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WINTER'S WORLD: MATCHDAY 4. LEICESTER CITY v MIDDLESBROUGH, CHAMPIONSHIP
16th August 2010
A 10.00am meet at Vic's house and for the second time in five days I was joining the Gazette's Anthony Vickers and Eric Paylor, along with Boro's Dave Allan on the road to watch the Boro and hopefully secure their first Championship points of the season.
The feeling in the car was that whilst we all wanted a win, a point would be good and that's how it turned out to be. Instead of DA's luxury Boro car, it was the turn of the Gazette to drive and we were all impressed with the almost brand new fleet car that we were heading south in.
The initial rapture was soon to disappear however, as without visible or indeed audible notification, a nasty crack appeared on the corner of the windscreen. The normal craic was replaced by concern that this crack might cause problems during the course of the day. Not a good start and hopefully not sign of things to come!
I enjoy the company of these knowledgeable football folk, so being a team player, I had tried to contribute to the effort. During the week whilst shopping at Macro, I had invested in a large box of what I believed to be all football fan's favourites. I was somewhat disappointed when both DA and EP were not orgasmically enthralled by my provision of Wagon Wheels to enhance the travelling picnic.
Well, fuck them. More for Vic and I. Call themselves football fans; they probably were not brought up on dunking Newbould's sausage rolls into Bovril at half-time either!
When not assessing and measuring the size of the crack we, as usual, put the world to rights and talked not only about Boro but football matters in general. We all decided that Blackpool were going to finish bottom of the Premiership and probably with an all time points low! Also we were amazed at the appointment of Lee Cattermole as Sunderland captain. I suggested he would probably be sent off within the first five or six games. Well I was only four and a half games out!
Leicester City was the venue for Boro's last away Championship game in May and the others suggested that facilities, or more to the point, refreshments were not the best for the media. Surprise, surprise, the usual diet of the press corps, namely pies, were eventually presented, thanks to a sponsorship deal with Pukka. The choice, chicken, steak, balti or cheese pasties. I partook of the steak variety followed of course by a wagon wheel.
Boro and Leicester players enter the field before their Championship clash at the Walkers stadium.
So to the match and a point, which got my charity bets up and running for the season. Deserved I thought, even though we had to withstand a lot of pressure. Their gaffer, De Sousa, felt his side were brilliant and dominated the game. Well the corner count was impressive, but we had more possession, so I did not entirely agree with him. Perhaps I cannot take him too seriously as he reminds me of a 70's Swedish porn star. 'Seven-inch' De Sousa rides again!
Gambling on football is precarious at the best of times, but a near impossible task would be to ever correctly guess Boro's starting eleven. Like Southgate before him, Strachan is nothing but unpredictable. He certainly does not lack courage and is happy to give youth a chance.
The game started with a flurry of free kicks to the home side which had Eric Paylor suggesting that the ref, Mike Jones, might be a homer. As it turned out he was to upset the home supporters a lot more than the visiting ones. Overall though he did not have a bad game, though he confused many on a few occasions by blowing for an offence and not immediately signalling which way he had given it.
Boro's travelling fans tried their best to get behind the team and outshouted the home support who spurred on by the bare chested heavyweight drummer who continuously rallied the Leicester fans. He was affectionately referred to by the Boro fans as "you fat bastard". I know him personally as 'Jobber', so he got a polite text from me suggesting where he might stick his fucking drum. He is actually a top guy, a Leicester nut who is a real character.
Regarding the Boro, I still cannot get used to seeing Kevin Thomson and Kris Boyd in red. It would appear that may not be a problem with the former in the immediate future and for the second successive Saturday we witnessed a Boro player leave the field early on a stretcher. I witnessed Thommo carried off for Rangers when he did his cruciate a couple of seasons ago. Hopefully he will not be out for as long this time around.
Boro don't look favourites for promotion in any way at present. It is very early days, but more wheeling and dealing in the transfer market looks necessary before the end of the month if we are going to make the favourites tag look realistic.
A hard earned point at the Walkers Stadium and Boro players applaud their travelling fans.
Positives, the Redcar Rock, David Wheater back to his brilliant best. He puts it down to the presence of 'Mick' McManus. Worryingly, before long the money clubs might start sniffing again. On that front how long before we get a big offer for Jason Steele? £25,000 grand a week to be a bench warmer in the Champions League seems an offer Boro goalkeepers cannot refuse. Two games into his career and it is clear this young man has a great future.
The other good point was the return of Gary O'Neil. At this level he is a very good player and we need him. Roll on the beginning of September.
Kris Boyd is a goal scorer, nothing more nothing less, In two games he has not had a sniff and if we don't create chances it is a complete waste of time even playing him! Nicky Bailey probably had his best game yet, but where is this box to box player who scores goals? We have seen nothing to suggest he will get into the opponents penalty area yet, let alone score goals.
A big issue seller, or a street beggar? Not quite; it's the Gazette's excellent Boro reporter Anthony Vickers getting comfortable on the floor in the corridors at the Walkers Stadium to complete his post match reports.
Please God, or Gord, do something about the full-backs. Hoyte is just not the answer at right or left back and Matthew Bates is not a full back either. After he got booked he was always likely to be caught out for pace by DJ Campbell and risk being sent off. Thank goodness the Leicester flyer switched flanks in the second half.
It was pleasing though, in the last quarter to see Boro go for it. In the past subs would have been made to shore up midfield and settle for a point. We brought on attackers, possibly because we only had one defender on the bench! We had the posession but never really looked like scoring.
My bet on Boyd to be the Championship's leading scorer appears as unlikely as my wager that Blackpool will finish bottom of the Prem!
Early days!!
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