Middlesbrough are in a dog fight, it may be only January but at least eight teams are fighting for survival, maybe more and we are right in the thick of it. The problem is other teams fight dirty and we get punished.
Southgate has complained that his players are not getting enough 'protection' from referees. In some cases this is certainly true but on the other hand football is a physical game and we need to be able to handle that.
Yesterday though, Sunderland's over-zealous challenges cost us three points and probably cost us Josh Walker for the next month at least.
With the exceptions of O'Neil, who has the same chest infection as Johnson and Wheater but apparently a more delicate constitution and Aliadiere and Hoyte who are both injured, Southgate had a 'full' squad to choose from.
And credit to him, he handed Josh Walker his full debut alongside Digard in centre-mid so that the two could build on an exciting partnership which began against Barrow.
Didier Digard and Josh Walker did exactly what a central midfield pairing should do. They were the engine room, the drove play forward, kept possession and created space.
Sunderland may have a new manager but their tactics haven't changed. Last season in the same fixture, Roy Keane's boys took out former Black Cat Julio Arca. No attempt to play the ball, just go straight for the man (particularly in midfield) and weaken the team.
It worked. Arca has rarely been the player he was since the incident even after a lengthy spell in the treatment room. He was atrocious yesterday and should have made way for Adam Johnson prior to the injuries which made other substitutions necessary.
Yesterday S'bragia's Sunderland did exactly the same. Twice. Walker and Digard were causing the Mackems too many problems, both still lose the ball occasionally but Digard in particular will bust a gut to get it back. Walker was calm, confident and in control. Far from being a nervous debutant, he was at times, the only man in a Boro shirt who took responsibility and came for the ball.
It took three attempts to take Walker out, he hobbled on and ran off knocks until Southgate decided enough was enough and called him off. It later emerged that Walker seems to have sprained his ankle.
Walker had finally got his chance and was determined to take it, in the end he was escorted off the pitch by his team mates, in tears.
Due to his ankle injury we may have lost Walker for six weeks. He has been waiting for a full Boro debut since 2006. No wonder he cried.
Digard meanwhile got his second concussion of the season and just like at Hull, tried to play on despite being clearly the worse for wear. He struggled on for a few minutes and even went in for a header until he collapsed in a heap and was forced to retire to the treatment table.
Malbranque did Boro a favour by taking himself out of the running when he butted heads with Digard but make no mistake he was not going for the ball. Digard should be fit for next week's clash with West Brom and thank heavens for that because we really do need him.
Alves scored on the stroke of half-time, a beautiful goal nicely created by Stewart Downing but he was largely missing in the second half and when he made way for Mido things got even worse.
Mido made a lot of noise before the transfer window opened about being 'wanted' by Wigan. Now that January is underway and no offers have been made for him, coupled with the club's stance that no player is leaving at least until the summer and Boro are left with one brassed-off striker.
What the fans witnessed yesterday was an on-the-pitch tantrum. Not only did Mido never trouble himself to kick up a gear past walking pace, his passing was so sloppy he was far more valuable to Sunderland than he was to us. The Egyptian has thrown his toys out of the pram and unless he decides to kiss and make up with Southgate and with his team mates (who look utterly fed up with him) he may as well sit on the bench or more fittingly the naughty step until he grows up and displays some professionalism.
He could learn a thing or two from Stewart Downing. After much speculation surrounding his future and the reception he would receive, Downing was greeted with a heroes welcome from the fans who clapped and cheered him throughout. Was it his best performance in a Boro shirt? Emphatically no. But it wasn't his worst, he had a half decent game and most importantly he tried.
His attempts on goal, more often than not, were on target, he was shooting, he tackled and he created the goal for Alves. In short he did his job.
Once again it is the local boys (and Digard who may be French but who is starting to embody everything the Boro like in a player) who are battling for the club. Tony McMahon's awesome last gasp tackle stopped Cisse and secured a point for the Boro. Half a dozen Sunderland players including Cisse went to congratulate him on his bravery and skill but it looked like McMahon hurt his leg in the process. Hopefully it is nothing too serious as football has been cruel to the young player with a string of long term injuries breaking up a promising career.
Matthew Bates is another young play who has been hampered with injuries but who seems to be firing on all cylinders whenever he gets his chance. Covering for McMahon against Man United, Bates excelled and yesterday he played very well as emergency cover for our injury crippled midfield.
Adam Johnson saved us with an amazing goal-line clearance and Ross Turnbull produced fine saves when necessary. We still conceded our obligatory goal because we can't defend set pieces but at least there was passion and tension on display. The loss of Walker will hit us hard but it will give O'Neil a chance to redeem himself. Flashback a couple of months and O'Neil was our unlikely goal-hero, Tuncay was a shining star and Alves was our goal machine. These players need to start performing, the defence needs to get their act together and we need to go at teams instead of sitting back and trying not to lose.
Playing against former Boro boys Greening and Morrison will hopefully give our lads the incentive they still seem to lack (Premier League survival not enough then?) because we must take maximum points off the Baggies.
First published on www.newsoftheworld.co.uk/sport/fanzone - Jan 09
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