UK Football

Gareth Southgate has once again received the backing of the Middlesbrough higher powers.  Specifically chairman Steve Gibson this time has said that sacking Southgate will not help Boro’s situation in the least.  And I would have to agree with him.  I don’t see much wrong with what Southgate has done at the club, considering the quality of players he’s had available, and given Middlesbrough’s financial situation.

I see this as more the fault of bad transfer decisions, opposed to lapses in management, and I doubt Southgate has a whole lot of pull when it comes to which players are sold and bought.  If you ask me, Boro still haven’t looked as confident attacking as they did when Yakubu wore red.  And little decisions like those have come back to haunt them, that and the fact that Boro don’t have a real leader on the pitch.  I’ve yet to see Boro skipper, Pogatetz, really inspire any sort of positive performance from the other players, when Middlebrough have needed a captain most.

I think Middlesbrough are to suffer the same fate as Reading did last season.  Steve Coppell toyed with the squad too much, and sold a few key players, then suddenly Reading couldn’t find goals when they desperately needed them.  Basically the same situation Middlesbrough are in now.  Southgate is doing the best with what he’s been given, but Boro have lost the key elements that made them much better in seasons past.  Which is why I foresee Boro being relegated at the end of the season.

But hopefully Steve Gibson will hold on to Southgate, because I still see him as being the sort of manager the club needs, and a worthy choice to earn their promotion once again to the Premiership.  

photo: Darz Mol

Manchester City look to be once again attempting to force a transfer that will never happen by throwing a ton of money at a player that will realistically never move from their current club.  The newest in the trend is Barcelona’s Lionel Messi, who’s set up to be another £100million target for City, and just like Kaka, Messi is going to turn down the offer outright.

How many times in the past has Lionel Messi voiced his support for Barcelona and his desire to end his career playing for the club?  Barcelona gave Messi the big club training and the world stage he needed to become one of the world’s finest footballers, and Messi knows this and respects what the club has done for him, and has basically pledged his allegiance to them for as long as the Spanish club will keep him.  You’re never going to pry a person with that much club loyalty away, no matter how much money you throw at him.

photo: James Adams

That would be like persuading Ryan Giggs, football’s shining example of what loyalty and honour to your club means, to leave his club of 19 years over nothing more than just a wad of cash.  Which means it’s n-e-v-e-r going to happen, and City would do well to spend that money instead on 6-7 realistic targets to bolster their squad, instead of wasting time and effort on a deal that’s nothing more than fantasy.

Middlesbrough are bound to flop this season, so spend some of that £100m to save Stewart Downing from the ashes, and throw in Tuncay with him, he’d be a great forward to have on the bench for when City find themselves underperforming or in need of a late goal.  Or how about John Carew, a gigantic aerial threat the likes of which City desperately need for their set pieces, and you can’t tell me that after the way he’s been treated this season Aston Villa wouldn’t be ready to part with him.  And the biggest plus is that Downing, Carew and Tuncay are realistic targets that still have the potential to turn City into one of those Champions League challenging sides, and they would only cost a fraction of what a Messi would cost, and all three would make you a better club than one Messi possibly could.

Photo: Austin Osuide

Manchester United remained victorious against a very determined Derby County side, but at a high cost.  Three of United’s finest youngsters suffered injuries in the match, Jonny Evans, Anderson, and Rafael.  This will cause a huge blow to the club, as United have suffered injury woes at the right back position for a while now, with Wes Brown still injured and now Rafael out for at least three weeks, Gary Neville remains United’s sole option.

Jonny Evans will be missed, although he’s only out a week, and given Rio Ferdinand’s back problems, United have only one other capable centre back in John O’Shea, but the Irishman is already too busy covering for the injured Patrice Evra.

photo: Austin Osuide

The one bit of good news is that despite Anderson having playing brilliantly for United last night, the Brazilian will no doubt be the least missed.   United are spoilt for talent and still have Carrick, Scholes, Fletcher and even Park to fill any holes in the midfield.

For a club with a world renowned defence, and one that just accomplished the remarkable feat of tying Chelsea’s previous record of ten successive clean sheets in the Premiership, the champions are in serious trouble.

Middlesbrough are the next club to find themselves in trouble with the FA, as the club has been charged over the behaviour of players during Boro’s 3-0 weekend defeat at the hands of West Brom.  The incident occurred after Didier Digard received a red card for kicking out at Borja Valero, after which practically the entire Boro team crowded official Mark Halsey jostling the referee to the point Halsey dropped one of his cards on the ground.

If the League’s respect campaign is in any way alive, I can’t imagine Middlesbrough will get off light, given such a blatant display of dissent.  No doubt this will take even more of a toll on struggling manager Gareth Southgate.  And I’m already starting to wonder if Southgate has the chops to manage in the Premier League, or if he’s lost his nerve.

(probably not one of Gareth Southgate’s fond memories)

Stewart Downing officially turned in a written transfer request, for his departure from Middlesbrough, but I doubt Downing will find another club as Tottenham was turned down with their bid of £12million. Which in this economy, seems like a massive amount of money for someone like Downing, who still hasn’t proven himself to be at the level of consistency that the Premiership requires. I don’t know exactly what Boro are looking for, in terms of financial compensation for Downing services. The boy doesn’t want to play at the club anymore, so Downing already won’t be at his best, and unless Gareth Southgate and crew are planning on convincing Manchester City to offer up a huge bid, they may regret not taking Tottenham’s money.

£12million is a massive amount of money that Middlesbrough could put to good use, buying a few more attacking options that they desperately need. Stewart Downing already isn’t getting it done, as their sudden drop in the table has shown, meaning Southgate needs to attempt something different anyway. So why not take a good offer like Tottenham’s, and then change the club for the better?

And to sum up the rest of the transfer news that matters, Redknapp is also interested in Sunderland’s Pascal Chimbonda, as well as Jermaine Defoe, looking to improve Tottenham’s season even more. Theo Walcott still hasn’t been offered the long term Arsenal contract he desires, which could lead to the gunners losing their pace fuelled winger. And Carlos Tevez is still complaining about having no permanent deal at Manchester United.

Jermaine Defoe is already planning his exit from Portsmouth apparently. I find it a little convenient that after all the talk about Harry Redknapp’s interest in bringing the England striker over to Tottenham, and Manchester City’s reported interest, that just now Defoe is complaining about unnerving threatening phone messages he has received from football ‘fans’. I see this as Jermaine Defoe preparing his Pompey departure, and still being able to save face with as many fans as possible.

You know, trying to make himself look as though he isn’t just chasing the money. The other factor that makes this story scream false, is that Defoe said he reported the messages to officials with Portsmouth, but not the police force. Which to me means he’s lying, and saying you’re trying to resolve the problem from within the club, gives him another reason to leave and not look like a money hungry striker.

I would respect Jermaine Defoe if he just made his intentions of going to a ‘better’ club with possibly greener pastures clear, like Stewart Downing who seems to be voicing his will to leave Middlesbrough every other day. Just admit you want to leave, football is a business, everyone understands if you need to make the best business decision for yourself by leaving for a different club.

In other news of note, the Premiership may be getting one of Europe’s finest and most often forgotten talents in Barry Ferguson, Scotland and Rangers captain. Joe Kinnear is reportedly interested in bringing the brilliant Scot to the Premiership with Newcastle United. And I would hope for the Premiership’s sake that Ferguson won’t be opposed to playing in the biggest league that the world has to offer.

photo: Austin Osuide

Well the transfer window is well and truly upon us, although many football analysts predict a lacklustre transfer period this time around, I highly doubt that. What with Manchester City’s billions, and their horrible place in the table. I don’t see Abu Dhabi United Group sitting back, and waiting for the possible fall. What if they should fall? Which billionaire organization would possibly want a relegated club to work with. More importantly who can you possibly attract, in terms of big names, to a Championship club.?

In terms of big name possibilities so far we have Roque Santa Cruz’s name being thrown around once again, mostly in connection with Mark Hughes and his reshaped Manchester City. Who have just recently acquired Wayne Bridge, and Bridge may prove to have been a great addition, considering how well the last time City bought a Chelsea reject turned out with one Shaun Wright-Phillips.

Stuart Downing is being linked to basically everyone, despite Gareth Southgate’s protests to Downing’s actual chances of departing Middlesbrough. Jose Mourinho doesn’t want Michael Owen, Cristiano Ronaldo pledged his long term future to Manchester United once again, Carlos Tevez is still desperately seeking a permanent Old Trafford deal. Jermaine Defoe is looking to greener pastures with a return to the managerial tactics of Harry Redknapp at Tottenham.

And David Villa may yet be appearing in the sky blue of Manchester City before January’s end.

All that, and it’s just the second day of January.