‘I have no doubt that Middlesbrough will be there or thereabouts in the promotion race. I still regard them as promotion rivals for us…’ At a time when promotion pessimism pervades Teesside, there is at least one outsider still confident that Gordon Strachan can correct the current ills and rehabilitate prospects for this campaign. Never mind that it’s Chris Hughton, Newcastle manager, doling out the platitudes and veiled, if not compulsory, vote of confidence during the media build-up to the latest installment of the Tyne-Tees derby. The Geordies are absolutely walking the league at this stage – free of major injuries, boasting a stout defence, and scoring at will thanks to a mature and inventive midfield anchored by players we really thought would be the first to jump ship after relegation from the Premier League. Instead, the off-season turmoil has galavanised a squad of top-flight wage-earners reaping the rewards of competing in a lower division. Their stay amongst us appears to be temporary at best. Boro need a result to stay within a shout – the ignominy of falling 20 points behind the Toon before Christmas would be enough to trigger mass panic and/or wide-scale hibernation until this sordid charade ends.
Boro have another crisis to negotiate while preparing for the holiday programme, this of a defensive nature. Sean St Ledger is back with Preston, unofficially, on gardening leave until his loan deal becomes permanent come January. Speculation abounds though as to the status of that deal – recent reports highlight an alleged row between defender and gaffer that has the full Ireland international defender cogitating over the impending permanence of his move. Virtual trudging has helped deduce that said row may have been blown out of proportion and that Gordo has designs on converting SSL to right back in the coming new year to help re-shape the squad. Additionally Seb Hines, who was pretty efficient in performing a partnership w/ David Wheater prior to acquiring SSL, suffered gruesome knee damage on reserve duty in the midweek and is out for up to 8 weeks. Expect Emanuel Pogatetz to occupy the central defence w/ Wheats and the recall of Andrew Taylor at left back. The caterwauling for Joe Bennett and/or Jonathan Grounds remains neglected.
Elsewhere in the projected squad: Gary O’Neil has been declared fit to retain the captaincy and return to his role in the Boro engine room; Adam Johnson is out after injury v Cardiff, so Mark Yeates, on a run of 3 consecutive excellent shifts, will marshal the left flank; Julio Arca may feature on the right side – not because he’s really excelled mind, it’s just the paucity of attacking options; and the Kitson/Lita reunion tour is about to reach its climax, so how about one last duet in the intimate surroundings of St. James’ Park?
December 18th, 2009 @ BA
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