Boro Mania

Sadly for Boro fans, we are entering 2009 in a spell of comprehensive doom and gloom. Seven games without a win. Question marks over Afonso Alves. Question marks over Mido. Question marks over Tuncay, Downing and O’Neil. Oh, and yet more question marks over Afonso Alves.

Keane is the latest in a long list of great players to fall short of greatness in management. Bryan Robson features prominently with Keegan on that list. Paul Ince might be the next in line. Gianfranco Zola may not be far behind him.

As a young man living his dream of playing for his boyhood club, Andrew Taylor could be forgiven for wondering why he is so unpopular.

Middlesbrough 0 – 0 Newcastle United
Electric atmosphere and atrocious weather – it must be derby day on Teesside!
Boro went in to the Tyne-Tees derby today without Gary O’Neil, who had picked up an injury. His replacement Julio Arca made a welcome return to the starting line-up, and Boro were also boosted by the return to [...]

Regardless of any frivolous doom and gloom mongering (we are still tenth in the table) there is one real stand-out problem for Boro. Brazilian striker Afonso Alves is not scoring goals.

Last season, Wheater was a revelation. He made a seamless transition from academy prospect to Premier League star. This season Wheater is being given new challenges as his place in the first team has come under threat.

Stewart Downing is an enigma – targeted by England boo-boys, yet coveted by the big clubs.

It is a mark of how young a squad is when Julio Arca, at 27, is considered a veteran. The Middlesbrough squad is one of, if not the, youngest in the league and they will be welcoming back a few of the more experienced players following injury and suspension.