Southgate walks, you get the call, who do you pick against Newcastle?
By Shaun • May 7th, 2009 • Category: Featured ArticlesOk so picture the scenario, a few days before the biggest game of the season against Newcastle Gareth Southgate decides he's had enough and walks. You get the call, obviously Gibson has heard about your outstanding acheivment in getting Peterborough to the Champions League in Football Manager, and he entrusts the future of Middlesbrough Football Club to you.
So what is your starting eleven for the crunch game with the Geordies?
I would play a 4-4-2 system, keep it simple, no need to go out all guns blazing and risk conceding an early goal.
GK: Brad Jones - In truth I would prefer to have Ross Turnbull in goal and I believe, if his prolonged absence from the team is due to him not signing a new contract then it is yet another mistake on Southgate's part. The problem is, he has been out of the side for so long that it would be a massive risk throwing him back in for this game.
RB: Tony McMahon - I want some passion in the team and I want some local lads who understand what's at stake, McMahon gives 100% and his passion will hopefully spread to his team mates.
LB: Justin Hoyte - I deliberated over this one for a while, Andrew Taylor or Pogatetz are options but I'm going to go with the pace of Hoyte. I realise he is right footed but i'm sure he would no issues filling in on the left.
CB: David Wheater - For me Wheater has had a poor second season and has been found out a few times but I still think he is one of the best defenders at the club and, more than most, will appreciate what this game means to the fans.
CB: Robert Huth - Huth has been a disappointment for me this season, but on his day he can be an imposing figure for the opposition forwards. Scored at St James' last season.
RM: Gary O'Neil - I would like someone on the right hand side who can give some cover defensively to the right fullback. Jeremie Aliadiere would not be that man, Gary O'Neil can play the role and still get forward to support.
LM: Stewart Downing - Stewart Downing will be gone at the end of the season whatever happens to Boro, who knows where to though. Now is the time for Stewy to pay back the club for his poor season and show his class to give us a fighting chance of survival.
CM: Didier Digard - The centre of midfield is shockingly light on bodies and quality. Digard, when fit, has shown glimpses of potential and his return may just be the spark we needed. His aggressive tackling and probing passing makes him a must starter.
CM: Tuncay - I really wasn't sure on this one, but what are the alternatives? Matthew Bates, Julio Arca, Shawky? I worry about Tuncay's discipline to play this role and would prefer to play him in a more attacking formation but I would like to see 2 out an out centre forwards up top so Tuncay slots into the midfield.
ST: Afonso Alves - Yes he has flopped for us this season but I am sick of seeing him sit on the bench whilst the likes of King and Aliadiere pose no threat to the opposition goal. Badly mis-managed by Southgate, Alves still poses a threat and I fancy him for a goal.
ST: Marlon King - Alves needs someone to play up top with him, someone who will do the dirty work and occupy the centre halves. Play King up top with him and see if the two can forge something together.
So what do you think? There is obviously a reason i'm not a manager of a football club, I wasn't even that good on Football Manager, but that is the team I would pick. What would you do?
Shaun is A Boro fan and owner of BoroMania.com. Born and brought up in the North East. Favourite players are Juninho, Slaven and David Wheater.
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doesn’t matter who ya’s put out we’ll smash ya’s inside and outside the ground C’MON
Marc, you haven’t smashed anybody all season you clown.
Turnbull
Bates
Pogatetz
Wheater
Huth
Aliadiere
Downing
O’Neil
Digard
Tuncay
Alves
We don’t have a great deal of options to be honest. My team would be more like the one in the article but I can’t see Southgate playing Alves and King together and I think he’ll keep Bates in the side.
I agree with your selection. I’m also equally tired of seeing Alves on the bench - chronic mis-management by Southgate - similar sorry saga to Maccerone - who is now scoring for fun again in Serie A - why do we play people out of position or ask them to do a job that is simply not their style. We bought Alves to score goals, he’s shown glimpses of what is undoubtedly, real talent. But he will never score from the bench and will never regain his confidence if he’s not given a good run. King, in my opinion, just wont score goals full stop. But I think he will provide that battering ram support that may help Alves rekindle his spark…. We simply must beat the skunks - to do that we must score - Aliadiere and King simply don’t cut it.
Don’t worry about Marc’s comments, he’s a prat but he’s right about one thing, we will beat you on the pitch, I thought our team had lost all hope of staying up but you’re are no better & we have the home advantage, so 52000 fans behind the team will make this a win-win situation for the Geordies, sorry lads, we need the points just as much, so won’t be holding anything back in this & the next 2 games
Confident geordie, Cyprus-Toon. I have plenty of mates who are Geordies and none of them are quite as confident but thanks for the comment. I’m not so sure the 52000 fans will be a good thing for your team if it’s still 0-0 going into the last half hour, i can see them getting on the teams back. Going to be a tense game thats for sure, hopefully Boro to nick it by the odd goal.
Shaun, i reckon you should do a player to player article! Line up the two teams expected for monday and see who is stronger where! Would make good for a good article! Plus you would get a few toon hits from News now!!
Good idea Jaymes, send me your Newcastle team for the game and i’ll have a go at it.
This is the team i think will play (but not the team i want to)
Harper
Beye Taylor Bassong Duff
Butt Smith (if fit)
Nolan
Owen Martins
Viduka
I would like the following team:
Harper
Beye Taylor Bassong Taylor
Gutierrez Nolan Smith (if fit) Duff
Carroll Martins
- Bring Viduka and Owen on at 60mins if we are not winning
I would play
GK Ross Turnbull - you made a very good point Shaun, I nearly changed my mind but Turnbull played well when thrown into the Liverpool game, I think I’d take the risk (and you said we would have a few days notice so I can see how sharp he looks in traiining)
RB Tony McMahon, his form is a bit dodgy but at his best he’s outstanding and at his worst I’d say he’s still better than the alternatives except Justin Hoyte but he’s needed elsewhere
CB I want to play Chris Riggott, he’s been great imo but I’m not sure if he’ll be fit. So I’ll play Wheater with Pogatetz if he’s fit and Huth if he isn’t and maybe bring Riggott on as a sub if possible. Like you say Wheater and Huth haven’t been brilliant but Wheater has the potential to be that good and who else is there?
LB Justin Hoyte, he’s a right back but at least he’s a full back and I don’t think Andrew Taylor is that great as far as his footballing skills or his attitude goes. I’m pretty sure Hoyte’s played left back for Arsenal (not the 1st team tho) and he played lb last week, altho he wasnt great he should have more of a feel for it this time. Pogi can do a good job here but if he’s fit I think you need him cb
RM - Gary O’Neil, I think he played well here last time and with Digard fit he can be spared from central midfield.
CM - Didier Digard & Josh Walker. Digard can supply moments of brilliance, Walker has lots of passion and he’s always done well as far as I’ve seen
LM Stewart Downing - he’s got the quality, now he needs to show us more of it. If he wants to leave he needs to show his future employers his quality too
ST Afonso Alves and Tuncay. Tuncay has to be in it somewhere, he works so hard and he has worked well with Alves in the past. I haven’t been that impressed with King but Alves seems to play better against ‘lesser’ clubs and if any teams in the epl qualify Newcastle is probably 1 of them
Good luck, I really want Boro to stay up, don’t tell anyone but I even supported you against Arsenal!
Turnbull
Hoyte Huth Wheater McMahon
O’Neil Tuncay Digard Downing
Alves Emnes
———Jones————
Hoyte–Huth–Wheater–McMahon
o’Neil–Tuncay–Digard–Downing
——-Alves—-King——–
—————————Jones—————–
McMahon–Wheater — Huth — Hoyte
————————-Digard——————
—————-O’Neil———Downing——
————————Tuncay——————
————–King ————-Alves———-
That’s my team, and if I were to speak to Southgate man-to-man about it I’d make sure this was what he played BUT i think Bates and Aliadiere will both start. Aliadiere probably instead of Alves (which leaves us never looking like scoring a goal ever again) and probably Bates instead of Digard (which means we won’t control the midfield). These two work hard and do good jobs but they don’t do the key things required for the positions they have been playing, ie score goals for Ali and run the game for Bates.
[...] we don’t know the lineups for the game so I have taken the lineup I put forward in a previous article and for the Newcastle lineup I used the one in Jaymes’ comment on the same [...]
Jones
McMahon Wheater Bates Hoyte
O’Neil Digard Tuncay Downin
Alves Aliadiere/King