Fly Me Over The Pond! The Thoughts of a USA Based Middlesbrough Fan

All hail the new Old Firm!  

Jokes are being made up and down the country about Boro stocking up on Scotland ‘rejects’. 

“If they were any good they would be in the Premier League” they say, “Strachan only signs his mates” they chuckle.  Expect that mocking tune to change over the course of the season.  

Boro currently has a squad of proven battlers and winners. 

They do not carry the glamorous unknown quantity of some previous signings. 

There was a recent time it seemed Boro were determined to unearth the next big thing.  To spot him first and gain bragging rights that we developed a star.  The academy does a fine job of that —so that is not the way to go.

The current way is to find players who have played hundreds of games, who have scored hundreds of goals, won thousands of tackles, and completed thousands of passes over their career. 

We have players who will go to hostile environments and expect to win, not because they say so in bold interviews, but because they have done it before.  

With regards to goal scoring we have two confident and hungry goal poachers — In Boyd and McDonald.

Boro possess every player to have won the Scottish Premier League Golden Boot for the last five years.  It is also worth noting that Boyd’s goal per game ratio at Rangers was far above greats like Ally McCoist and Mark Hateley.  Boyd’s achievements in Scotland far outweigh the likes of Bernie Slaven, and we would take a similar return wouldn’t we?

In midfield is where promotion can be achieved. 

Fans often like to use vague and emotional reasoning for wins and losses. 

“We wanted it more” after a win, and “they just don’t care enough” after a loss is popular tactical analysis throughout the town.  The facts and reality are more simple and more real than that;

·         Who does the most running?

·         Who wins the most tackles?

·         Who tracks the opposition runs ensuring they do not get overlaps on our defenders?

·         Who makes the most interceptions?

·         Who completes passes?

·         Who is showing for the ball when a teammate needs an option?  

These seemingly obvious and boring facts are what will decide whether or not we get promoted, and Boro have the players to perform these duties better than the opposition on most occasions. 

While that may not seem a trendy thing to say to get your mates’ heads nodding in a bar —watch the game today and see what happens in these areas. 

It is  very likely that Barry Robson, Kevin Thomson and Gary O’Neil excel and have a defining impact on where the three points go.

Defensively, the signing of Stephen McManus is like signing more than one player. 

We get a Scottish international center back, and we get a better David Wheater for it.  Justin Hoyte improved as the season went on, and the blank No. 3 certainly raises suspicion of a new defender coming in —who plays left back for Rangers?

Fear not, If anyone worries we have lost the local touch. 

Flair was added to the squad recently with the signing of local lad Tarmo Kink from Eston! 

If you are a Boro fan you should be excited.  Don’t expect credit from anyone else.  “They kicked us” the opposition will moan, “they are boring” the media will drone. 

Meanwhile we will keep winning.

This is how it is supposed to be, us against the world.  ERIMUS!

www.twitter.com/stewartflaherty