going into Rome with a slender advantage, knowing that their top strikers were all out injured and that an away goal would leave them needing three. We were also well aware that overly defensive tactics would not work. From the kick-off it was a high octane game, with some very nervy end to end stuff, as the Italians looked to quickly put the game in their hands. Southgate, Riggott, Schwarzer and most of the midfield did a terrific job containing them for the first half hour, however, and when Jimmy popped up on the counter with a glancing header there can't have been a Boro fan not screaming in delight and thinking that it was all but over.

The bad news was that their main danger man, Mancini, was having a real going night and came up with a skillful equaliser just before the half. Even so, two more for them looked unlikely on the balance of play, especially when the lads held firm during some big opening gambits in the early minutes of the second half. Everything changed on 64 minutes, though, as a contentious penalty went the way of the favourites, a chance not wasted by Mancini to bring Roma within one of going through with a full 25 minutes to play. By now I was pretty drunk so the nerves weren't as bad as you might imagine - it just felt like our night, and as our big Aussie keeper began to repel every effort with skill and confidence I knew it was in the bag. Still, there was no little relief at the final whistle, and a huge amount of pride. Anyone can say what they like about Boro this season now - we are the team that knocked out Roma to reach the quarter finals of the Uefa cup.

So, our furthest foray into Europe and an unbelievable chance to go on to the final with the good news from the draw being a favourable tie against Basel of Switzerland, with the winner going on to face one of the Bucharest sides in the semi - and we have to be favourites for all those games! Hats off to the team on the night and the entire squad for putting us in this position - there have been some world class performances out there on the way and we deserve it 100%. Come On Boro.

My MOTM: Vital goal from Jimmy, but Schwarzer gets the vote for courage under fire to see us through safely.

Charlton 2 Boro 1

2006-03-12T21:30:00.000Z

An opportunity wasted! With on e eye on the all important return leg in Rome on Wednesday, Steve McClaren made 9 changes to the team that beat them 1-0 at the Riverside. Giving starts to Mark Viduka, Massimo Maccarone, Ray Parlour and the long missed Tony McMahon amongst others. It still didn't look a bad side on paper, an encouraging note that the squad is almost back at full strength. Boro more or less dominated the first half, with an impressive shot count and an offensive line that did everything but put the ball in the net. Shots from Parlour, Johnson and Viduka all came close but no cigar.

The same could be said of the second half, with Charlton looking fairly limp going forward. However, they got the first goal against the run of play via the ever dangerous Darren Bent. A sense of injustice was assuaged a few minutes later when another cracker from Viduka leveled things up. Ten minutes to go and an away draw looked like a reasonable if not wholly satisfactory result. But up popped Bent again to steal a cruel winner for the London side, rubbing in a day of part injustice part tactical misjudgment - the game and all three points were ours for the taking but the killer instinct was missing somewhat. Even a late show for Yakubu couldn't bring any joy, with Adam Johnson (our man of the match) coming closest late on by forcing another first class save from Thomas Mhyre (their man of the match).

So our game in hand on the teams immediately above us comes to nought. We will have to wait a bit longer to leapfrog Villa, Charlton and then Newcastle, but you still feel than in the run in we will be the strongest of those four. It is wise, to a degree, to have given so much thought to Roma in midweek, as the Uefa Cup represents an excellent chance of getting straight back in the competition for the third year running - by winning the thing! With rested players and the Italian side losing their last game in serie A we must stand a great chance of going one step closer to that goal.

My MOTM: Adam Johnson, proving that even if fit Stewart Downing is not a shoe-in for a first team place.

Boro 1 Roma 0

2006-03-09T22:47:00.000Z

It is highly debatable whether this was Boro's biggest game ever, or even of the Riverside era, but it was one of the most glamourous and most talked about. On a typical Teesside evening, with rain pouring down and a chill wind to worry the Italians, conditions could not have been more favourable for the home team. The pitch was almost a bog in midfield, but little attempt had been made to drain it, with the Roma boss moaning on about it not being right for a skilful game of football, but would turn the 90 minutes into a more physical battle.

And so it was. Roma showing intermittently some lovely skill on and off the ball, but with Boro controlling the majority of the play from the back to the midfield. Everyone was up for this (and why not!) and it was a much more positive attitude than has sometimes been seen this season. Jimmy Floyd and the Yak shared honours up front, and it was through Jimmy's canny run and tumble that Yakubu got the chance to slot home a cool penalty past their young reserve keeper for the only goal of the night. Proving once again that on the big occasions we are a match for anyone.

I would be worried about the return leg, however, which is certain to be a completely different affair as they try to revert to a more flowing continental style and control the home advantage just as we did. A shame then that Mendieta couldn't widen the advantage from a through ball by sub Mark Viduka - a one on one with the keeper which he took way to long to hit. It is not impossible, though, that we could do to them what Benfica did to Liverpool earlier in the week: score an away goal early and leave them needing 3 to take the tie. A clean sheet tonight was a big bonus, and even though they may still be slight favourites back at the Olympic stadium, the nerves must surely be all theirs for the opening minutes and we need to capitalise on that.

last 8 of Uefa? Just maybe...

My MOTM: Lee Catermole - coming of age in leaps and bounds, with superb composure, grit and a nice touch tonight.

Boro 1 Birmingham 0

2006-03-06T12:40:00.000Z

Not the most inspiring games of all time, that is true, but it is the kind of home win that you grind out when not at your best - a feat we couldn't buy for love nor money a few months ago. What was good was Mark Viduka's winner: the Aussie has had to sit on the bench through Jimmy Floyd's purple patch and, fair play to him, he proved his point in the best possible way and looked rightly chuffed with himself. The skill demonstrated to coolly turn the defense inside out, sell the keeper one and then slot in from a tight angle is not to be sniffed at - it is right up there with the best Boro goals of the season make no doubt about it.

There was much made of this being another big six pointer and Birmingham were expected to have the bit between their teeth from the start. Their desire was clear for all to see, but their finishing in the final third was poor, reflecting their league position. Boro did ride their luck at the back at times and would have conceded a fair few against a more confident team, but Schwarzer was once again on song and the boys in front of him did just enough to keep the blues at bay. Mendieta, Boateng, Doriva and Cattermole all did their bit in midfield to keep it competitive, and at the end of the day it is 3 more points, six wins from seven in all competitions and almost certain safety in the premiership.

34 points and 15th position, leapfrogging Fulham. As Gareth Southgate said in the post match interview, it is time to look up the table now - only 6 points to the top 10 (surely our next target) and a game in hand on most of the teams above us. The problem now could be fixture congestion, although we have been pretty used to that this season. Seven games in 23 days is a lot and it is not an impossibility we will come back to earth with a crash against Roma, making an away day at the Valley next Sunday seem a daunting task. As it stands though we are in great heart and long may it continue. Come on Boro!

My MOTM: Mark Viduka for a great mini comeback and a terrific goal.

West Brom 0 Boro 2

2006-02-26T19:00:00.000Z

A lot of our recent cup success has been played down this week, with the boss and the captain both saying that the West Brom game was the most important of the season so far. A big number of the fans will have appreciated that sentiment - Uefa is good for the club, we have matched last year's result and have a glory tie to look forward to, and the FA Cup would be amazing, but we have an awful lot to do to even reach the semis, and to concentrate on clawing our way out of the bottom five is sensible, realistic and essential.

Good news then that tactically we were spot on on Sunday, hitting them with the double whammy of in form strikers, Yakubu and Hasselbaink and holding firm in defense for every one of the 90 minutes. It could have gone either way in the first exchanges of the game, and even after Jimmy had fired us in front they looked dangerous coming forward with their final ball their only downfall. The answer to my midweek question of Pogatetz, Queudrue or both turned out well. And with Southgate and Riggott once again getting those crucial tackles in, and Mark Schwarzer somewhere near to his best again, we looked as solid as we have done all year. A little luck from a deflection for our 2nd cliched it with time to spare, raising a big smile from our rejuvenated Dutch striker, a very nice thing to see! By the time Quashie was sent off for a cynical boot in Boateng's back the game was beyond their reach anyway - a deserved 3 points for us and the icing on a very tasty cake in the month of February.

So, 31 points and a good 8 off the drop zone. A win against Birmingham next weekend would surely mean safety all but guaranteed, leaving us to concentrate on a mere 10 point gap to Arsenal in seventh, with a game in hand to boot! Seriously, with a dozen games still to come a continuation of current form could see us back in the mix. Granted there are nine teams between us and that kind of target, but 50 points is easily do-able if we keep the sheets clean and the goals screaming in - a total that has been good enough for a top ten finish in each of the last five seasons. Add five more to that and we are where we were last year! But I know, I know, one game at a time, eh? It's just nice to have confidence and positive targets again.

My MOTM: Mark Schwarzer played a big part today, with safe hands throughout - I'm going to show I've all but forgiven his transfer list nonsense and give him the vote ahead of Jimmy this time.

New Poll For Fans

2006-02-25T12:34:00.000Z

The results of the early season poll to find Boro's "Player of the Season so far" is now over, with Yakubu emerging as the winner with 28% of the votes, George Boateng coming in second with 19% and James Morrison a promising third with 16%!

As the season enters its last third it is time to start gathering votes for the overall "Man of the Season" - You can vote once a day, if you like, and the poll will be open right until the end of May, when I will reveal the winner.

Why Man of the Season? Well, I've included Steve McClaren at the bottom in case any defenders of the tactically questionable boss want to suport him to the bitter end - you never know!

Boro 0 Stuttgart 1 (2-2 ag - Boro win on away goals)

2006-02-23T23:30:00.000Z

Well, we didn't manage to do it in style but we did manage to do it! Thank God for away goals - next up Roma: a European tie of real quality... just what the fans wanted! But for a nervy 75 minutes it looked far from certain that we would go through at all. My last comment after the away victory was that as long as we didn't play negative and sit off them then it would be fairly straightforward. So what did we do? we sat off them and played as negative as we could! I knew there was danger from the team selection, again opting for a lone striker in the mould of Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink - it worked once, why not again? But this time they knew they needed at least two goals and came out all guns blazing, under poor conditions at the Riverside, as rain lashed down throughout, making the pitch very slippery and pretty cut up.

On 13 minutes some of the trademark shoddy defending I thought we had begun to put behind us came back to haunt the Boro and let them in for a much needed opener. McClaren was furious and so were the fans. Fortunately for us they seemed to ease down a gear after that, choosing oddly not to press their obvious advantage on the night. We rode the storm (in more ways than one) till half time, however, and came out looking much more aggressive and determined to close down. Jimmy had one good chance to equalise and make it tough for them, but it was not to be, leading to the Yak coming on for the final ten minutes as we steeled ourselves for their final assault. But the steam had all but gone from their attacks, Mark Schwarzer rarely troubled, and I think if Yakubu had been on ten minutes earlier we'd have easily sown it up sooner.

By the final whistle we were deserved winners over the two legs, even if tactically we played it very close to the bone... Why in difficult circumstances do we continue to be overly defensive when experience has proved we are better going forward and playing free? We have some quality strikers at the club and at times we seem afraid to use them to their full potential... Anyway, we are through, and back to the "bread and butter" of the league on Sunday, as we face West Brom in a big big game for the club. I expect The Yak to start with Viduka and Jimmy on the bench. Do we play Pogatetz back from suspension or Queudrue back from injury, or both! That will be one of the key questions.

My MOTM: Gareth Southgate for shepherding a result in difficult circumstances.

Midfield Roched

2006-02-21T16:38:00.000Z

Is there ever going to be a week without some bad news this season? George and Franck are back, and that is a welcome blessing, but first we heard news that James Morrison - who has had an outstanding season - was out long term with a hip injury, and now we hear that Summer signing Fabio Rochemback is out for eight weeks with ankle ligament damage! With our midfield possibly our weakest area this is tragic news, especially as Fab had only just found his scoring boots with the opener against Chelsea. It means that Doriva will almost definitely keep his place, but pressure on the likes on Mendieta and Ray Parlour to stay fit has never been bigger. If either of these can't make the grade on matchday we may have to resort once more to our youth stock.

Lee Catermole has played several times recently and performed extremely well, with more commitment than some of the more seasoned players at times. He has proved himself a tough competitor and the Boro faithful would certainly have no nightmares about playing him from the start. Next on the list is Jason Kennedy, who has had a few run outs from the bench this season, and although showing promise for the future has not yet had the opportunity to shine at the standard demanded by premiership games. One thing is for sure - nothing is going to be easy in our run in to the end of the season. With 13 more league games and two cup fronts still to fight for there is still a big hill in front of us, despite four wins on the trot. Manager's tactics are surely going to prove all important, so let's hope the boss gets more right than wrong and our rich vein of form can continue without too many more setbacks. In this game of two halves there are 60 minutes on the clock and we are 2-1 down with 10 men on the pitch - we have to keep the fighting spirit or defeat is right around the corner. Come on Boro!

Preston 0 Boro 2

2006-02-20T13:17:00.000Z

Four wins on the bounce and a place in the all premiership last eight of the FA Cup. All of a sudden it's happy days being a Boro fan again. It did take a while to stoke the engines in this one though, with even Match of the Day struggling to find 10 seconds of highlights from the first half. Preston boasted an unbeaten record stretching to 25 games and were only 10 places below Boro, nestling in a play-off berth in the championship, but their attacking prowess left a lot to be desired, even in front of their home fans at Deepdale.

As much to do with Boro's improved defense as anything, with Riggott and Southgate looking commanding now their partnership has had time to gel and Franck back at left back complete with a new Mohawk haircut. Second half and Boro's superior fitness began to tell, with just a half yard of pace to the ball making all the difference. Bringing on Hasselbaink was a good move, his scrapping leading to Yakubu's excellent play and his first goal, a true scorcher hit on the half volley. From there the opposition looked immediately beaten , with little threat of an equaliser. And when the Yak popped up at the far post for the second the wind was truly taken out of their sails.

The good news is that it is another quarter final and a continuation of a mini revival. The bad news is that with all premiership teams left there is sure to be no easy draw. Any home tie would be nice, and avoiding Chelsea or Liverpool would be good too. And as I say that hot news from the FA tells me that the latter wish is granted but that we will have to overcome another away tie - it is a trip to The Valley for a tough physical game against Charlton - could have been much worse. Nice to just be in the hat.

My MOTM: Yakubu would be the obvious choice with 2 more goals, but credit to Riggott for a clean sheet and a strong performance all round.

Stuttgart 1 Boro 2

2006-02-16T23:30:00.000Z

Amazing what a little confidence can do isn't it? With five minutes to go this match review was looking very different - away from home against an historically very strong German side, 2-0 up and cruising into the last 16 with a home leg in hand. As it is there is still some life in the tie, thanks to a driven free kick on the edge of the box to give Stuttgart a lifeline. To be brutally honest their reputation was far bigger than their talent on the night. OK they have been troubled in recent weeks, with a new manager in place and a terrible home record, but so have we! Following a ten minute settling in period when they looked dangerous down the flanks, testing Riggott and Southgate more than once in the middle, they looked poor, struggling to get the final pass into the box and ever vulnerable to the counter attack. Good thing too as Jimmy was ploughing a lone furrow up front in a thankless task.

It was the Dutchman then that capitalised on a mistake from Timo Hildebrand in goal, the ball ricocheting off the back of George Boateng into his path for a cool blast through the hapless keepers legs. They may have looked like leveling at times in the first half, but when Stuart Parnaby claimed his first in Europe from an excellent Boateng cross they fell to pieces in many ways allowing us to surge forward freely looking for a third. Yakubu came on for the last fifteen minutes in an attempt to finish the tie off for good, but it was the German side who benefited from a late Doriva tackle to breathe new life into their effort and force Boro back for the last seven minutes. In the end we did well to repel an equaliser, Jesper Gronkjaer always looking the biggest danger for them.

We need to watch out in the reverse tie next week at the Riverside, for sure, it is not quite over, especially as they are reported to be a better away team than a home team. However, you have to fancy a repeat of last year's last 16 spot with a positive attitude. It is up to them to come and get two goals and as long as we don't sit off and invite them in I see that as being a very steep task. Happy days are here again. On to Deepdale in the cup!

My MOTM: George Boateng proved just why he must stay fit for us if we are to succeed.

Boro 3 Chelsea 0

2006-02-11T18:30:00.000Z

Can someone please explain to me what's going on this season!? I know football is a funny old game, but this is ridiculous... Not that I'm complaining about beating Mourinho's Chelsea by the biggest domestic margin ever, or keeping a clean sheet against them, or basically showing the runaway champions how it's done, but it is a bit surreal!

OK we scored before the game had really settled, with an element of luck in both our first half goals, but we didn't stop for the full 90 minutes - a definite increase in effort all around was much in evidence. It all started from the unlikely source of the (so far) wayward Fabio Rochemback, who finally saw one of his shots hit the back of the net after what must be about 300 attempts since he got here - law of averages state one of them had to go in eventually, but with 90 seconds gone talk about timing! From then on his personal confidence soured and we began to see a side of him that has been all too rare, but has obviously been lying dormant all the while: he made runs, passed precisely, was inventive, bold and unafraid of the opposition. Please Fab, carry on! To add to that joy the return of the boy wonder became fully realised when his first goal of the season snuck past defenders and attackers alike to double an incredible lead shortly before half time. Normally you would expect Jose's teamtalk to do the trick, but the determination from us defensively in the second half simply wore the champs down into submission. And going forward Yakubu looked world class, making fools of Carvalho and Terry on more than one occasion before getting his deserved reward to put the cherry on top of a very tasty cake indeed.

So that's the triple crown of Arsenal, Man Utd and now Chelsea - if nothing else but relegation survival happens this season then at least we'll have that... But now we must take this as the catalyst to spring into action and turn the season into a winning one once and for all! What better excuse do we need? It is another busy time ahead with 4 games in the next 10 days: 2 legs against an equally troubled Stuttgart, an away cup tie at Preston and finally a vital six-pointer against West Brom that could sink them firmly into the bottom four and lift us back towards mid-table. With this result winning on all fronts seems realistic again, and after the anticipated doom if the scoreline had been reversed, you have to say it's happy days again.

My MOTM: Yakubu, Downing and the whole back line deserve praise, but it is to Fabio Rochemback that all hats are lifted.

Boro 1 Coventry 0

2006-02-09T23:15:00.000Z

Had to miss this one as I was traveling for work, so can't really comment on it too much. The facts are that Jimmy Floyd continued his good run of form and netted the only goal of the game on 20 minutes to take us through to the fifth round and an away tie against Preston, who overcame Crystal Palace in their own reply. A very welcome result then, albeit one you would normally expect to cruise. On current form though we did well to get past this tie without more egg on our faces, especially considering how well Coventry played in the second half of the first game.

Beating teams like Sunderland and Coventry, however, is not enough to restore the confidence we so badly need. They are teams we should be beating blindfold - it is the champions next and that will be an acid test if ever there was one. On the plus side there is surely no better incentive to turn a season around than the ultimate challenge of taking on a team beaten only twice all season in all competitions. There is an outside chance George Boateng will be back, together with James Morrison, and that would provide a huge boost in morale I'm sure.

Taking the FA Cup on it's own merits, we have an excellent chance to reach a second quarter final, and with a home draw there who knows where we could end up? Boro included there are 11 premiership teams left in, but with Liverpool playing Man Utd next not all the big guns will be left standing. If we can regain some form this surely represents our best chance of repeating our adventure in Europe for another year.

My MOTM: I guess Jimmy again, purely for the goal, but also Schwarzer for the clean sheet - he will need to keep that up in following weeks.

Boro 0 Aston Villa 4

2006-02-05T19:25:00.000Z

Humiliation, torment and anguish! This will go down as one of the worst home games ever played by a Boro team, bringing realisation on a massive scale that we will need more than a little luck not to go down this season. Aston Villa were described pre-match as "an average team" and their recent record backs that up, so why, on the back of a 3-0 away win we played so abysmally shall remain something of a mystery.

It was the same old story, no control or service from midfield, making the forwards look like chumps, and defensively always looking a yard off the pace and only half committed... Villa made the most of our inept display first through Luke Moore, then Kevin Phillips to make it 2-0 at the half, delivering more of the same in the second half with two more from Moore to complete an unlikely hat-trick. Our response was to change the front line at half time, taking off Hasselbaink and Viduka (who never had a chance to show their worth) for Yakubu and Maccarone. But it wasn't up front that the problem lay and the new men looked equally ineffective, together with Downing, Mendieta and Doriva who all looked like jaded first divisioners. 4-0 and shamefaced throughout.

With this kind of tactical ineptitude the luckiest man alive has to be Steve McClaren, whose new contract means an instant dismissal is financially unviable. But he will know that a hefty chunk of the blame lies at his door. A point that was rammed home on several occasions as the fans chanted "McClaren for England", "Mowbray in" (Hibs' manager and ex-Boro favourite Tony Mowbray that is) and one fan risked a night in a cell by running the length of the pitch to hurl his season ticket at the "boss". Our only ray of light on the day is that the 3 teams below us all lost too. We may have to hope that they keep losing, rather than continue to pray for wins, 'cos it just doesn't look like that will happen any time soon. Dire.

My MOTM: Lee Catermole has shown grit and the true Boro attitude since being brought in and despite our situation deserves credit for at least trying.

Sunderland 0 Boro 3

2006-02-01T13:54:00.000Z

And a collective sigh of relief emerges from the lungs of every Boro fan alive! If we had lost this one it would not only have meant an imminent drop into the relegation zone but also that our closest rivals had done the double on us, and who could have lived with that? There was no other result today, for the fans, the players, the manager and everyone involved it simply had to be a win or heads would roll. And thank the maker it was! OK, so Sunderland are the premiership whipping boys with only 2 away wins (one against us) and 2 draws to their name all season, but they know how to scrap, and from our point of view it was a first win in the league since November 20th (Fulham 3-2), an away win at that, 3 much needed points and a clean sheet - could hardly ask for more, hence the Southgate salute to the crowd at the end of the match...

It took two unlikely sources to net our first half goals: Manu Pogatetz and Stuart Parnaby, two defenders, but who cares they went in. Not many could see a Sunderland comeback, even Century FM's Sunderland man on the night said after 45 "the win is yours". There were a few minor scares but the black cats' finishing has been awful all season and so it proved here. So it was left to in-form hero Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink to seal the game with a lovely strike to make it 4 in 4 games for the Dutchman and a night to remember for the traveling army.

In real terms it doesn't spell a comeback as such - we have leapfrogged West Brom again, but big deal, the real test is still to come against Villa at the Riverside on Saturday. If we can win that one then talks of a resurgence may be justified but until then all we've done is put another nail in the coffin of the worst team in the league. If we don't win we stay in and around the danger zone with the prospect of Chelsea to look forward to the following week, not to mention a cup replay and a looming Uefa tie that at the moment we are firm second favourites for. For the moment let's celebrate the win, but with one eye on more hard work - please!

My MOTM: All reports cite it as Pogatetz's best game so far for the club and who am I to argue.

Coventry 1 Boro 1

2006-01-31T16:03:00.000Z

Having struggled away at non-league Nuneaton in the last round of the FA Cup this fourth round tie against Championship midfielders Coventry looked less like a banana-skin and more like a serious concern for any kind of result. Sure enough it was pretty 50 / 50 in the first half with either team having chances to score but not converting. Certainly they did not look overwhelmed by a supposed gap in class, in fact they seemed to relish the thought of taking an easy premiership scalp from a club way out of form.

After the break Boro managed to capitalise on their lack of concentration coming back on to nab a swift opener thanks to Jimmy Floyd, whose current form is amongst the best at the club. It looked like a perfect platform to go on and finish the tie, but rather than take control it was the reds who started to look tired legged and dispirited towards the last 20 minutes. A superb strike from Coventry past a returning Mark Schwarzer - a man with a lot to prove to this club! - leveled the game and from there in it was the midland outfit who looked like the winners as they proceeded to take us apart in the closing minutes of the game. We needed to hang on and hang on we did: just! At least we have the chance to bring them back to the Riverside, with the impending reward of a fifth round tie against more non premiership opposition (Preston or Crystal Palace), albeit away from home once again.

With Sunderland coming up - the biggest must win game of the season so far for me - the last thing we need is the prospect of more replays, but at least we are still in the draw and that's the main thing. Not much to cheer about still, but at least we didn't continue our losing run.

My MOTM: Jimmy Floyd continues in fighting form and gets the vote.

Boro 2 Wigan 3

2006-01-30T15:27:00.000Z

This match was most notable for the return of one Stewart Downing - and God has he been missed! From the first whistle he was amongst it all, rampaging down the left, bringing back good memories of last season and a far superior home record than we have boasted without him. It was evident that a little match fitness is still lacking, but the crosses came flying in regardless, giving hope of a good result for most of the afternoon.

But it was Wigan that took the initiative, doing well to find the all too obvious holes in our midfield and defense and build up a 2-0 lead at half time that could have been a lot more. Honestly they were ripping us apart. Then on came Jimmy in the second half, looking mighty hungry, some would say pi**ed off bigtime! Before they had time to settle he had fired us back in the contest, giving a resurgence in confidence that was much needed. Then came a Downing corner seen, beautifully flighted and seen home by The Yak to bring us level. With 25 minutes to go we looked like the most likely winners, a great boost considering we looked leagues below Wigan at the break!

Of course, with our current luck it was not to be. The dreaded 89th minute came and they once again found the gap and exploited it in style for an enviable winner... So we remain rooted and have no one else to blame. We were unlucky in the sense we had two returns from lengthy injury (Downing and Parlour, who did just OK) who were forced to play 90 minutes, stretching every ounce of fitness, as others hobbled off with fresh knocks. But really we just don't have the strength of character in depth that Hasselbaink demonstrated in the second 45, and the record books will only show another defeat. Hard times.

My MOTM: Hasselbaink got us back in it, but a terrific return from Downing takes the honours

Boro 5 Nuneaton 2

2006-01-21T14:26:00.000Z

Following Highbury the fans turned out in numbers for this one, creating one of the best home atmospheres of the season. Of course they were calling for seven to regain a little balance in the footballing universe, and, as the boss merrily quipped, they got seven. Unfortunately it is no laughing matter to concede two goals to players who don't even consider football their first job! Hats off to Nuneaton they were terrific ambassadors for the game and left the Riverside with deserved pride, especially Gez Murphy who scored all 3 goals for them over the 2 ties. They were surely the moral winners on the day.

At 5-0 it looked good again for Boro, with Mendieta, Yakubu and Viduka all looking a class above, and the young defense holding their own with confidence. Albeit against inexperienced non-leaguers there were some lovely goals in the 5, with the Yak especially looking hungry to prove the point. To me this proves that there is nothing wrong with our attack, all our problems lie in midfield and defense, probably the former more than the latter. Doriva has done well this season for the most part but his age and stature prevent him being a truly commanding midfielder and the return of Ray Parlour is most welcome although not a breathtaking solution. And as for the major disappointment of Fabio Rochemback - at the moment he just isn't demonstrating the form of a premiership player.

It is a crucial time of the season. A win on Saturday against Wigan is absolutely vital - without it we may stay in the bottom five for the remainder of the season, with it we at least have a chance to drag ourselves back into mid-table respectability. There is a lot of housekeeping to be done and it is time to get to work.

My MOTM: Mendita was involved in every positive move and gets the vote.

Arsenal 7 Boro 0

2006-01-18T13:47:00.000Z

Wonderful! Those denying a crisis at the club needed only to look at the scoreboard at 5pm on Saturday, Boro's last ever trip to Highbury. Any thoughts of doing the double over them crumbled pre-match, realistically, with several "youngsters" again brought in to fill the ranks of the lame and the missing - however, a goalless draw seemed within our powers at least, that is until Thierry Henry stepped up! With Brad Jones again in goal instead of transfer listed Mark Schwarzer we were always going to be vulnerable to strong attacks, and the Arse being no mugs they took advantage of that from the first whistle, never looking like anything but easy winners.

Andrew Taylor came in at left back and Chris Riggott was made a reluctant captain in a threadbare defense that must rank amongst the youngest ever seen in the premiership. However, as Boro capitulated to a 4-0 half time deficit it was the experienced veterans who came under fire - sloppy passing, lack of spirit and a total inability to cope at the level led to goal after goal and no silver lining. No excuses either, we got exactly what we deserved - and Arsenal got their biggest ever premiership win.

How the boss isn't getting more flack for this decline I just don't know. Injuries are one thing, but the squad is strong enough to battle to mid-table if properly motivated and I'm becoming increasingly concerned that they aren't. This isn't a blip anymore, it is a relegation struggle and we better get used to it. Things are not healthy - no win since November and no confidence at all. Big hills to climb...

My MOTM: Lee Catermole came on and at least threw a few tackles in, the rest were poor

Nuneaton 1 Boro 1

2006-01-09T14:06:00.000Z

Oh dear, oh dear! What next? The third round of the FA Cup is filled with romance, everyone knows that - it is the only time that non-league sides can compete with top flight opponents and potentially upset them. Burton held Man Utd and Tamworth are still in the hat too, so no disgrace in failing to overcome a team almost 100 places below us in the pecking order... Yes there bloody is!!! I mean come on, even at half pace this should have been 5-0 to the Boro, I wouldn't have been too happy with anything less. But no, it's yet more embarrassment for players earning 20 times more money than our lowly opponents who, let's face it, outplayed us for most of the game.

Typically, things looked OK early on when Mendieta curled in a delicious free kick to put us one up after 14 minutes, but after that we used the game as an excuse for a bit of a rest and turned on the auto-pilot. Always fatal in this competition, and so it proved as the underdogs fought and fought until their hard work finally paid off in the 89th minute with a deserved penalty following a Gareth Southgate hand ball. Hats off to them, naturally, everyone loves to see the little man have his day in the sun and now they will have the thrill of a run out at the Riverside. And if they play like they did on Saturday they just might win...

Surely things cannot get any worse? Let's hope that this is the low point and everything will start to look up from here. The winner of this tie will face beatable Coventry away from home and in-form we should coast past them. Unfortunate to say that in-form we are anything but.

My MOTM: Gaizka Mendieta for the only touch of class in a shabby display.

The Good, The Bad and The Ugly

2006-01-07T14:36:00.000Z

3 pieces of significant news hit the headlines in the first week of the new year: one good, one bad and one... well, ugly is a bit strong, but it is a shock!

To concentrate on the positive first (and boy do we need to do that) wonderboy Stewart Downing is back in full training and due to start in the reserves this weekend. The knee ligament damage that has kept him out of the squad since the England trip to America in the Summer has been operated on and has recovered well. Now our best player of last season can concentrate on his general fitness in a bid to regain form before the final world cup selection in a several months time. It will be a massive boost to the first team if he can come back in with anything like his best form and here's best wishes and fingers crossed on that one.

All the more important to have Stew back when you consider the bad news: Franck Queudrue is out for up to 2 months following the Man City game and a knee injury of a slightly different nature. The left side will now be very stretched without Downing, and even though Franck has been responsible for some real howlers in recent months his spirit has never been in question, giving the impression anything can still happen with him on the pitch. He will be much missed and wishes of a speedy recovery go out to him.

And finally: WTF? Mark Schwarzer wants away...! OK we knew there was interest in him before the season and it was a stroke of luck to get him to sign on the dotted line for another year. We saw that he was slightly distracted by the run of his national team's efforts. And we have certainly seen his form dip in recent games, with more than a few schoolboy errors creeping in. But where did he come up with the idea of getting out mid-season? He has been a loyal servant for 8 years since signing from Bradford City in '97 and has seen the ups and downs out with great resilience. So why now? Surely his current form is not the best advert for potential buyers, but even if he is forced to stay it now becomes impossible to play him knowing his heart is no longer with the team! More on this as it becomes apparent what the reasons are behind the decision. Enough to say for now that it is a massive shock and a real burden the team does not need as it teeters on the brink of crisis.

Newcastle 2 Boro 2

2006-01-07T12:53:00.000Z

Derby days always throw up a decent story and this was no exception... With George Boateng out injured once more and the combination of Doriva and Rochemback not the most attractive in the world Mac decided to give another Boro youngster a surprise start: Lee Cattermole, who came on as sub earlier in the season for the cup was given the unenviable task of stepping into George's boots and doing the job for us. And that he did, with great credit, adding to our never ending list of formidable young breakthroughs.

The game swung to and fro in the early stages with chances for both teams, but it was the home side who ominously opened the scoring thanks to a well placed Nobby Solano free kick from outside the box (although what pint sized Doriva was doing in the wall remains a mystery). Without Owen, however the Toon couldn't press their advantage and Boro popped up with some great play from Morrison and a confident finish from the Yak to make his 11th in the premiership this season. A slight hip niggle led to the main man being subbed for Jimmy Floyd midway through the second half - a move that looked to have paid off big time when the Dutchman was put clean through with a well timed run, opening up the opposition for a cross goal shot and goal number two! The confidence that has gone AWOL recently came surging back in the last 20 minutes and the result looked safe... But this is Boro and with virtually the last kick of the game Gareth Southgate sliced a clearance for a corner. The deadball sailed into the box, was met by yet another limp punch from Mark Schwarzer, fell to the feet of a player in black and white who belted it speculatively past half a dozen Boro defenders who simply watched it sail into the back of the net - final whistle, two points dropped!

I found this result even harder to take than last season when Norwich came back from 4-1 down to grab a draw, just because we have been there and still can't learn the lesson! Now we are firmly rooted in the bottom section of the table, with even poor old Everton catching us up. Things have gone from optimistic to panic stricken in the course of yet another terrible Christmas period. And I've run out of ideas of how things can get better.

My MOTM: James Morrison with another imperious display just nicked it from debut boy Cattermole.

Boro 0 Man City 0

2006-01-07T12:19:00.000Z

Two managers desperate to reverse bad runs of form, yet contrasting in that one strains every sinew to urge his team on and one simply looks bored... I have to admit that due to seasonal festivities I missed any kind of commentary or highlights of this one - looks like I picked the right game.

The boss had issued orders (surprise, surprise) to primarily stop the rot and defend a clean sheet at all costs. From all accounts that plan worked, to the detriment of any attacking threat whatsoever! City outscored us in every statistic bar the actual scoreline and probably deserved something better for their efforts from a neutral point of view. Southgate, Riggott and Schwarzer all did well in fending off some vicious attacks from Cole, Vassel and the in-form Joey Barton and deserved some praise in light of recent results, but anywhere forward of the half-way line it looked like only a fluke would give us all 3 points that we so urgently needed. But 90 minutes went by in stalemate, giving us a home point that is not nearly enough, as teams around us did better to push us ever closer to the relegation fight.

That the season has come to this, that we don't even risk an equal fight on the day, says to me that everyone has given up already on any kind of Euro surge and is concentrating on mid-table respectability rather than glory. Not my idea of how Boro should be playing, but I'm not in charge am I? Magnificent? Not quite...

My MOTM: Any of the back line deserve mention, but perhaps Franck Queudrue above all.

Boro 0 Blackurn 2

2005-12-28T15:01:00.000Z

Things could barely have got worse following the midweek Carling cup exit and another home advantage, together with a higher level of commitment, would surely result in a good 3 points. There was a lot of confidence around that we could overturn that result with something to spare on our best day and we certainly set out to do that. A bright a sharp start going forward looked very promising, with Yakubu and Viduka coming close on several occasions in the first 10 minutes. The Yak especially had a cast iron chance he would put away four times out of five, shortly before a returning Gaizka Mendieta also missed a sitter from close range. It was looking like a matter of time before we took the lead but as time ticked away and the goal didn't come a sense of dread and an increasing lack of confidence crept in. This allowed Kuqi to pop up and bury the ball past a culpable Mark Schwarzer and make it yet another tough afternoon.

Inevitably it was the visitors who doubled their lead not the Boro who fought back - the traditional Christmas curse well in evidence. Blackburn therefore enjoyed a quick double over us and we slump to only one win in eight! Whatever the excuses we must stop thinking we have a right to win games based on the talent of the squad. With George Boateng out for six to eight weeks again following an injury midweek the midfield looked very thin today, leaving a tricky conundrum for upcoming games. In short we just don't play with the energy or commitment that say Wigan or Man City exhibit week in week out; it is becoming the norm and not the exception. How things can improve as we travel to Bolton I do not know.

My MOTM: An unlucky Yakubu just scrapes it from a bad bunch.

Boro 0 Blackburn 1

2005-12-28T14:45:00.000Z

Not for the first time this season, and possibly not for the last, the fans stayed away in droves as Boro attempted to ease through to the semi-final in this Carling cup home tie. What actually happened was one of the worst games of football ever played in the North-East at top flight level! In an attacking sense we were non-existent, looking less than bothered throughout, despite the constant threat from a much more lively Blackburn team. The defense worked moderately hard to keep them out with some success for the most part, but it always looked like our best result would be 0-0.

As the game "climaxed" it was the visitors that deservedly broke through with a Paul Dickov strike a minute from time. Schwarzer had performed competently until then, but another slight lack of reaction time allowed the goal that ultimately sealed the tie. Massimo Maccarone was unlucky not to take it to extra time with an injury time hit against the base of the Blackburn post, but it was not tot be. The boss rightly claimed there was not a single player that came out with any credit, stating that we "limped out" of the cup without a proper fight. Perhaps the heavy Christmas schedule, including a re-match with Blackburn on Boxing Day was on a lot of people's minds but this was a very winable game and a huge disappointment all round.

My MOTM: At a push Andy Johnson at least looked interested in continuing his progress and gets the vote.

Going Nowhere!

2005-12-20T13:51:00.000Z

23 year old Nigerian International and this season's top scorer, Aiyegbeni Yakubu (or The Yak as he is lovingly known by the fans) has made the popular decision to snub the upcoming African Nations Cup in a bid to become the Premiership's top scorer. Better news for Christmas there could not have been!

The tournament is due to make a big dent in many premiership squads, with players making it to the final stages likely to miss up to nine games in the top flight. This had been a big worry for fans with so many crucial games coming up in that period, but Yakubu announced his non-participation this morning to some relief from the Boro faithful. It seems he does not get on well with the Nigerian manager, and although he states he would dearly love to compete for his nation in the prestigious tournament he feels the experience would be bitter-sweet in light of his relationship with Augustine Equavoen. Well, their loss is Boro's gain for sure. It is still possible for the African team to persuade him otherwise, but for now The Yak seems adamant, and with a real shot at beating the likes of Henry, Owen, Lampard et al to the golden boot why not?!

Go on The Yak!!!

Boro 3 Spurs 3

2005-12-19T13:57:00.000Z

An action packed game played at high tempo, there was no doubt we were aiming to win this in an attacking way - and we should have done. Going forward we were very tasty, looking threatening from every angle. Unfortunately a defensive record that is worse than every other team bar Sunderland again let us down. The match was so incident packed it is difficult to say that if one thing hadn't happened things would have been different, but the fiasco behind the Spurs opener made us look pathetic. Thank God for the Yak, who goes from strength to strength, scoring a beautiful volley before they had a chance to grow too much in confidence. Then came a stunning run and finish from James Morisson (since accredited to Yakubu who gave it a slight deflection) to take us ahead. From which point we should have sown it up but for Paul Robinson's heroics against drives from Yak and Vids.

But again, their equaliser shouldn't have happened. Thank God for fighting Franck, popping up with a fierce header. Surely we would hold on now... but no, the effort dipped once more and Mido was there to take a share of the points for the visitors - very annoying, for fans and the manager alike! A great spectacle for the neutral, but it doesn't aid our premiership cause that much; 20 points and 13th place coming up to Christmas is way below expectation and even with a solid run of undefeated games we will struggle to keep a foothold in the top half now. Still, never give up.

A game noteworthy for one other incident: the sickening knock-out of Morisson from a boot to the face. Every player on the pitch was concerned as he lay motionless and it was a huge relief to hear he was alright afterwards after such a good game.

My MOTM: Morisson. He looks better and better and must keep his place in the starting line-up. Yak was next best for me.

Boro 2 Litex Lovetch 0

2005-12-18T13:41:00.000Z

Not the most mouth watering of fixtures, with Boro already guaranteed progression to the last 32, a fact reflected in the turnout at the Riverside, the worst of the season at just over 9000. That said it was a chance to finish top of the group and potentially get a lesser team in the draw, as well as a chance to blood a few more youngsters with first team experience. Matthew Bates, Adam Johnson and Jason Kennedy all got starts together with semi-regular and best of the young bunch James Morisson; even Lee Cattermole got a run out later on. Up front it was also a chance for Massimo Maccarone to sate his case in an embarrassment of riches for in form strikers.

The game started brightly and looked like a likely runaway victory after ten minutes but that dried up to become a frustrating midfield battle with some poor passing and low levels of commitment. For 5 minutes in the second half news came through that AZ were top and Boro were finally spurred into action, breaking the deadlock through Johnson's excellent run and cross for Maccarone's head at the far post. A surge of confidence hit the Italian thereafter with a screamer from 35 yards going just over before an equally ambitious piledriver hit the top corner of the net minutes later! 2-0 and all over, but it was a game where we controlled the first and the last 10 minutes and were simply rubbish inbetween, notably the dual goalscorer who was looking unlikely to hit a barn door for the majority.

Ten points and first place! All good. The subsequent draw however muted the celabrations slightly when we nabbed a tie against Stuttgart, easily the best 3rd placed team from the other groups with 3 out of 4 wins and 9 points to there highly reputable name. It will be a tough tough challenge to say the least - but we are yet to concede a goal let alone lose a game and must be confidant. Roll on February!

My MOTM: For 90 minutes Adam Johnson was the best player on the field, but it would be churlish to deny Massimo his day.

Liverpool 2 Boro 0

2005-12-14T13:11:00.000Z

Managed to miss both the live action and the highlights of this one due to the oblivion of the first of the Christmas parties, and I'm quite glad! Chelsea followed by this always looked like the hardest couple of fixtures all season and anything at all would have been a bonus. As it turned out we gave the blues their hardest home game of the season and were not too shabby for the majority at Anfield either. We came closest to scoring first in both games and were simply denied the necessary luck to get something out of either one. Here Mark Viduka must have thought he'd got one in past a defense that has only conceded 6 goals in 13 games in the premiership, only to be denied by the magic leg of Reina who seemed to be going the wrong way before the well placed limb saved the home team's blushes.

Then up popped Morientes, proving that if a bad run of any description needs ending then just play Boro! He hasn't even looked like scoring in months and then he goes and gets two against us... The second of which apparently caused a lot of controversy along the lines of the "gaining an advantage by an offside position" rule - although way offside when the ball was played across the field away from him play went on, resulting in a goal and game over when the ball did eventually come to him from a Franck Queudrue knock on.

So... Our league position has slipped again, but in no way truly reflects our merit at this point - We will finish higher than this, but it has not been great for confidence. And it doesn't get much easier with a solid looking Spurs team arriving on Teesside for Sunday's encounter which is a must win in my book; we must take advantage of a run of home games (including two cup games and 2 against Blackburn in 5 days). Christmas is notoriously a slack period for us and that hoodoo cannot be allowed to take hold, or 2006 could be looking a little grim!

My MOTM: The fans voted for Riggott or Southgate, so not having seen it that's good enough for me despite no clean sheet once more.

Chelsea 1 Boro 0

2005-12-04T14:21:00.000Z

With chelsea's 100% record at Stamford Bridge this season many would have been forgiven for chalking this one down as a definite away defeat, but with Boro having lost only twice in the last twelve, and with a great record against the top teams, there was a good case for a fighting draw. The blues displayed a lot of respect for us in the first half and it was Jimmy who came closest to breaking the possession based deadlock when his 15 yard shot came back off the inside of Cech's post and into his arms. In fact it took over an hour before Chelsea pinched one through a John Terry header from a Damian Duff corner - previously we had managed to clear a couple of their half chances off the line but this one trickled over agonisingly and proved the only goal of the game.

With another injury forced reshuffle at the back (Riggott for Ehiogu, Bates for Parnaby, Pogatetz for Queudrue) we coped admirably with their attacking forces for the majority of the time, with Drogba looking match rusty and Lampard uncharacteristically wayward. Going forward was more difficult - George Boateng did well at times, holding up the ball and winning some crucial midfield battles, but the service up front was average at best and against this defense that isn't quite good enough. Funny though that most fans, including me, are willing to accept this as a reasonable result - it shows that we are a long way off from a "no one is unbeatable" attitude, the kind of attitude we may need against Liverpool at Anfield next week!

On other news: I got my cup wish with a home draw against Blackburn Rovers in the Carling Cup quarter final. Doncaster managed to draw Arsenal, setting us up nicely for a semi-final rematch with the gunners...

My MOTM: George Boateng - against a non-vintage Chelski looked most likely to get something for us throughout

Boro 2 Crystal Palace 1

2005-12-02T20:16:00.000Z

We were promised a full strength squad to push on for a quarter final place and that's exactly what we got. Captain Gareth Southgate even made a speech before the game (apparently) to try and convince those not involved in the Cardiff final 2 seasons ago just how important this trophy is for the club. And since I was down in Middlesbrough for work I took the opportunity to get myself to the Riverside for my first live game in 3 years! It has been tough for the fans to meet the demands of so many games this year, what with Uefa cup and this, so just over 10 thousand turned out on a frosty night that turned out well in the end.

A patchy first half ended 1-0 to the visitors after Queudrue's surreal own goal right in front of me in the North stand. We played well enough to at least be level despite some sloppy passing with Mark Viduka especially looking dangerous. Sure enough our problems were ironed out at half time resulting in a blistering strike from the in-form Aussie to bring us deservingly level on 50 minutes. 5 minutes later and we looked to be cruising after Vids set up Nemeth for one of the best goals I've seen him score, a short range touch from a narrow angle that even had a bit of curl on it! After that the result looked nailed on even if Palace didn't totally crumble.

Man Utd and Arsenal also cruised through to the last eight and would ideally be avoided in Saturday's draw, with Doncaster the only non premiership team left in. Personally I'd settle for a home tie against a Birmingham or a Blackburn. Not long to find out and with the commitment the team is showing in this competition we could again go all the way. £17 well spent!

My MOTM: Viduka, with no sign of taking it easy and a superb strike right up there with the season's best.

Boro 2 West Brom 2

2005-11-27T22:45:00.000Z

And they wonder why the Riverside isn't full? It is because our home form leaves a lot to be desired, especially against lesser opposition that we should be brushing aside! No disrespect to Robbo's West Brom who came and fought hard for their point - well done to them. But with the start Viduka gave us you can maybe forgive conceding one and still coming back to win, but to concede 2 was just shocking and undisciplined. We can't keep blaming it on Euro hangovers, injuries or the conditions - it is because certain players are too casual or just not good enough!! If I had paid almost £400 for a season ticket and come out in the rain and wind to see that performance I would be raging - I'm raging anyway...

No problem scoring, fair enough, a brilliant opener from Viduka who looked sharp first half and, again, a very cool penalty from the Yak, but... Defensively careless, sloppy, lacking concentration at times; made all the more frustrating as in other moments they are quite brilliant. No back to back premiership wins in a year, not enough clean sheets, especially at home and 20 goals conceded in 14 games - that is the form of a bottom half team and the season isn't new any more, it is almost half over! The baggies have an appaling away record and to drop two points against them whilst trying to bridge the gap to the likes of Bolton and Man City is simply unacceptable...

An interseting match played with high commitment, these comments and criticisms aside. There could easily have been a winner for us in the last 20 minutes had lady luck been smiling and no complaints for the forwards really, although I do wish (often) that Szilard Nemeth knew how to finish without having to think about it for an hour and send in the request in triplicate to the opposing goalkeeper... With Chelsea and Liverpool coming up I don't expect us to be poking our heads above the half way mark for long - but you know how we play against the big boys...

My MOTM: Riggott staked a case again, but I'm giving it to Pogatetz who gave everything he could and continues to improve as others falter.

AZ Alkmaar 0 Boro 0

2005-11-25T00:00:00.000Z

6 points on the board already meant a draw of any kind would be enough to see us through to the last 32 for the 2nd consecutive year. That the game went ahead at all is something of a blessing, as a late inspection was passed OK before the heavens really opened with avengeance. The pitch was a bog and conditions conducive to flowing football were non-existent. Even so Alkmaar had not conceded a point on their home ground in 8 games and would surely come out seeking to dominate the group.

Certain players, including top scorer Yakubu, were rested early on leaving Jimmy Floyd, who had no little history in AZ, to captain the team for the first time. The tempo was as high as it could have been in the conditions and overall it was a decent game. The home team showed more commitment in attack in the main, forcing several good stops from replacement keeper Brad Jones (Schwarzer out with a slight shoulder injury) and from the 4 men in front of him, notably an out of position Matthew Bates at right back and Boro's most consistent player of recent games, Chris Riggott. We never looked like winning with anything other than a lucky counter but the performance was brave and full of spirit; enough to earn that label of "job done" which we are getting quite used to thank you very much! 7 points and a win at home against Litex Lovech in 2 weeks to secure top place in the group and thus avoid Champions League 3rd place teams in the next round. Good stuff.

My MOTM: Jones deserves his accolades, but for me Riggott was the real reason for the clean sheet and gets the nod.

4 More Years

2005-11-22T16:00:00.000Z

The boss today announced he has put pen to paper for a new 4 year deal, keeping him at the club until 2009 and ending any speculation that he will be taking on the England role sooner rather than later. What that really means is that should Mac decide to move on before that time the club is protected financially - nothing more nothing less, as we all know the biggest threat to any manager's tenure is the old boot.

The news will meet with mixed reactions from fans no doubt. Many have criticised his defensive style in matches the Boro army would have preferred to see the team push on, and his standard media response of the team being "magnificent", often when they are far from it, has begun to grate. However, his results over the last few years speak for themselves: first ever major trophy in a 128 year history; highest ever top flight finish with 7th last season; and already this term we are flying high in Europe and have claimed the scalps of giants Arsenal and Man Utd domestically. The problem has been consistency and the view from my chair is that a negative attitude too often against mediocre opposition has definitely led to dropped points. It is impossible to please everyone and at the end of the day only results and the record book matter. A top 7 position is once again our target and anything else will force serious reconsideration, but until then let's give him the support he needs and the benefit of the doubt. Bring back the silverware Stevie! Good on ya.

Boro 3 Fulham 2

2005-11-20T20:30:00.000Z

On paper it looked like a must win game if Boro were to avoid getting dragged firmly into the bottom half of the table, and also if we were to consolidate our home form, which until now has been scrappy. A good rest for most of the players (Aussies Schwarzer and Viduka the exception) meant no excuses for fatigue, Southgate was back in charge at the back and our strikers were in form. So when an early wonder goal for Collins John shook the Riverside it was depressing to think it was going to be another one of those Sundays. Despite some good build up play and several near misses it took a good long while for parity to arrive thanks to a Yakubu cross and a Morrison finish, only for Fulham to come straight back and extend the lead again to 2-1...

With a little over quarter of an hour left the situation for all 3 points looked grim, but a controversial goal hit by Hasselbaink and deflected into the net by The Yak soon after lifted the crowd and spurred on the home team to push everything forward in search of the winner. And luckily enough it came, with Jimmy stepping up his game (had looked due for substitution after a few easy misses) once more at a crucial time to make it 3! The skipper then rallied his men at the back to make an impenetrable wall no one defended better than Franck Queudrue.

So important to stay with the teams from 2nd to 13th, and with this win we moved to 11th above Blackburn and Newcastle with a six point gap to Fulham in 14th. It nearly went pear shaped but it didn't and that's all that matters - a good fighting win to make it 5 league victories for the season so far.

My MOTM: An outstanding Yakubu who was at the heart of every positive move.

Socceroos Make it.

2005-11-17T18:00:00.000Z

A quick congratulations to Boro's Australian internationals Mark Schwarzer and Mark Viduka who both played a crucial part in the Socceroos reaching the World Cup finals for the first time in 30 years with a dramatic penalty shootout win over Uruguay.

Viduka missed his penalty after extra time in Sydney, but it was his assist for the goal that took them to extra time and beyond, allowing Scwarz to step up and become the hero on the night. The big Oz saved two of the South American's five penalties, the second of which (pictured) was quite spectacular, ending a night of drama for the fans in real style. It was a terrific occasion and should prove to be a great boost for our pair who were beginning to play with some degree of consistency anyway.

As a slight downer, both men are listed as doubtful for the upcoming Fulham game having taken a couple of knocks in battle. Hopefully they will soon be back in action scoring and saving goals with high regularity. Regardless, it will be great to see more Boro players in Germany next Summer.

Everton 1 Boro 0

2005-11-06T22:30:00.000Z

Seven goals in two games and a run of three wins led to a wave of confidence before this match, but a little voice in the back of your mind told you this wasn't going to be that easy. Everton have also been experiencing a resurgence of form and would be hot for revenge following the 1-0 defeat in the Carling cup at Goodison recently. And so it proved - they were much tougher to break down than in that match and seemed to have luck on their side too.

Boro started strongly and little deserved the setback of a James Beattie headed goal from a corner early on. Apart from that the away team dominated the first half, both in possession and chances, with Mendieta in creative mood again, and it looking for all the world like a mere matter of time before the goals rained in. Yakubu missed a blatant chance to equalise when rounding the keeper only for a soft tap to be recovered on it's way to the goalline. The second half was not so good and tiredness again showed it's ugly face as the clock ticked down - as the boss said a little "urgency" and "ruthlessness" were lacking, as an encounter with the woodwork for either side proved the nearest to any advance on the scoreline, Boro's from an ever hungry franck Queudrue with almost the last effort of the match.

Ultimately it leaves us short again in premiership terms and stranded in 13th position. Below Chelsea (who lost today for the first time in 13 months!) the table is very open from 2nd down and a few good wins would see us back up where we belong, but as it is before the international break it doesn't make inspiring reading and leaves the pressure very much on!

My MOTM: Mendieta a contender again, but I'll give it to Queudrue for his insatiable fight right up to the whistle.

Boro 3 Dnipro 0

2005-11-03T22:00:00.000Z

Keeping the momentum going, Boro dismissed the Ukrainians in comprehensive fashion at The Riverside to go top of group D with 6 points and no goals conceded in the competition so far. Only 13000 turned out in the rain but there was noise enough to celebrate a superb opening goal by Yakubu towards the end of the first half. Things were beginning to look a little laboured, if not panic stricken before Mendieta, with evidently renewed confidence played in the striker, from which point the result looked in little doubt.

The second half was all Boro - with 2 early strikes from Mark Viduka, who until his first looked below form again and was coming in for a little commentator criticism. However, his turn, set up and vicious strike was the best of the night, soon followed by a rebounded shot into the net from an initial Morrison volley. At 3-0 the home side had the luxury of being able to rest key players: Yakubu, Mendieta and soon after Viduka all came off to give Maccarone, Nemeth and youngster Jason Kennedy a chance to join the party. Unfortunately a handful of chances ended in no advance on the scoreline, but it was an easy enough win on the night with a lot of good performances to celebrate. The 3-5-2 system seems to be working very well, with Bates, Riggott and Queudrue never looking overly troubled at the back and Pogatetz and Parnaby getting forward to good effect at times. It all adds to a nice vein of form that reads one defeat in eight - and that was against West Ham, which we all know should have been a draw...

My MOTM: Of those that played 90 mins Morrison caught the eye, but Mendieta was the spark from midfield that made the game ours.

Boro 4 Man Utd 1

2005-10-29T22:45:00.000+01:00

Pure Joy! I think most fans would have taken a point before kick-off, me included after another hard game midweek, but after a lightening start from Gaizka Mendieta it never looked like anything but all 3.

Man Utd's reputation has been seriously tarnished with this result - they are definitely not the force of old with their defense, mostly birthday boy Van Der Saar and Donkey Ferdinand, being humiliated at the Riverside. The Spaniard was man of the match after the first quarter of an hour and stayed that way till his late substitution and a standing ovation. Bringing him in more central was a shrewd tactical decision that paid huge dividends as time after time he sliced through the Utd midfield causing them severe troubles they just couldn't cope with. Any attack that they did have were coped with imperiously by the ever improving Chris Riggott and a solid Matthew Bates, but it was the forward line that drew all the attention - Jimmy Floyd with his first premiership goal to add to recent Euro and Carling cup strikes justified selection in great style and the Yak's composure just grows and grows, first with a very cool penalty, then with a superb cut-back for Boro's fourth! A late header by Ronaldo prevented the clean sheet, but nothing could detract from the fact that this was our day through and through.

Two wins at home - first Arsenal and now Man Utd... Bring on Chelsea. The feeling now has to be that our season is hitting full stride - we need that momentum to continue, and with news that our next rivals in the carling cup will be Crystal Palace at the riverside you have to be confident that we can do it. This is better!

My MOTM: Mendietta by a country mile; Riggott for his brilliant defensive form a good second.

Everton 0 Boro 1

2005-10-27T17:35:00.000+01:00

Back on the trail of another Carling cup run thanks to a much better performance all round at Goodison Park last night. Everton were coming into the game on the back of being the only team to take a point off Chelsea so far this season and with home advantage must have been slight favourites despite their league position. It didn't really look that way, though, as first Morrison, then Viduka and Hasselbaink threatened the goal again and again, with the latter slotting home midway throughout the first half.

Everyone looked up for it and that bit sharper after the West Ham game - Rochemback was flowing in a more productive way, the back line looked alert and very solid and the forwards always looked like scoring. The second half became more of a defensive mission when the 2nd goal to kill the game didn't come, but that job was done well in the absence of the skipper (4 players deputised as captain for the night!). You always got the feeling it was Boro's night - even when Arteta hit the crossbar from a good freekick.

A great confidence booster and already in the last 16! Chelsea fell to Charlton on penalties and that has to be good news for everyone. 11 premiership teams are still in the hat for Saturdays draw, however and Boro will be looking primarily for home advantage, but also for a draw against one of the 5 non-premiership sides left in - Come on Doncaster Rovers!

My MOTM: Riggott or Queudrue at the back deserve a mention, but Morrison is displaying the best form of anyone and should be in the starting line-up for every game...

West Ham 2 Boro 1

2005-10-23T23:15:00.000+01:00

So on the balance of play The Hammers probably just deserved to win this - looking fresher and more competitive, especially on the left side - but the game will be remembered for a massive injustice and a linesman who guessed a goal that never was!

No complaints about their first - Sheringham coming on and having instant impact, finding a yard on a tired looking Boro defense that were under pressure throughout the match. Their second however was no where near a goal, as Chris Riggott touched it back towards Schwarzer who fumbled but eventually saved well enough. Every man on the pitch, even those in claret and blue looked bemused at the decision and the tie was effectively over.

To their credit Boro didn't give up and were rewarded with a late consolation from Rochemback's corner and Queudrue's confident header. Not a classic performance and the hint of a European hangover once again leaves the club in the bottom half of the premiership with serious concerns about keeping in touch with the top six. The next league match is against Man Utd and things may get worse before they get better - It is time to stop pretending we deserve to win and just go out and do the business...

My MOTM: Franck Queudrue for coming on for an injured Southgate and showing exactly the right spirit for the team.

Grasshoppers Zurich 0 Boro 1

2005-10-20T22:15:00.000+01:00

An away win, 3 points and a great start to the group stage - just! After a perfect start, and a flowing move resulting in Jimmy's first of the season, we never looked convincing - looking messy, undisciplined and very average for the majority of the game.

Grasshoppers responded well to going one down and carried more momentum, especially in the 2nd half, which was pretty much backs to the wall! OK, we were unlucky several times on the break, but so were they, having a perfectly good goal disallowed amongst their woes. Boro rode their luck for sure; Nemeth was having one of his amateur nights and Mendieta wasn't much better. James Morrison came on after the hour to bring some forward motion and commitment to the team and looked good; Viduka was OK if unspectacular; and Doriva had the best of the midfield, skimming the post from close range in his best move after the goal assist.

An occasion where fortune was on our side (which is always welcome), but I have to argue with the boss who again let loose his catchphrase on the media saying the back four were "magnificent". They got away with it is more accurate...! Still a bit of glory on our travels and let's be positive, it is only one defeat from seven. Can't help thinking there is work to do though, first for West Ham and sooner than is comfortable Man Utd, just around the corner.

My MOTM: Southgate at the back did enough and always worked hard, getting the nod - Doriva would have been the choice if he'd buried his goal chance.

Positive Results

2005-10-18T03:15:00.000+01:00

Come on! Does this look like a man on drugs??? Um, OK, I see your point...

It seems that Mr Xavier gave a positive drugs test after the Xanthi game and is set to be banned from all competitions! All I can say is - what a tosser! Forget the benefit of the doubt, there has rarely been anything that rings so true. In his defense he's been playing not too badly for Boro, but the guy has caused nothing but trouble at almost every club he's been at and now has put Boro's reputation in jeopardy with his selfish actions - not to mention the potential problems it may cause in future team selection.

On the plus: Stuart Parnaby came in against Portsmouth and played well, and I would prefer him in the line-up any day. It is just a real pain in the ass to have to deal with this 2 days before the Uefa cup group stage kicks off in Zurich. Whether it will affect the team directly in terms of a ban or a fine still remains to be seen. Tut.

Boro 1 Portsmouth 1

2005-10-15T20:30:00.000+01:00

After another busy international break the question was whether Boro could keep the momentum of some good results going or fall back into a loop of inconsistency. The answer has to be the latter - We were at home, facing a poor team that will almost certainly finish in the bottom 6 and almost the full squad was fit, so to drop 2 more points has to be seen as disappointing.

Yakubu faced his former club for the first time and always looked hungry for the goal that eventually came in the 53rd minute, and were it not for a lack of defensive concentration just after the break the result might have been different. But the finger points at the boss somewhat, as you sense that were a more attacking formation selected from the start, as we were forced to adopt after conceding a goal, we would have steamrolled the opposition no problem. As it was it was another case of what might have been...

The strikers didn't do a lot wrong - both Viduka and Hasselbaink looked good on their arrivals in the second half and Maccarone again looked the best player on the pitch in the first - It is the supply from midfield that is the problem, together with a lack of total focus at the back. Steve McClaren has to be questioned again in trying to accommodate both Pogatetz and Queudrue on the left instead of making a clear choice, and in allowing Fabio Rochemback a free role that only seems to confuse those around him. Once these organisational problems are sorted out you can believe there is a very good team here, but until then it is ultimately frustrating!

My MOTM: Yakubu, great game against his old team, but it could have been Maccarone if allowed the full 90.

Uefa Group Stage

2005-10-04T22:00:00.000+01:00

The draw for the Uefa cup group stage took place this lunch time, with Boro's fixtures meeting with mixed reactions. The teams we will face in group D are AZ Alkmaar (Holland), Dnipro (Ukraine), Grasshopers Zurich (Switzerland) and Litex Lovech (Bulgaria).

The two home games will be against the Ukranian side, who made Tony Mowbray's Hibs look very ordinary with a 5-1 defeat over there in the 1st round, and the Bulgarian minnoes ranked lowest of our four opponents. On the plus side we have avoided some tricky away fixtures with Holland and Switzerland being easily accessable for the fans, and we have a good chance of 6 points at home. The down side is that our toughest game is away against the inform AZ, and that with little known teams coming to the Riverside the gates are likely to be on the smallish side. However, the most important thing is points to progress - 7 points from 12 are almost certainly enough and that is very do-able. It is both a blessing and a curse to miss out on any of the really big names, but we can save Roma for the later rounds, eh?

All in all a lot to look forward to. First fixture is 20th October at Grasshoppers'.

Aston Villa 2 Boro 3

2005-10-02T20:00:00.000+01:00

Right, so if it's a tough looking tie we'll win and if it looks easy we'll probably lose?! Still no consistency then, but today it was in our favour, bringing 3 points for only the second time after a midweek European game.

Mendieta and Nemeth were brought in for Morrison and Maccarone, with Pogatetz going to left back as Franck Queudrue sat on the bench - these unforced changes made sense and made for an evenly matched contest throughout. Villa were quiet in the first half and the deadlock was broken by another terrific Yakubu strike around the half hour. Rochemback was given free rein again to float around the pitch, making several cutting runs, and the back four looked in relative control too. Villa came out with more life in the second half though and sure enough got the equaliser, but Boro never let them settle too much and responded with a vital goal from a corner by George Boateng, who looked like he'd won the lottery! A late penalty, tucked away expertly by the Yak for his 4th of the season, all but ensured the win, with time for only 2 seconds of panic after Villa got a fortunate 2nd right before the final whistle.

It felt like a win with a little in hand today and encouraging that we may go on from this into some kind of regular form... but don't count on it.

My MOTM:
Yakubu is the popular choice for strength and 2 goals, but George Boateng was the real hero.

FC Xanthi 0 Boro 0

2005-09-29T23:15:00.000+01:00

Mission Accomplished - was the phrase being bandied around at the end of a satisfactory 90 minutes in Greece. Two clean sheets over 2 legs is what the doctor ordered after the weekend (let's never mention that again, OK?), a feat only a handful of clubs around Europe could boast. We should have won the game tonight, and would have done if the linesman ruling out Massimo Maccarone's first half strike was a little more sharp eyed. Jimmy came close a few times too, as did James Morrison, who had another good game for us. But the pitch was very bad and the ball didn't run for us in the end - however, it was always about the clean sheet so no complaints.

And through to the group stage again, which will take much the same format as last season, with 40 teams being split into 8 groups of 5, the top three of which will meet the 8 3rd place Champions League teams in the last 32 after Christmas. Got that? Teams that won't be there are Everton (ahem), Feyenoord, Galatasaray and most surprisingly, last years runners up and our own nemesis Sporting Lisbon, out on away goals to Halmstad! Bolton made a comeback to be the only other British club through, together with most of the other tournament favourites - Roma strolled through, for example; now a tie against them would be sweet...

Boro now rank 14th in the competition according to Uefa, a stat that may have some effect on Tuesdays draw. You have to be confident of progression into 2006 with some of the teams still out there, but lets wait and see who we get.

My MOTM: Gareth Southgate, for a captain's clean sheet - going forward, Morrison was best.

Boro 0 Sunderland 2

2005-09-25T20:30:00.000+01:00

If the defeat against Charlton was embarrasing then this was just tragic! At least Charlton are a decent team... OK, they got a perfect start and spoiled any pre-match plans we might have had, but there was almost a full 90 minutes to sort it out and it just didn't happen.

Ugo was injured and despite a far superior shot rate Sunderland got a second to cap a dismal afternoon. Going forward we looked disorganised and less than passionate - 50/50 balls were going in the visitors favour all afternoon and we looked like we expected to win instead of actually putting the work in to acheive that goal. Bernie Slaven was right again on Century FM stating that if a team is on the back of a bad losing run then we are the team most likely to give them 3 points. It's almost as if we play better against tougher teams when we have to concentrate or are sure of defeat (anyone remember Arsenal!). What can be done? Already we have dropped 7 points that should have been in the bag, according to pre-season expectation! Not good enough and a terrifying, though slightly realistic thought that it may become the norm... A dark day.

My MOTM: Chris Riggott (yeah, he played in the reserves, exactly)

700 up!

2005-09-21T17:00:00.000+01:00

No, he doesn't play for Boro, nor has he ever played for any other team than Grimsby Town FC - but John McDermott was born in Middlesbrough and deserves a quick nod for an amazing achievement in today's game: Tuesday night's fixture against Spurs marked the 36 year old defender's 700th game! All of them for one team, Grimsby Town!! And what a way to celebrate - causing the shock defeat of the night in the Carling cup 2nd round by beating a dismal Tottenham side 1-0. JM himself described it as the greatest victory in his time at the club, and that goes back to 1987! Great that in a time when Chelsea can pay over £50m for two players that characters like John are still around. Well done, sir! And maybe a tie against the Boro to look forward to next round as a reward...

5 Back in Action

2005-09-20T13:00:00.000+01:00

Five key squad players returned to full training this week after varying amounts of time on the treatment table. And nothing could be more timely, ahead of the first Tees - Wear derby in 3 years! Parnaby, Riggott, Mendieta, Nemeth and Hasselbaink have all been passed as fit. Although it is unlikely any of them will do better than the subs bench come Sunday it is still good news.

Jimmy Floyd and Gaizka may be the star names and the big wage earners but I am of the opinion that Chris Riggott is the most significant returnee. Ugo Ehiogu is getting on in years and has not looked too solid at times in recent games, so Chris would be an invaluable stand-in long term, eventually perhaps replacing him altogether...

On the down side, both Mark Schwarzer and James Morrison picked up knocks at Wigan (both from Lee McCulloch!) and are 50/50 for the weekend. Morrison especially was looking good in the first half and would be much preferred to Mendieta on the right, also in my opinion. Either way we are sure to stuff our neighbours by a good margin - bring it on...!

Wigan 1 Boro 1

2005-09-18T17:00:00.000+01:00

A point away from home is never to be sneezed at, but you have to consider this as 2 points dropped. Wigan are the kind of team we should be eating up and spitting out 3 or 4 nil - and for the first 20 minutes it looked like we might. But whether you can blame the euro hangover for a little fatigue I just don't know...

Yakubu's 14th minute goal was the highlight of the afternoon and put Boro in control in the first half. Pogatetz then came closest to a second before the break, firing a powerful header off the crossbar. After the interval, though, we just didn't perform - the discipline was sloppy, especially Fabio Rochemback who wandered all over the park leaving gaps for Wigan to exploit. And exploit they did, when Henri Camara equalised mid way through the second half.

Disappointing; although the point keeps us in the top half of the table it is not the consistency that Steve McClaren called for and not the form of a team challenging for Champion's League. Work still to be done on that training pitch, I feel...

My MOTM:
Yakubu for another great goal and for being one of the few to battle in the 2nd half, Southgate just behind with a solid game and faultless in the equaliser.

Boro 2 FC Xanthi 0

2005-09-15T22:45:00.000+01:00

Well, it was a win in Europe and a clean sheet and that's all that matters. 2-0 was probably the minimum expected from tonight's game and that's what we got in a mostly professional display on a breezy night at The Riverside. Patience and Possession were the watchwords in the first half, eventually paying off with George Boateng's tap in for the first goal before half time. We looked to be cruising, but the Greeks caused us significant problems at the back in the second half and should have equalised on more than one occasion - Emerson, the ex-Boro midfielder looking most likely to bring something about. But the storm again was weathered and when Mark Viduka's shot took a deflection to make the scoreline 2-0 with about ten minutes to go it was job done and a decent cushion for a fortnight's time.

Not a classic, but when you see that Bolton struggled to come out 2-1 up at home and Everton, who were in the champion's league this time a few weeks ago, collapsed away to Dinamo Bucharest 5-1, you have to be relieved to at least have got the result - Easy games in Europe is something of a myth, but I'm confident we will make it to the group stages again without too much stress.

My MOTM:
George Boateng, for pushing forward and a rare goal - with Massimo Maccarone next best after another solid hour before being subbed.

Uefa Cup Preview

2005-09-13T16:00:00.000+01:00

In a little more than 48 hours Boro will kick off their second Euro campaign in as many seasons at The Riverside. Their 1st round opponents are little known Skoda Xanthi from Thrace in Greece. Click their name to see their website, which does have an English version, and learn that in a poll over 50% of their fans think Boro will walk it; that their stadium only seats 7500 for the return leg; and that, yes, ex Boro player (in the loosest sense sometimes) Emerson will be playing. Overconfidence is a dangerous thing, though, and Steve McClaren will want to ensure a healthy lead of at least 2 goals to take over there.

In the competition as a whole, Ladbrokes rate Boro 3rd favourites behind Roma and Seville at 14/1 - that's six points ahead of Everton at 20/1 and less than half the odds of Bolton at 33/1! And judging on their performance against The Arse, who can say they are wrong? Nice to know that we are tipped for at least a semi-final, but it might not be that easy...

As we learnt the hard way last season, keeping a fit squad is crucial to success. As of writing this, 9 squad players are on the injury list, including Stewart Downing, of course, Mendieta, Hasselbaink, Nemeth and Chris Riggot - of the nine only James Morrison is listed as 50/50 for Thursday. Although we can and do win without these players, this is a situation which must get better if there is to be a realistic chance of long term glory.

Saying that, it is a cup and anything can and will happen! I really enjoyed the run to the last 16 last season and hope for at least the same again - it's fun not only cheering on the Boro but also every underdog in every other game to increase our chances of silverware. Silverware? Now wouldn't that be nice!

Boro 2 Arsenal 1

2005-09-10T21:00:00.000+01:00

The boss had gone on record in the press conference that served as the official unveiling of Fabio Rochemback and Abel Xavier, stating that this game was the proper start to Boro's season - the transfer window was closed, there had been enough matches to get everyone up to full fitness and it was time to see what we had! The answer to that was a very different looking team - a new left back, with a hairstyle not of this planet, a new midfielder with flair and industry, another breakthrough debut from 18 year old Adam Johnson and a first start in 18 months for Massimo Maccarone, back from the void of 2nd division Italian football.

With the nightmare of Charlton hanging over them, facing one of the so-called Big Three was always going to be a big ask, and in the opening 20 minutes it didn't look good, with Jose Reyes terrorising the penalty area in the absence of Thierry Henry and Ugo Egiogu looking less than up for it at the back. But the storm was weathered and towards the half hour momentum was building.

On forty minutes the Yak passed his first in a Boro shirt into the back of the net to make it one nil - a scoreline it was crucial to hang on to till half-time, which we did. After the break it was more Boro than the Gunners, with Rochemback and Parlour bossing the midfield and giving Maccarone the chance to make it two on the hour! The Italian was playing like a completely new player and could have had a hat-trick on another day. Fitting then that he was named man of the match, despite his substitution before the end for a fit again Danny Graham.

Manu Pogatetz also made an appearance in the 2nd half, looking very much the part, to add a little icing to what was becoming a memorable afternoon. Only Reyes' injury time consolation, preventing a deserved clean sheet, dampened the mood slightly. But all in all a magnificent display, beyond many fans expectations...

The thought to focus on now is what a great squad we have got if everyone can stay fit!! Especially in the striking department, with 3 in form men and the old head of Jimmy Floyd and the young legs of Danny Graham to fall back on. 7 points and ahead of Arsenal after five games - that's OK; a platform to build on and a terrific confidence booster ahead of Xanthi on Thursday.

My MOTM:
Massimo Maccarone, closely followed by an increasingly consistent Franck Queudrue.

The Season So Far

2005-09-07T13:30:00.000+01:00

2005 / 2006 senior squad - click image to enlarge

So here we are in September, four games in and only one win so far. It started well with a fighting draw against a match fit Liverpool squad that included an in-form Steven Gerrard, who was thwarted at every corner by a solid defense and a bit of luck. Next came Spurs and a 2-0 defeat - luck was against us that day, but no excuses as Spurs look like early contenders for most improved team this season. Then there was the evening fixture at St. Andrews and a 3-0 drubbing of Birmingham, including two glorious goals from Mark Viduka and a typically opportunistic headed goal from Franck Queudrue. Great things were expected then for the next home fixture against Charlton, but fortunes were totally reversed and it was Boro who suffered the 3-0 drubbing...

Since then Michael Reiziger has gone for good, Joseph Job has been loaned to an obscure Saudi Arabian side and new signing Fabio Rochemback has arrived for training from Sporting Lisbon (not pictured above). News also that Stewart Downing is out for 3 months and requires more surgery on that knee, means there's more to moan about than smile at. The boss has been on International duty, as have many of the players, so not so much of a rest or a chance to train together before the next game against Arsenal on the 10th. Fans will be wondering which team will step onto the pitch that day, the slick and confident side that faced Brum or the lackluster outfit that limped out against Charlton...

All eyes will be on the new boy in midfield, in hope he can create chances to get 7.5m signing Yakubu off the mark, or to continue the form of Mark Viduka (who scored a few for Australia in the break). Emanuel Pogatetz should figure in the line-up and also has something to prove. But the big question for me is what will Steve McClaren do to compensate for Stewie's absence? All will be revealed...

Welcome to The Red Lion Roars

2005-09-06T22:30:00.000+01:00

Welcome to my new blog - an offshoot of The Wasteland specifically for topics relating to my home team, Middlesbrough Football Club: The Boro!

All previous Boro posts have been removed from The Wasteland and have been unceremoniously binned - A new season deserves a new start I say!

As ever, all comments are welcome, but please stick to the subject.