Boro Mania

Week two of the Premier League is over, and its been a great start for the Boro football wise.

Signs of Improvement

It’s been something like eight years since we have managed to win our opening game. Personally i’d like to take that as an omen for good things to come.

Many fans weren’t singing the praises of Gibbo when he appointed Southgate manager just over two years ago. The negative football in the league was a main talking point amongst not only our fans, but we were labelled ‘Boring Boro’ by fans from other teams also. It does have an element of truth to it, but i still think Bolton can keep that crown!

When Southgate was appointed he made the promise to play attractive, attacking football that the fans would enjoy coming to watch week after week. Regulars to the games would agree, while there were flashes of what Southgate wanted to see, there was still the ‘McClaren’ element embedded into the team… the element of long balls and overly direct play with little to no technical astuteness.

“Rome wasnt built in a day” is the saying, and two years on we’re finally seeing the image that Southgate had for the team, which is a good level of technical ability, lots of pace and a regime based on absolute fitness. Southgate has assembled the squad he targeted himself in only his third year of management. I will admit I havent agreed with all of Southgate’s management and on-field decisions, but I hope those fans who were calling for his head after his first season in charge are ashamed of themselves.

As i’ve stated, it’s been a brilliant start to the season so far with our convincing win over Tottenham on the opening day, and our defeat at Anfield only days ago… a game which flattered Liverpool and one we deserved to take the points from.

Southgate looks to have engraved the ideas of not only working as a team, but also a winning mentality. Obviously he doesnt expect to beat the bigger teams in the league, that would be naive, but as long as the players know that they can play at that level, that if they have a positive mind, total concentration and the will to win on their own, then they can go far and that winning mentality, the will to win and do your all, will stay with the team.

The only problem I can see upto now is that inherant lack of co-ordination at the death. The defense seems to lose cohesion and grow complacent.

A cheap free kick was given away against Spurs, and then unfortunately for Huth he put it in the back of his own net, but against Liverpool it was just as bad, and even more costly. Why Carragher was allowed to run into the box in the first place is beyond me. The defense was just stood there in dreamland. Gerrards goal was just as bad. He was roaming un-marked on the edge of the area, no one was giving him a second thought… then one simple long ball into the defence, deflected out and bang, a 20 yard strike in the top bin. Its this type of loose defending which is going to cost us, especially against the bigger teams.

While i can see all the positives the squad has this year, its this complacency at the end of the match which, if not fixed, will be the catalyst for failiure and negative progression, it undoes all of the hard work put in upfront.

Here’s hoping for an improved defensive display against Stoke this weekend.

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