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MIDO: A QUESTION OF COMMITMENT 6-11-07
Jeff Winter
Down the years Boro have had some legends as goal scorers - Camsell, Clough, Peacock, Horsfield, Hickton, O'Rourke and Slaven to name but a few.
Of late we have seen Ravenelli, Boksic, Viduka and Yakubu grace the Riverside. Differing talents but with attitudes that were often more evident than their abilities.
Well we got rid of the Yak and got a different proposition in Mido. Or did we?
He arrived in typical tub thumping style, wound up the Geordies and played on through the pain barrier against Sunderland.
We had a new hero, a talisman - the front man who would run, challenge and link up our new-found attacking style of play.
There were critics in the game however. This man changes clubs as often as some of us change our shreddies and there has been a history of spats and run-ins with team mates in the past.
But that goes with the territory nowadays. We could live with that. We had a hero who wanted to be here, who claimed that Boro were a potential top six side.
The big problem was that we were going to lose him in January. Well, hang on a minute, let's back track. We lost him virtually as soon as he arrived.
I have never got my head around the "missed a pre-season" argument. A professional footballer, aware that he is to be sold by Spurs, may be lacking in pre-season match fitness. But surely personal pride or ambition would mean that his personal fitness would be spot on?
Rumours are rife that his attitude has been "Boksic-like" as he has been preparing himself to regain full fitness. If this is true then we have jumped out of the frying pan into the fire with his signing. The trouble is we need him badly as Saturday's punchless attacking display showed.
I wait with interest to see if this week sees him back in action. When all is said and done Michael Owen can have an operation and within eight days be playing and scoring for club and country.
At Boro we seem to have this endless problem of training ground injuries and new signings having ongoing treatment. Who does the medicals Dr.Spock??
Steve Gibson was 100% correct in his summing up of some professional footballers last week - it is the players and not the clubs or the managers that cause problems with players' performances. Some are just too rich now to really care.
Mido in my humble opinion should realise where his bread and butter, or should I say caviar and champagne, comes from. He should get back on the pitch and do what he is paid for and forget about the African Nations Cup in January.
He owes the Boro big style and if he is genuine about us becoming a top six club then he should realise that him being here is more likely to make it happen. Or perhaps the prospect of a fight against relegation does not feature in his future plans?
I sincerely hope that I am wrong, though many in the game share my concerns. We have had more than our share of bad apples in the past and they only rock the boat further when things are not going well.
This Sunday is a massive game for us and Bolton appear to have their old fighting spirit back. We need to match them. Is Mido hungry enough? Only he knows that. But let's hope he starts earning his dough on Sunday!
Saturday saw many frustrations for the fans but I don't think those who turn on individual players are doing us any good. I will continue to champion the cause of the fans though as if we don't keep the pressure up then nothing will change. On a match day, however, we must get behind the team.
My number is 01642 616666, so give me a call on a Saturday evening from 5.30 till 7pm.
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