Udayan's Corner - Gareth's Revolution Has Hit A Blip || Middlesbrough F.C. news, reviews and comment

GARETH'S REVOLUTION HAS HIT A BLIP 2-10-07
Udayan Mukherjee

So, here we are again. Despite having the lion's share of possession and at least three gilt edged opportunities, toothless Boro succumbed to an Everton side made to look decidedly ordinary.

However, there lies the problem. In a first half where the blue bin dippers were played off the park, and even Fat Sam and Gary 'Captain Scarlet' Speed were forced to concede that we looked pretty damn good, we failed to convert possession and opportunities into goals.

Make no mistake about it: Everton are a good side, and we made them look average, but pretty football without an end product doesn't win you prizes. Indeed, it is fair to say that some of the promise shown by the defeat of Birmingham has been overshadowed by the realisation that we simply do not have the firepower to truly make an impact.

With Tuncay and Aliardiere out injured, and Mido not having scored for a few games, it is worrying to see the options at our disposal.

Lee Dong Gook, despite the initial excitement at his purchase, seems to many to be simply not up to the task. I am unsure as to whether Gook can indeed be a hit on Teesside.

Perhaps the new culture and surroundings are hindering his settling in to the club and to the rigours of the English game, or perhaps he is simply not suited to the hustle and bustle of it, but it is plain that the player has some semblance of talent.

Despite looking weak, Gook posseses some degree of strength, and has a fearsome reputation in front of goal in his home country. He has hit the woodwork and missed some gilt edged chances, but he is at least getting these opportunities. I believe that this shows that although he may not set the world alight, he is at least a useful player.

Many players have arrived in England with a big reputation only to look like the footballing equivalent of the Jam minus Paul Weller and the vague feeling that 'the lights are on, but nobody's home'. See Shevchenko, Massimo Maccarone and that Dayglo Foreskin bloke that Fergie managed to steal from under our noses a few years back.

Alas, so it may prove with Lee Dong Gook. In a town that probably seems like a million miles away from Pohang, Gook's obvious talent has seemingly evaporated into nothing.

It remains to be seen as to whether Dong Gook can score a few goals to settle his nerves, and hopefully bring out the quality in his play that has so far been sadly missing. It is important to note that he was bought for nothing on a short term contract, and as such should be given a chance.

The expectation placed on his shoulders by describing him as the Korean David Beckham was absurd, and even though he has been given time, he has not been given a steady run of games to show what he can do.

It is important however, to note that I am not saying that he should definitely start our next game. His experience in the German league showed that he may not have the nous to compete in this environment, which is something that may bring forward the development of Tom Craddock.

In his two relatively short appearances this season, he has shown himself to be a willing runner, and one who poses questions to opposition defences. The youngster has a scored a fair number in the reserve leagues, but it is a totally different kettle of fish in the big league.

Hopefully, Tuncay Sanli will be back playing for the next Boro fixture against an in form Manchester City at Eastlands.

The Turk is another that is looking to establish himself away from his homeland. Sanli is a creative influence and will hopefully bring inspiration in the middle of the park and a link between defence and attack.

From the admittedly unreliable footage from You Tube, Tuncay has decent heading ability pace and, which allied to the physical presence of Mido gives Boro options should they wish to take the game to Citeh.

It is truly unfortunate that we lost Yakubu, and particularly Viduka over the summer months. The pairing, despite being derided for being lazy, scored goals which is possibly the most vital aspect of the game.

Mido's penchant for drifting out wide needs to be curbed - we need a presence in the box to cause the opposition centre backs a problem and the big Egyptian has the potential to provide this.

We are now adequately equipped all over the park to create and play attractive football. It is now imperative that Southgate gets the players to keep their heads up and keep doing the things that they have been doing in an attacking sense, but with a difference.

It is time to get ruthless. Whether those goals come via the backside of an oppsition defender or from thirty-yard thunderbolts it is vital that we start registering goals and points before we start having to look nervously over our shoulders.

Gareth Southgate's footballing revolution has hit a blip, but with hard work it can be overcome...

Up the Boro!

Udayan Mukherjee

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