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DEEP IN MY HEART
Middlesbrough vs. Liverpool, 12th January 2008, Riverside Stadium, Premier League
James Keen
This week we welcome a giant of world football to the Riverside as the red half of Merseyside, Liverpool, descend on Teesside in a game I can't begin to even pretend I know the outcome of.
For once though this is not completely down to the Boro and our own wobbly form.
Liverpool's bizarre selection policy whereby Rafa Benitez seems to handicap his own side by dropping Torres whenever they come up against a side that they should beat comfortably makes this game difficult to predict.
If Liverpool miss out on the top three then it's their own fault, simple as that.
They arrive at the Riverside following a draw with troubled Luton Town in the FA Cup, again a game that they should have won comfortably but they rested key players.
Boro, however, go into the game having beaten Championship high flyers Bristol City and what's more impressive, after having gone a goal behind away from home.
Boro?! Is that you?!
All and sundry turned up at Ashton Gate waiting to rub our noses in the 'magic of the FA Cup' and thanks to David Wheater's sublime goal, they were sent packing back to Fleet Street with their tails between their legs.
And so the BBC have now scheduled Boro's fourth round tie away to Mansfield for live coverage and I'd put my proverbial house on Boro disappointing the nation's press once again by progressing to the fifth round.
We've been on an improved run of form recently with four wins in seven but we still need to improve further because at the moment we are only just keeping our heads above water.
Games against sides like this weekend's visitors are stress-free days for fans. These are the days you don't worry about winning because you don't really expect it.
That said, I am quietly confident of getting a result this weekend.
Benitez has a habit of changing his side and that has only acted to unsettle his team.
He will argue that all managers play with their team by chopping and changing but if you look at the top two at the moment, Arsenal and Manchester United, their sides remain the same every week in the League, notwithstanding injuries and suspensions.
Benitez has dropped Torres more times than any sane man should. He still can't figure out whether Crouch, Voronin or Kuyt should play alongside him, if Riise is a winger or a full back or if Ryan Babel should be a striker or compete with Kewell as a winger.
He appears to have more questions than answers, a troubled mind you might say.
All that said, they still have a player who has been a scourge to us in the past, Steven Gerrard.
Gerrard is Liverpool.
Without him they don't work, they have no heartbeat. He is exactly the type of player Boro needs in the middle of the park. A leader, a figure head, a hero.
If we found our Gerrard, and our Torres, then we could be a great side.
It looks like Boro are going to take a risk in January and sign one of Brazilian duo Chaves Fred or Afonso Alves.
Alves is a man who has scored forty-nine goals in forty-nine games for Heerenveen. That's impressive but for £13.5 million I issue two words of caution, Mateja Kezman.
One man who will be looking to force the cheque book away this weekend is Mido. He is set to make his return to the squad following a very lengthy lay off.
Mido will give us a bit of balls, a bit of guts and fight, and hopefully extra threat up front.
I doubt he will start but he is a very good man to have on the bench and will keep the starting forwards on their toes.
But I don't think we'll find a leader, our Gerrard. I think one has got to emerge from our squad, someone of the nature of Lee Cattermole but with less desire to decapitate his opponent.
In recent weeks I've highlighted factors including the fact we have no obvious goalscorer, no leader and too little passion.
The lads in red need our support because unless we make them feel good about playing for this club then we'll never see our leaders emerge from the pack. Also any self respecting striker won't even consider joining us and the ones we've got will be even more afraid to shoot.
You pay your money, you have the right to a voice. But please, use it wisely! Use it for the greater good!
Up the Boro!
The Outcome: My heart has got a hunch we may play out for a 0-0 draw but my head is telling me that we will be edged out 1-0.
Last Season: Middlesbrough 0-0 Liverpool, 18/11/06, Premier League
Boro Form (most recent result first): WLWLLW
Liverpool Form: DDDWWL
Probable Teams:
Boro: Schwarzer, Young, Pogatetz, Woodgate, Huth, Boateng, Rochemback, O'Neil, Downing, Tuncay, Aliadiere.
Liverpool: Reina, Arbeloa, Hyypia, Carragher, Finnan, Alonso, Gerrard, Kewell, Babel, Crouch, Torres
Man to Watch: Fernando Torres
RETURN TO DEEP IN MY HEART INDEX HERE
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