Comments on: Will Middlesbrough finish in the top 10 this season?

By: GRAZZ

GRAZZ — Thu, 16 Aug 2007 19:23:57 +0000

Schwarz

Young — Woodgate — Mad Dog — Taylor

Aliadiare — Arca — Stewey Downing
\ /
\ Tuncay /

Mido — The Yak Attack

By: GRAZZ

GRAZZ — Tue, 14 Aug 2007 03:15:02 +0000

There is a long way to go yet. I have faith with Southgate and will stick with the Boro till the end.

By: Liverpool_Fan

Liverpool_Fan — Fri, 10 Aug 2007 17:37:00 +0000

I think southgate was a great player and is a great manager in the making boro can do it

By: Ballin' Billy

Ballin' Billy — Fri, 10 Aug 2007 16:32:31 +0000

Gravity is the irresistable force here. I’m not sure Boro can escape the fall!

By: Jimz

Jimz — Fri, 10 Aug 2007 16:23:32 +0000

Relegators….. mount up

By: Willis Reed

Willis Reed — Fri, 10 Aug 2007 03:02:04 +0000

I think Southgate can possibly…….if everything goes JUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUST right……………get zero points from this campaign.

By: Willis Reed

Willis Reed — Fri, 10 Aug 2007 03:01:17 +0000

Relegation!

By: Strikarz

Strikarz — Thu, 09 Aug 2007 19:03:57 +0000

I think Middlesbrough have the potential to surprise a few people this year; we’ve cut out the dead-wood and brought in 4 high-quality signings. There is maybe room for one more top striker cos if The Yak goes down then we’ll start to look a little weak up front – it all depends on whether Aliadiere & Dong Gook Lee (who didn’t really get a fair crack of the whip last season) step up to the plate or not.

With Viduka up there, there was a tendency to just hit it up to him, therefore by-passing players like Rochemback and Downing. However this season, Southgate is trying to remould the attack to be more creative and exciting, with the ball played to people’s feet.

The way I look at it, we’ve only lost one big player, and gained 4 in his place. Players like Christie, Morrison, Xavier, Parnaby and Graham are not really worth losing any sleep over as they have consistently proved to be average at best at this level (Xavier was okay but he’s about 35 and past his best now).

If you look at our full strength first team line out, I think it’s pretty intimidating by anyone’s standards. And then we’ve got youngsters like Cattermole, Johnson, Taylor, Davies, Wheater, McMahon and Bates who are all full of potential and, more importantly, busting a gut make it for their local club.

(based on 4-3-3 formation that Southgate’s been using throughout pre-season):

11.Aliadiere 20.Yakubu 17.Tuncay

19.Downing 7.Boateng/3.Arca 10.Rochemback

6.Pogatetz 8.Woodgate 14.Huth/5.Riggott 2.Young

1.Schwarzer

This formation could also then drop in to a straight 4-4-2 with Tuncay out on the right, so there’s plenty of variation possible this season, whereas in the past we were somewhat predictable.

As a Middlesbrough fan, I am genuinely excited at the prospect of the forthcoming season.