It is always interesting to see what kind of reception former players receive from the fans. It depends on many variables, why they left, how they have conducted themselves since and if they have had the temerity to score against us.
Lee Cattermole left for various reasons, some more flattering than others, but he has done well at Wigan and has kept the bitterness against Boro to a minimum. He did get a warm reception initially but after his tackle on Digard he was booed every time he touched the ball.
At first glance it looked as though Cattermole, all hurt pride and bull in a china shop mentality, had taken out the man who replaced him at his boyhood club. Digard went down and was stretchered off with his leg in a brace and an oxygen match strapped to his face. No word yet as to how bad his injury might be...
The majority of the crowd and every Boro player on the pitch and in the stand thought it was a straight red, a yellow at the very least.
Cattermole spent the rest of the game trying to put his side across to his former team mates, none of whom would listen to him.
After the game, the response from Boro was uniform, it was a good tackle, shame Digard turned into it.
Having watched the replays, it was a typically robust tackle from Cattermole, he could have taken the ball without taking the man but he was within the rules. I still think it was personal though.
Jeremie Aliadiere took Digard's loss very personally and pretty much argued his way onto the pitch. Having come off the bench he did his damnedest to turn the game around, flashes of creativity in the second half were almost nonexistent but when they did appear they came from Ali, Hoyte and Walker.
Walker did not have a good game but he never stopped trying, he was in the minority. Almost everybody reverted to back passing because nobody wanted the ball, but when the ball reaches Robert Huth or Pogi, they should not be passing it to Brad Jones.
Stewart Downing won the sponsor's Man Of The Match (although it was slim pickings from either side, I think I would have given it to Brad Jones) and summed up the Boro attitude with the words "We didn't lose so I'm not too fussed!" Well Stewy, you might not be bothered but the fans are, it was a throw away comment to him but it highlighted the deep seated problems within the club, we need to win but the will to do so is not there.
On Wednesday night we get another go at beating West Ham in the FA Cup, we've got Aliadiere back so I suggest we use him, up front. If we cant beat West Ham maybe we can beat Liverpool and go on a run but these are huge 'maybes' and unfortunately that is pretty much all we have to hope for.
First published on www.newsoftheworld.co.uk/sport/fanzone - Feb 09
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