Due to the endless snow (around the country) matches are being called off left right and centre.
Some Boro fans are hoping that the Boro v Swansea match will be called off this Saturday, as a postponement would give us the chance to do some business in the transfer window and improve the squad ahead of the next match.
I am not among these fans. Firstly, it would irritate me no end because I work away match weekends and plan my social life accordingly, and secondly, we need to build some kind of momentum and putting off matches would not achieve that.
The only place with colder temperatures and more snowfall than the north east of England right now is Scotland.
And it is to Scotland that Strachan is looking for reinforcements. This is only natural, after all not only is Strachan Scottish himself, he is also a former celtic manager and that is where most of his contacts are.
If we could get a hold of a list of Strachan's transfer targets it would go something like this: Anyone and everyone from Celtic as I know them and therefore do not have to spent time breaking them in.
Kris Boyd from Rangers - Highly unlikely as his goalscoring record immediately means he will not come here, but you've got to have a punt haven't you?
Strachan has decided he wants 'people who can lead and people who want to be led'. Well, that's as clear as most people's windscreens at the moment isn't it?!
And his first moves are to get rid of Shawky - who? precisely, and Didier Digard, who fits in well at Boro because he promises so much in the infrequent games he plays, but delivers very little. In his case, this is because he cannot keep himself fit, rather than just being useless in the grand tradition of Boro foreign imports.
Not that we haven't had some awesome foreign players because we have, we have also had some useless Englishmen too, so I'm not just having a go at the foreigners.
Anyway, a loan spell back in France with Nice would be, well, nice for Digard. Sorry.
The problem is, while he is not currently playing for us, he is, if nothing else, a useful squad member, and we are in danger of not having a squad by the time Strachan has finished his January business.
Name Boro's likely first team line up for Saturday and you have almost named our entire uninjured squad.
When we have so many injuries, you would expect it to be a perfect time for fringe players and youngsters to be given an opportunity. The trouble with that is that even the youngsters are injured.
The lesser spotted Josh Walker would normally have stormed into the side with his confidence and ability - with frequent injuries to Digard, O'Neil and Osbourne - but the Geordie midfielder is suffering with a dislocated shoulder. The holes in defence, before Pogi and Riggott returned, could not be filled by Seb Hines or Andrew Taylor because both players have undergone surgery.
Osbourne himself was brought in on loan from Aston Villa as reinforcement for our paper thin squad but is fighting a groin strain and Jeremie Aliadiere came back from ankle surgery to win us a penalty and score a goal against Scunthorpe United, but aggravated the aforementioned ankle in the process.
And yet we played well against Manchester City in the FA Cup defeat.
Granted, we did not create much - I think Rhys Williams' effort which hit the top of the net was about the only attempt - but Boro, particularly young Boro played as if they really cared about the outcome.
Rhys Williams and Tony McMahon have been talking to the press about a new more positive start for the New Year, and both tried to put this into practice on the pitch against City. Jonathan Franks tried hard to get in the game and 16-year-old Luke Williams is forgiven for looking at little bit lost against the likes of Carlos Tevez, Gareth Barry and Craig Bellamy.
If the Swansea fixture does survive the weather, I, together with I'd estimate 99.9 percent of Boro supporters, would like to see Mark Yeates get a start.
The Irishman has gone from a not very exciting transfer target, to a surprise hit, to the forgotten man - at least he seems so to Strachan.
But he gives 100 percent every time he pulls on a Boro shirt and he is not afraid to shoot. These are qualities which we are desperately lacking.
If Swansea beat us on Saturday it will be yet another cold awakening for the players - the fans at this point would be far more shocked by a victory - but a win would warm our hearts if not our icey fingers!
I'm not convinced that we will have a striker by Saturday afternoon so we need a good team performance to stop the Swans exacting revenge for the thumping we gave them earlier in the season. And Swans are vicious creatures, don't you know?
First published on www.ComeOnBoro.com on 7/1/2010
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