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ALI'S BIG MATCH PREVIEW - MIDDLESBROUGH v BLACKBURN ROVERS 10-8-07
Alastair Brownlee
It all starts for real this weekend as Boro face Blackburn Rovers at the Riverside and I sense a real determination from Gareth Southgate that in his second season in charge the team play fast, attacking football with the aim to attract back the fans who for whatever reason have fallen by the wayside.
I spoke to the boss at his press conference on Thursday and he stressed that he wants the players to play with a spirit of adventure and not worry about making mistakes. certainly if those instructions are carried out then there is every reason to feel optimistic about what lies ahead between now and May 2008.
Living in the Boro I am well aware that some fans will take a lot of convincing to return to the Riverside. Finances in many households are very tight and some of the football played in recent seasons has been a pale imitation of the early years when Emerson, Juninho and Ravanelli made a season ticket for the Riverside the most sought after possession on Teesside.
So what are the Brownlee rose tinted spectacles reasons to be cheerful?
Well, Boro are about to enter their tenth consecutive season of Premiership football which is something that once great clubs now languishing outside the top flight such as Leeds United, Nottingham Forest, Sheffield Wednesday would gladly swap for the position they now find themselves in.
I also think that the summer signings can make a real impact.
Tuncay comes with a proven goal scoring record both for Fenerbache and at international level for Turkey. The fans love him in his home country, just ask any Boro fan who has spent their holidays in Turkey, and goal scoring is not his only quality. He also works incredibly hard for the team.
Jeremie Aliadiere has pace and after learning his trade at Arsenal now needs to step up to the demands of playing Premiership football week in week out.
As for Luke Young his ability to fill the right back role and possibly push for inclusion in the England squad is undoubted.
Already I can hear my friend and goal scoring legend Bernie shouting "Ali give a balanced view". Clearly the number of injuries to the central defenders has to be a worry and without Jonathan Woodgate and Emanuel Pogatetz to start the season leaves Gareth unable to pick one of the best central defensive partnerships in the top flight.
In addition, whilst Boro are determined to hold onto Yakubu, let's hope that all the talk of a move away from the Riverside hasn't unsettled the Nigerian international who is desperately in need of refinding his Premiership goal scoring touch as his scoreless run now stretches back to February.
Getting off to a good start is just what is required and the opening three fixtures, Blackburn at home followed by Wigan and Fulham away hold out the hope of getting points on the board.
Blackburn will, however, be a tough test and they have a good record against Boro coming out on top in the last five league and cup encounters.
The clash at the Riverside last season was decided by Nondas twenty-seventh minute header and up front Rovers, who already possess the dangerous Benni McCarthy who hit eighteen Premiership goals last season (second to Drogba on twenty goals in the race for the Barclays Golden Boot), have added further firepower with the signing of Roque Santa Cruz.
The Paraguayan international cost £3.3 million pounds from Bayern Munich and impressed in the thirty minutes he played in the friendly 3-0 win over Preston.
Certainly, Mark Hughes believes this is the strongest squad he has assembled so we have been warned.
In terms of pre season build up I thought Boro looked very good against AZ Alkmaar and I was delighted to see Stewart Downing get the first goal.
I am a big fan of Stewie's and would urge all the Boro fans to get right behind the winger. He celebrated his twenty-third birthday recently and has the international and Premiership experience to go with his undoubted talent.
It is often difficult for a local boy to get the attention paid to a million pound plus signing but Stewie is top quality and could be the key to turning our hopes for a good season into reality.
Opening day matches have not been lucky affairs for Boro as the Boksic and Job inspired 3-1 victory at Coventry back on 19 August 2000 remains the only opening day maximum in twelve attempts but Blackburn are also slow starters as they have won only one opening match in seven when they defeated Wolves 5-1 in August 2003.
Away from the Premiership build up the news that Century FM would not be able to provide commentary this season was, personally, very hard to take.
I have been incredibly privileged as a Boro fan that first attended Ayresome Park in 1967 to have reported and commentated on the team since 1982.
In that time I have commentated on over 1,000 matches and achieved a lifetime ambition when on 29 February 2004 I witnessed Gareth Southgate lift the Carling Cup and turn Boro into winners, at last.
The news broke whilst I was on holiday and it does still seem sad that the airwaves cannot have a freedom of choice for Boro fans who could decide whether or not to listen to Ali and Bernie or Paul and Gary.
Nevertheless, I do hope that Century will be able to regain the rights in the future and Bernie and I can be back doing what we enjoy the most, providing a top quality service to Boro fans that cannot be at the match.
I would like to thank all the fans who have sent letters and e-mails of support. I have kept all of them and at what was personally a very tough time provided me with a huge boost and proved that Boro fans are the best.
For the season ahead I will be at every game providing match reports for Century and the determination of the radio station to not walk away from Boro was proved this week when Bernie and I were asked to present a new show, Simply Red on Sunday, starting this Sunday from 11am until 1pm. I hope you will enjoy the Boro banter and pick up the phone and join in the fun.
I am also to grateful to Tyne Tees who have asked me to provide my own insight into every home match, so catch that on North East Tonight on Monday from 6pm.
I remain, as always, a Boro fan and hope that this Saturday evening we are celebrating the first three points of the season..
UP THE BORO !!!!!!!
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