|
 |
DEEP IN MY HEART
Middlesbrough vs. Reading, 1st March 2008, Riverside Stadium, Premier League
James Keen
Sadly we have to drag ourselves away from the magic of the FA Cup to think about the monotony of League Football this weekend and a game with relegation haunted Reading.
Struggling in their second season in the top flight, Reading are looking at the very bleak and realistic possibility of relegation back to the Championship just a year after a top half finish.
The problem here is that after eight league defeats on the bounce, no goal in five and no clean sheets since October, they play us! A team with a history of letting teams and players end bad runs. 1-0 to Reading anyone?
Let’s just hope that this time it’s not us and that we extend that losing run further. To be fair, we should.
With just one defeat since New Year’s Day, we are in a run of form that some would describe as good. We may not have been convincing in this run, but then that’s what makes a good team: winning when not playing well.
Reading have had some horrible runs and their backline has had a horrendous time, including conceding seven against Portsmouth and six against Spurs. This is from a team who last term kept ten to fifteen clean sheets in the Premiership.
Boro must capitalise, as must our forwards.
The Sheffield United game was a banker for the forwards to get their goals rolling in again but we misfired. Today, we may be feeling a little less confident than we should be.
I was impressed, as were many, with Alves’ first start. He looked quick, strong and determined. He also looks like a player who won’t take kindly to another blank on his record.
He looks greedy. Exactly what we want from our forwards.
The major point of concern from the United game though was the nervousness of our backline.
Without Huth and Wheater, we seemed a little on edge. Pogatetz was immense and Grounds was comfortable, but Young seemed to have half an eye on the young Hines in the middle of defence.
It meant that our midfield were a little cagier than we’d have liked and if it wasn’t for the positivity and creation of Downing, and then O’Neil, we could have seen a negative result.
I don’t think Hines played well. He seemed too concerned with not making mistakes and didn’t play his natural game. As his goal against Hull last season showed, he is a talented player who is comfortable on the ball.
The occasion and the prize was maybe a little much for him.
The biggest decision facing the Boro this weekend is who to play up front.
Tuncay is more lively and hard working than both Mido and Alves but his finishing was poor on Wednesday. However, I would plum for him alongside Alves or Mido because you need the hardworking foil for players like them.
And with a static forward line we will make it easy for Reading to mark us, diminishing our chances of winning.
Reading has struggled across the park this season. Doyle hasn’t hit the heights of last season and without Steve Sidwell they lack a lot of the invention they had last season.
They now look like a Championship side and Boro can help send them back there.
With Sunderland playing Derby this weekend, we need a win to keep them off our tails, of course assuming that Derby won’t pull off a shock.
Our skunk friends also have a good chance of a first win under Keegan with a home tie against Blackburn.
A victory for Boro will keep us above both sides and will pull us closer to the top ten.
We need victory and we should be able to capitalise on a side devoid of confidence and stuck in a rut.
It is a chance to edge us closer to safety and then we can concentrate on knocking out Jimmy and co in the quarter final. It’ll ease the pressure.
It’ll be tough, the relegation battle starts in earnest in the coming weeks and so we need to capitalise now.
Victory is important and it should also be expected.
C’mon Boro!
The Outcome: My heart tells me we will win 2-0 but my head asks me to calm down a bit, 1-0.
Last season (Premier League): Middlesbrough 2-1 Reading, Viduka 7, Yakubu 69, Oster 87 (24/2/07)
Boro Form (most recent result first): WLDWDW
Reading Form: LLLLLL
Probable Teams:
Boro: Schwarzer, Young, Pogatetz, Huth, Wheater, O’Neil, Arca, Rochemback, Downing, Tuncay, Alves
Reading: Hahnemann, Sonko, Shorey, Murty, Cisse, Matejovsky, Oster, Hunt, Harper, Kitson, Doyle
Man to Watch: Dave Kitson
RETURN TO DEEP IN MY HEART INDEX HERE
 |
|
|
|
