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Best Friend On The Payroll – Strachan Enlists Celtic Charges

BA — Sat, 09 Jan 2010 03:11:42 +0000

Banging on like he’s Graham Norton or something – and not the manager of Middlesbrough Football Club – Gordon Strachan keeps proclaiming ‘…I need men’. Some familiar Scottish imports are en route – late reports say a fee has been agreed for Gary Caldwell and Barry Robson. It’s half the quartet the former Celtic gaffer was thought to covet, though the possibility does exist for loans deals involving Kiwi striker Chris Killen and midfielder Willo Flood. Reception for the deal, to whatever extent, is mixed; good in the way how the squad needs desperate strengthening, but perhaps not so good in the limited scope of the search. Not the most audacious splash in the transfer pool, but comfortable and stable, something we’ve been in dire need of.

The wicked winter weather gripping all of Britain has eradicated large parts of the footie schedule, and Swansea’s long trip to Teesside was a natural candidate for eventual postponement. 6 matches so far in the Championship called off, with similar numbers affecting the rest of the domestic leagues and cup competitions. Pitch/ground conditions haven’t been the concern – it’s the safety of supporters to and from the venue that are of paramount concern. The conduit to the Bundesliga that is Raphael Honigstein raised an entirely valid point regarding the exceptionally cautious approach clubs are taking in these economically sensitive times. Many are so precarious that even one solitary accident suffered by someone attending their matches could have devastating financial impact – surely Boro and Steve Gibson aren’t immune either.

Time is the most valuable commodity – it allows for an opportunity to settle the new additions, and scheme for more. Expect a renovated side at Bramall Lane next Saturday when Boro travel to Sheffield United, right there in the deep mire of the table jostling for a foothold up towards the playoff promised land…can we stay in that fight?

Diggin The New – Strachan Set To Assume Control At Boro

BA — Fri, 23 Oct 2009 03:31:10 +0000

Like in the film Snatch, when the neatly shorn hostess at the bookmakers said to Sol and Vincent in upon their proclamation to empty Brick Top’s till , ‘All…bets…are…off’. Gordon Strachan is expected to be revealed as the new manager of Middlesbrough Football Club after the untimely – but probably well overdue – sacking of Gareth Southgate. The need to sort out personal affairs, and ambivalence about the gig, are said to have contributed to the bizarre execution of the move by Steve Gibson. It’s immaterial as SG bucks his own convention by opting for managerial experience; it also can do wonders to rehabilitate the fractured relationship w/ a fan base who motivated change in a positive and productive way says Paul Doyle. Some may still remember Strachan as the one who shanghaied a potential move to Teesside as a player by saying he didn’t fancy the area…and he’s from Edinburgh!

Here’s the tentative schedule for events this coming weekend:

Strachan introduced at Hurworth most likely tomorrow
Colin Cooper acts as caretaker for Preston away on Saturday
Strachan observes from the stands and takes official control Monday

Number 7 on Gibbo’s speed dial, Anthony Vickers, has this situation in his pocket – Eric Paylor has a more multimedia go at the news and subsequent reaction…

http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/blog/audio/2009/oct/22/football-weekly-extra-champions-league

Down On The Ground

BA — Tue, 21 Oct 2008 06:05:57 +0000

Kicked down, terrified, sodomized, outclassed…all appropriate in describing Saturday’s debacle at The Riverside. An injury ravaged Chelsea side delivered the most decisive performance of the Premier League campaign to date. No A$hley, no Drogba, no Deco, no Cech, no Ballack, no resistance from the hosts. Compounded by a bizarre squad selection from Gareth Southgate, and our own injury tribulations, Hoyte…out, Huth…out…again, Arca still unfit, Tuncay not cleared to return yet; add to it the continued suspension of Emmanuel Pogatetz and the ensuing massacre could’ve been easier to predict, and maybe digest.

Boro lacked pace, direction, passing acumen, defending, attacking instinct, and nous. Our only commodity was fear, and it was omnipresent. The misery still lingers. The gaffer was contrite. The support? Time will tell…overall, uninspiring at home dating back to last campaign, save the 8-1 season ender v Cit-eh last May. The Tottenham triumph now tarnished due to their appalling form. Tuncay bailed us out v Stoke, WBA weathered our shot storm to steal 3 points, and we must still face the demons resulting from a squandered chance at potential Cup glory…The Cardiff Incident.

If the defeat was less damning one might ask why Alves started on the bench, or why Marvin Emnes wasn’t given his league debut? Didn’t Didier Digard deserve a chance to see out a full 90 minutes? We are a young squad with deficiencies, helmed by a young manager with deficiencies. Steady the ship with a result at Blackburn and we can forgive this as an aberration versus a Chelsea side firing all pistons and handling like a Lambo. Come home with nothing? We can’t even fathom that…

Champions League

Group Stages resume this week: groups E-F compete Tuesday, highlighted by Fenerbahce hosting Arsenal, and America’s Team, Manchester United entertain Celtic, who are doomed to failure in Europe, even if it’s a mere 215 miles from Parkhead. Coverage of the latter for the masses on MUTV, better known as ESPN2 locally. Juventus welcome Real Madrid in what could be a cracker, and CL crashers BATE Borisov travel back to the homeland for a date with Dick Advocaat and Zenit St Petersburg.

Wednesday features Chelsea v Roma, also televised domestically on ESPN2, perhaps usurping favorite broadcast subjects Liverpool, who travel to Madrid sans Fernando Torres for a date with Atletico at the Calderon. Also in action are Sightsee MFCs adopted CL team for this campaign, CFR Cluj, sojourning to Bordeaux, where they should maintain grips on the second position in group A.

En La Liga…

Similar misery for Atletico in the Madrid derby…Van Nistelrooy scores inside the first minute, gets sent off, Atletico level on 90 minutes with a dazzling free kick from Simao, only to see the end come with a penalty earned by Royston Drenthe at the end of the 6 minutes of injury time…Gonzalo Higuain buried it. Atletico Madrid 1- 2 Real Madrid.

Barca kept pace after a disappointing start under Pep Guardiola; they defeat Atletic Bilbao 1-0 at The Cathedral, Eto’o providing the winner. Sevilla hold off Almeria 1-0, Espanyol and Villareal draw 0-0 at Estadi Companys, and Valencia continue their resurgence by blasting newly promoted Numancia 4-0.

Back with updates at the midweek…some links to kill the time:

xenophobes unite here, and here

Football Weekly

and this always makes me feel better