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DEEP IN MY HEART
Middlesbrough vs Everton, 1st January 2008, Riverside Stadium, Premier League
James Keen
That's it. I give in. I really do.
What is going on at the Riverside? Results are more erratic than the mood swings of a pregnant lesbian and I don't think my heart can take any more of it.
Yes, I know we've always been like that. We'll beat Arsenal, Chelsea, Manchester United and Liverpool and lose to Notts County, Watford, Sheffield United and Birmingham, but surely, at some point, we must find some sort of consistency one way or another?
When I expect us to win we lose, when we don't have a hope in hell we win.
Portsmouth was one of those games.
Having seen Boro play like a pack of blind, docile koalas in the Midlands, we put in a show that would've made Winston Churchill blush.
Alright, it was only 1-0. But it was a clean sheet away, a win against a side who could have made the top six with a win against us and a defensive performance unparalleled by anything at Boro in a number of years.
It just beggars belief.
In my last article I accused of the players of lacking heart, of lacking spirit, and of being too rich to understand the value of the club to its people.
Well, maybe I was wrong because the result against Pompey took guts, character and a big pair of balls.
Now it's up to the players and the management to ensure that we carry the same spirit and performance into the game against Everton because that is the true test of their passion for our beloved Boro.
We should at least take heart from the fact that we are able to keep winning the absolute must win games, the games to keep us out of the relegation zone, or at least keep us in touch with the rest.
It appears though that once we get into a relatively comfortable position, like now, four points clear of third bottom and in fourteenth position, we switch off and let ourselves get hoyed back into the mix.
We need to continue to look over our shoulder until the bottom three are well out of sight or we will be embroiled in the battle.
All that said, my hat did come off to the lads. Indeed, many people have collectively bowed their heads to a result that shouldn't be underestimated.
With Mohammed Shawky replacing George Boateng in the middle, Dong-Gook covering for Aliadiere and Robert Huth making his first start in place of David Wheater, we had a side with not many minutes under their belts and a team that many would class as weakened.
But what the changes did, along with the return of Gary O'Neil against his former club, was freshen the team up and give it new meaning. Those players weren't just playing for the team, they were playing for themselves.
They want a place in the side and after that showing probably deserve another crack against Everton.
Of course, the big pre-match talking point will be the return of our latest villain, Yakubu, to the Riverside.
The Yak has been in top form for Everton, firing in nine goals already. Although, us Boro fans should remember that the Yak very rarely scores after the turn of the year.
Yakubu would've been coming back as a hero but for his terrible behaviour in his final game for the club at Wigan, where he allowed pass after pass to simply bounce off him, putting pressure on the team and ensuring we started the season with two successive defeats.
He will be one to watch, although he won't be Everton's only threat in the New Years Day fixture. Tim Cahill, scorer in the correspondent fixture last season, has hit six goals this season in spite of his injury problems, and so will be a big danger man.
Everton lost in unfortunate circumstances against Arsenal, a 4-1 reverse was far from a fair reflection of the game, but the Gunners managed to capitalise on their possession. Perhaps Everton tried to play too much football, unlike Boro who a few weeks back simply ensured Arsenal had no time and then played snappy quick attacking football.
Under David Moyes, Everton have always been a hard working side. They battle and scrap for every inch. But recently they have started to believe themselves as a potential challenger to the top four and so their football has started to morph a little.
Key to that football has been Mikkel Arteta but with his suspension they may have to adapt their game a tad.
Boro though must come out fighting, take the attitude and spirit we had on the South coast on to the Riverside turf and give our fans a glimpse of the Boro as they should be - a hard working, tough side.
A major factor to Boro's performance at Fratton Park was the first ever outing for Boro's 'first choice' back four.
Young, Woodgate, Huth and Pogatetz are our senior players in defensive positions and their abilities shouldn't be underestimated.
Players like Wheater and Taylor have a part to play but the back four that started against Portsmouth could be the one to take us forward.
And let us hope that our inspired Turkish superstar keeps banging the goals in at the other end!
It's been an unusual season and one that has become so unpredictable that Mark Lawrenson has even predicted us to win a game or two rather than using his default 2-0 to our opposition prediction.
I give in on trying to understand our fair club. I'm just gonna take each game as it comes and keep my fingers crossed!
The Outcome: In my heart I'm thinking a 1-1, but my head tells me that they are a good side and not to be surprised by a 2-1 defeat.
Last season: Middlesbrough 2-1 Everton, 14/10/06, Premier League, Yakubu 27 (pen), Viduka 71, Cahill 77.
Boro Form (most recent result first): WLLWWD
Everton Form: LWLWWW
Probable Teams:
Boro: Schwarzer, Young, Pogatetz, Woodgate, Wheater, Huth, Arca, Rochemback, Downing, Tuncay, Lee.
Everton: Howard, Lescott, Jagielka, Hibbert, Yobo, Carsley, Neville, Pienaar, Cahill, Yakubu, Johnson.
Man to Watch: Andy Johnson
RETURN TO DEEP IN MY HEART INDEX HERE
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