Viduka shows Boro what they are missing
By Shaun • May 12th, 2009 • Category: Featured ArticlesHe may not have got onto the scoresheet last night but former Boro favourite Mark Viduka was the best player on the St James' Park pitch as Boro slumped to yet another away day defeat.
The Aussie, a player Boro essentially couldn't afford to keep, was everything Afonso Alves and Marlon King weren't. Viduka was too good and too powerful for Boro's makeshift defence, when he is on his game there is no better player in the league at holding the ball up and bringing players into the play. It was extremely disheartening to see the ball stick with Viduka everytime Newcastle launched it forward, taking the pressure off their backline and allowing the likes of Nolan, Duff and Butt the time to get forward to join the attack. Whenever Boro launched it forward it came straight back at them, admittedly it may have something to do with the fact that Marvin Emnes was the target of the high balls and he isn't exactly tall!
I am not trying to say that we should have kept him because he has missed most of the season at Newcastle and not exactly set them alight when he has played but last night he was streets ahead of Boro's attacking options.
Moving on to the game last night I couldn't really believe my eyes when I saw the starting 11. McMahon out for Hoyte with Andrew Taylor coming in at left back, Mohamed Shawky and O'Neil in the centre of midfield and Marvin Emnes up front?! With Tuncay and Downing on the wings, maybe not the worst idea in the world, but Stewart Downing played on the right? Haven't we tried that before?
I think essentially Southgate took our best player and effectively nullified him for a large portion of the game, playing him on the right (square pegs in round holes anyone?) and then moving him to left back later in the game was completely wasting our best player.
Boro fans only had to wait three minutes for a combination of an Alves run and pass, and a clever Tuncay flick to unhinge the Geordie defence. Harper managed to get out and saved the shot at the Turk's feet, but the unfortunate Beye ran into the ball and bounced it into his own net.
Typically though Boro had raised the expectations and hopes of the Boro fans before dashing them on the rocks. A corner was headed home by Steven Taylor to level the scores, despite Kevin Nolan blocking off Matthew Bates the goal stood.
Newcastle came on strong after the goal and Mark Viduka struck the upright but Boro always looked threatening on the break and it was the pace and running of Emnes that was stretching their defence. The Dutchman had a fantastic opportunity to put Boro back into the lead when, having seen his first shot blocked, he turned the Newcastle defender well but slid his finish just wide of the post.
Boro then lost Afonso Alves after a nasty looking challenge from Nicky Butt, it looks likely that the final sight of Alves in a Boro shirt will be him lying prostrate on the St James' pitch after it has been confirmed he has broken a bone in his foot. The equally ineffectual Marlon King came on to replace him and that tells it's own story. When Gareth looked to his bench he brought on King and Aliadiere both of whom have offered very little in front of goal, when Shearer looked to his bench he could bring on Obafemi Martins and Peter Lovenkrands (both of whom scored).
The killer goal came in the 70th minute and, again, not without a tint of controversy. Viduka beat Huth in the air, Nolan managed to get to the flick on and directed the ball to Martins who turned Bates and finished into the far corner. Replays showed Nolan was clearly offside when Viduka won the flick on but the flag stayed down and Newcastle were on their way to 3 points.
The goal effectively killed Boro off and it was all one way traffic after that, Lovenkrands adding a third after some shocking defending.
I had held out hopes of survival but lets be honest we are not good enough, we cannot score enough goals. Alves rarely got involved before getting injured, I know he played the pass into Tuncay but I think the Turk made the best of a ball played behind him to create the chance. Marlon King was even more anonymous when he was introduced, I am racking my brain trying to think of any positive contribution he made to the side?
Newcastle were poor especially at the back, with better strikers we could have scored a hatful of goals. Sadly Middlesbrough are even worse, apart from Emnes who worked hard and impressed at times we were totally toothless up front, our midfield was a shambles (i'm trying not to dwell on the fact the Mohamed Shawky started the game or thoughts of making it as a professional footballer would start swimming around my mind) and at the back we weren't good enough to cope with the physical presence of Mark Viduka, if he had been wearing the red of Boro last night we'd have won the game.
Back to back wins against Villa and West Ham would keep us up I believe, but when was the last time we won back to back league games?
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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We are crap and we deserve to go down, the tragic thing is Southgate will keep his job regardless. Starting Shawky last night was a massive mistake, not swapping him for Arca was another because bringing Ali on for him completely unbalanced the side.
I agree that Viduka was good last night, but I’m still glad we got shot of him. I hated his attitude - he only played well when he wanted to earn a new contract.
As for the game, I think the starting line-up was partly enforced: losing Digard and Wheater to injuries meant Shawky had to play. Who else could have played as a holding midfielder, with Digard and Walker injured and Bates needed in defence? Arca? He’s so out of form and he isn’t a ball-winner anyway.
I’m surprised Mcmahon got dropped, and I was particularly surprised to see Emnes start. Having said that, the Dutchman was lively and dangerous and, along with Alves, I think he caused Newcastle problems.
The game could have gone either way, so let’s not be too harsh in our criticism. The papers say Shearer pulled off a tactical masterstroke in bringing Martins and Lovenkrands on. The truth is Newcastle had better players on the bench than we did, and even with that they got lucky. But you make your own luck. We’ve had bad luck all season, and that in itself shows that we are not good enough.
Championship here we come.
How can you whinge about luck in that game? your only goal was the product of the luckiest part of the game! I feel for you lot and we are by no means safe yet but i personally think we deserved the 3 points, you had a 20min spell and thats it!! Nolan didnt touch ball for the goal but i agree it was offside! The nolan block on the corner is a very well worked set piece and only a naive defense (much like newcastles) would only suffer from a goal like that!
As for bitter southgate crying how Alves going off changed the game…..is he drunk? Alves has been gash all season. Not happy to see him injured though, Butt’s challange wasnt vicious just a clever challange as you were on a counter attack!
GL rest of the season, hope some how both boro n the toon stay up! Doubt it though!!