Udayan's Corner - This May Be The Season || Middlesbrough F.C. news, reviews and comment

THIS MAY BE THE SEASON - 7-8-07
Udayan Mukherjee

I'm excited - like a twelve year old girl with a Harry Potter book or Mark Viduka and Phil Stamps love child with a pie - it's the time of the year where anything can happen, even though Middlesbrough fans can be a cynical bunch sometimes.

We can see a glimmer of hope that this may be the season.

We'll dream about good football, committed performances and goals. We can dream about youngsters from our part of the world rubbing shoulders with the so called greats and embarrassing them. There are two cups to be won and right now we're joint top with only thirty eight games to go.

Never mind the fact that we're 1750-1 to actually win the league, or even come remotely close. It doesn't matter right now, hope springs eternal.

As one of fewer than 7,000 to attend the last pre-season friendly against AZ Alkmaar on Saturday, I feel there is plenty of encouragement on the playing front.

For the first half at least and especially in the first twenty minutes, Middlesbrough looked to be the type of dynamic and exciting team that could genuinely make an impact on the Premiership this season.

The following seventy minutes seemed to be leisurely enough against a team that could and should have probably won the Dutch league last year with several chances for both sides, with Middlesbrough doing more than enough to merit a morale boosting win.

It wasn't all plain sailing however, with the pace of the match after the second Middlesbrough goal being pedestrian at best. It was perhaps not indicative of the pace that Blackburn Rovers will throw into the mix come the 11th of August.

Rovers' much vaunted frontline, featuring former Boro target Benni McCarthy, are a formidable force and one that has caused us some problems over the past few seasons. Unfortunately Blackburn's new found strength will be our weakness in this encounter with five centre backs either out or very doubtful.

The final pre-season game traditionally includes the proposed first eleven from the start, and from this it is safe to say that unless Chris Riggot makes a recovery from his bruised foot, then Andrew Davies and David Wheater are poised to take their places at the heart of Middlesbrough's defence.

Both players have potential and alongside an experienced centre back would be able deputies. Unfortunately, these two as a pairing are a major worry for Middlesbrough with both being either unproven or prone to mistakes. One needs only to look back a few years to Davies' impression of a belly-flopping penguin, when letting Mark Viduka through for a last minute Leeds goal in 2003.

The shakiness at centre back was in plain view for all those present at the Riverside on Saturday, but with those ninety minutes and a clean sheet under their belts they could yet prove us wrong. Wheater has looked impressive for the majority of games that he has played for the first team.

With more first team experience under his belt Davies may be able to cut out the mistakes brought on by his lack of concentration and alarming lack of pace.

It is imperative that experienced campaigners Julio Arca and George Boateng protect the back four as new signing Luke Young is the only experienced professional available in defence. The England international was a solid performer for Charlton over the years and will need to use all his experience, to help the youngsters through the match.

For all of the apprehension regarding the current defensive situation, the club looks to be going forward with style. The new signings of Jeremie Aliadiere and Tuncay Sanli look to have bags of pace and ideas about them. The latter in particular showing glimpses of the hype surrounding him.

While Tuncay didn't exactly produce the best performance I have ever seen in a Middlesbrough shirt, his influence and obvious class became more and more apparent as the match went on. Some of the passes he attempted were reminiscent of Juninho's ability to think ahead of the play during a game.

As the season rolls on and the players become more accustomed to each other's methods of playing, Tuncay's creativity could reap rich dividends, especially with both Yakubu and Aliardiere being capable of racing beyond their markers.

Jeremie Aliardiere also showed glimpses of potential, without really showing what he can do in front of goal. The young Frenchman had a hand in both Middlesbrough goals however and showed himself to possess blistering pace and a decent first touch.

Yakubu showed hunger in the opening stages, and scored a rare headed goal. Indeed he may have scored a couple more, with one opportunity being created by his trademark rolling of a defender and running at goal, having another effort saved by the Alkmaar keeper following a header.

It seems that Yakubu has been practicing over the summer. A bit more sharpness from the Nigerian and he could provide the goals and assists that we need.

It was also refreshing to see Stewart Downing and George Boateng putting in performances more akin to their undoubted potential. Boateng in particular was commanding and positive. The Middlesbrough skipper showed real bite in the tackle, and above all looked to be a lot more mobile than last term. So perhaps talk of his demise was premature.

The Blackburn game will be played at a much higher tempo than the Alkmaar game, but provided Middlesbrough can attack with the same verve that they displayed in the first half, and the two youngsters at the back can keep their heads then we have every chance of victory.

Up the Boro

Udayan Mukherjee

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