Robert Huth Having Medical At Stoke August 27, 2009
Posted by stuart in Huth, Middlesbrough, Stoke City.Tags: Aston Villa, Everton, Middlesbrough, Robert Huth, South Africa, Stoke City F.C., World Cup
12 comments
So it begins – Robert Huth has given in to the bright lights of Premiership football. Who can blame him though with a World Cup tournament only 10 months away. Huth needs to be playing in the top flight to get his 6ft4″ frame on the plane to South Africa.
The deal has not yet been completed, but it is thought that if Huth does pass his medical and he agrees terms we will pocket £6million – the same fee we purchased the big defender for back in 2006.
Good luck to the lad, although I could have seen him put on an Everton or Villa shirt rather than a Stoke City one.
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Juninho and Downing: Why They Both Left Boro July 17, 2009
Posted by stuart in Championship, Downing, Juninho.Tags: Boro, Championship, England, Juninho, Middlesbrough, South Africa, Stewart Downing, World Cup
6 comments
The last time Middlesbrough lost a great player at the end of a relegation season from the top flight was back in 1997. This great player was Juninho and he too had the same dilemma as Downing of either staying put in the Championship (the old Division One as it was back in the Juninho days) or continuing to play in the top flight. Both players needed to look at their options to improve as a player and to make it to the World Cup the following year.
That moment back in May of 1997 at Elland Road when ‘the little fella’ sat on the pitch in tears at the end of the last game of the season was hard to take for all Boro fans because we knew that this was probably the last time we would see the little magician. Stewart Downing, like Juninho once had, has a burning desire to play a big part in his national side’s campaign at the World Cup. Downing needs this move to Aston Villa to give him the best possible chance of booking his seat on the plane to South Africa.
Juninho thought he had the best chance of making the World Cup in France 1998 by moving to Atletico Madrid. Middlesbrough made a profit from his departure having sold the little Brazilian for £12milion, just like Stewart Downing to Aston Villa yesterday. Unfortunately Juninho had a series of bad injuries in Spain, which resulted in him missing out on a place in Brazil’s squad for the World Cup in 98, but he went on to play in the 2002 World Cup where he played a few games including the final where they beat the Germans to lift the trophy.
There seems to be some similarities between the two players. Both were loved by the fans at the Riverside (ok maybe Juninho was loved a little more), both were sold for £12million, both aged 24 when they left Middlesbrough and both of them left because they wanted to make the next World Cup the following year for their respected countries.
I do hope that Stewart gets over his injury and makes the World Cup in South Africa. I’m sure if he is fit before Christmas he will regain his form for the second half of next year’s campaign. Good luck to him. You never know when we are back in the Premier League Downing might follow in the footsteps of Juninho and return to the Riverside?!
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