Time Is Almost Up On Southgate’s Search July 27, 2009
Posted by stuart in Alves, Bates, Digard, Emnes, Middlesbrough.Tags: Boro, Didier Digard, Jeremie Aliadiere, Marvin Emnes, Matthew Bates, Middlesbrough, Mido, Mikel Beck
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The Middlesbrough boss is running out of time to fill the gaps in the ever depleting Boro squad. Downing and Turnbull have been replaced by Yeates and Coyne respectively, but with injuries to Matthew Bates and Didier Digard occurring in the last five days we are becoming more and more lightweight in the middle and up front.
Southgate has been searching for the right players to fill the gaps of weakness which resulted in us getting relegated last season. Surely with Mido and Tuncay nearing the exit we are well behind on options up front. Alves is still here yes, but for how long? and even if he does stay how interested will he be?!
That leaves us with Marvin Emnes and Jeremie Aliadiere for the opening games of the season – both of which are not out-and-out goal scorers. We need players at the club and quick otherwise we will be left behind and struggling before we know it.
Gareth needs to get some experience up top and in the centre of midfield. Even if it means bringing in an old pair of legs or two it will still benefit the first team massively. Anyone to make the numbers up because if we get any more injuries we are in deep trouble before the season has even started.
Has anyone got Mikel Beck’s number?! Or even Hamilton Ricard?! What about Uwe Fuchs!
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Boro Players Need To Stand Up For The Fight March 19, 2009
Posted by stuart in Aliadiere, Alves, Arca, Bates, Boro, Digard, Downing, Huth, Johnson, King, Middlesbrough, O'Neil, Southgate, Tuncay, Walker, Wheater.add a comment
Can Josh Walker be our battling hero on Saturday?
This Saturday sees Middlesbrough travel to Stoke City for yet another six-pointer at the bottom of the league. Southgate finally said something right the other day, we do have our own fate in our hands. A bit obvious though Gareth.
We don’t have to worry about other results going our way as long as we are beating the teams around us which means three points against Stoke on Saturday is a must.
Tony Pulis’s side are very competitive and are very physical. The lads that battled well against Pompey last Saturday will have to be at their best again to thwart any fight that Stoke try to put upon us. The likes of Wheater and Huth will have to muscle their way through the game leaving battling bodies like Walker, Arca, Tuncay and King to get hold of the ball and play football.
Looking at the players we have available for Saturday it is not looking good in the middle of the park. Matthew Bates is suspended following his red card against Portsmouth, Digard is out for the remainder of the season and Gary O’Neil is now on the treatment table after picking up a hip injury in training.
It looks like Southgate might have to call upon youngster Josh Walker to partner Julio Arca in the middle with Johnson and Downing providing the width.
Walker is still very inexperienced in the Premiership, but his technical ability and above all his passion for the club should give Southgate the player he can call upon to command that midfield engine.
Goals will still be a problem if we can’t keep it tight at the back on Saturday. I fear the worst if we concede a couple of goals on Saturday. Can Tuncay, King, Aliadiere and Alves provide us with a few goals? It’s a tall order at this stage of the season.
More team news and match predictions in tomorrows post.
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