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A YEAR OF TRANSITION - 'IT AIN'T' 1-8-07
Toby Higgins
As I sat listening to the Three Legends football phone-in on the way to Darlington's TFM Arena for Boro's pre-season game there, I was aghast to here Bernie Slaven telling one caller that he was more than a little concerned about the forthcoming season, due to reservations he held regarding Boro's firepower in attack. Before proceeding to tell the caller that, "the hardest thing to do in football is score a goal".
Clearly, he's never tried to teach Yakubu how to head a ball in a specific direction, or tried keeping Jonathan Woodgate injury free for longer than a month. Though Slaven might have had a point in suggesting scoring is now more difficult than ever. Surviving in England's top flight division is by far the most difficult, and a pressing matter for every manager outside of the top four. Or, if you're a London based Spurs supporting sports writer, the top five.
On the contrary, keeping goals out is the key to survival. Nothing more than a brief glance in the direction of Manchester City, who failed to score once at home between the turn of the year and the end of the season, yet survived with a degree of ease thanks to a solid backline of defenders. City scored only twenty nine goals all season, as many as 20th placed Watford, and yet finished six places higher and fifteen goals better off.
To this end, Boro shouldn't struggle a great deal this season. With Gareth Southgate and Colin Cooper, themselves former masters at the art of defending, of course, at the helm, as well as England and German internationals in Woodgate and Robert Huth respectively, we're in a much better position to keep goals out than many teams who will expect to finish around us next May. Getting, and then keeping, Woodgate and Huth, who are both set to miss the start of the season through injury, fit, is the trick.
Without any major international football tournament during June, this summer has proved to be somewhat of a chore. Quieter times, though, have provided an opportunity to reflect, and it was during said reflection that it struck me how much has changed at Middlesbrough Football Club during that last twelve months.
A year ago, Steve Gibson, much to the disappointment of many-a Boro fan, unveiled Southgate as Steve McClaren's replacement as the clubs new leader, and while Gibson spoke highly, and at length, about Southgate's impressive array of talents, the notion underpinning the whole decision to 'promote from within' appeared to be that of consistency.
A marked contradiction, one might say, from the views expressed by Gibson just a few weeks ago, when he explained how he sought spectacular signings to join Tuncay Sanli and Jeremie Aliadiere, in order to alter the persona and style of the side, and Southgate himself confessed the chairman has shown a desire for change.
Much has changed throughout the whole structure of the club during the past year. The backroom staff have been greatly reshuffled, most notably, the promotion of Colin Cooper to a level verging on assistant manager, and the release of Steve Round, both of which caused a noticeable, if not remarkable, change in fortunes on the pitch. Chief Scout Don Makay has also been moved on, and with the mention of names like 'Maccarone' and 'Euell, it's easy to see why.
Changes in personnel within the playing staff, as well as, for this season, it would appear, a change in the entire style and shape of the team, suggests that consistency hasn't worked as well as Gibson would have hoped. In fact, it's probably failed.
But that's not to say appointing Southgate was a mistake. He has coped admirably, given the early problems with his Pro-license, to build a team that was more than capable of surviving in the toughest league in the world, and has shown a rapid ability to learn, particularly from mistakes. And, as mentioned, the change from a rigid 4-4-2 to a more vibrant 4-3-3 will allow Southgate to create a team in his own image, rather bossing than a side with a more than a scattering of McClaren leftovers, and trademarks.
Meanwhile, Gibson himself, as ever, deserves hefty praise. While I'm not naïve enough to believe, even for a moment, that his announcement regarding 'spectacular signings' had nothing to do with the imminent distribution of season ticket renewal application forms, lesser men would have stuck to their pledge for consistency, and wouldn't have allowed the club to embark on a total make-over, which many fans believed a necessity after the UEFA Cup Final debacle.
The worry is though, that the damage has already been done. With Boro being reported as the only side in the entire division to have sold fewer season tickets than less season, it might be the case that Boro's wayward form during the last 12 months, coupled with what some fans might see as a visible lack of direction are causing fans to switch off from the Boro, and stay away from games.
Of course, match day price inflation, the increased 'us and them' strain placed on the relationship between fans and players, and the ever rising number of games shown on various television channels, both legally and illegally during the season are factors, though, if it transpires that we are indeed the only side to have sold fewer tickets than last year, then the problem is much more localised than is being acknowledged.
Football fans of the North East are typically a loyal and passionate bunch, who like their football the same way they like their alcohol. It needs to be plentiful, free-flowing and, most importantly, it needs to make them feel good about themselves. And once the feel good factor, which frankly, has been lacking since Southgate's appointment, returns, so will fans.
It won't happen overnight, but to the same end, it won't take many decent displays for the fans to flock back - even if it is initially on a match-to-match basis. It's up to everyone at MFC to strive to ensure it happens, though the upcoming campaign shouldn't be dubbed one 'of transition'. Gibson and Southgate have been ironing out the creases behind the scenes in the last twelve months; it's time to see some these changes take affect on the pitch.
Finally, congratulations to everyone who has taken up a writing position within ComeOnBoro.com towers for this season, and a special mention to our new editor, Peter Hillerby. Good luck to us all.
Same time next week.
UpTheBoro.
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