Middlesbrough 0 Manchester City 2 - Match Report

By Andy Morgan
March 19 2007

It's difficult to know which game is the more important - this home clash against struggling Manchester City or Monday evening's FA Cup replay against Manchester United at Old Trafford. Gareth Southgate had no doubts, resting several key players for this Premiership clash.

Dong-Gook Lee earned his first Premiership start, replacing Mark Viduka in attack. He was to partner Yakubu, who passed a late fitness test, in a 4-4-2 formation.

Influential defender Jonathan Woodgate was also rested, with Abel Xavier partnering Emmanuel Pogatetz in the centre. The impressive of late Stewart Parnaby took the right-back berth with Andrew Taylor at left-back.

Julio Arca failed a late fitness test and was replaced by Jason Euell in the centre of midfield. George Boateng parented him. Lee Cattermole was once more on the right, with Stewart Downing on the left.

Schwarzer, Parnaby, Xavier, Pogatetz (Davies 9), Taylor, Cattermole, Boateng, Euell (Viduka 63), Downing, Lee (Morrison 46), Yakubu, Jones, Rochemback

THE FIRST HALF

The Manchester City fans brought a stash of inflatable bananas with them for some reason - obviously confusing Boro for Hartlepool, which I guess is easily done. Either that or they didn't want to risk the Boro burgers - with that famous stodgy sauce of theirs.

The first strong move of the match came in the third minute when Stewart Downing whipped a ferocious cross into the box that was stolen from Lee's head by Sylvan Distin, who conceded a corner.

From the corner City broke and they almost scored. It was Joey Barton who launched a shot that left Schwarzer stranded. Thankfully it also beat the post, crashing into the advertising hoardings and probably knocking them over.

On seven minutes Emmanuel Pogatetz went down faster than Cristiano Ronaldo in the penalty area - and under the same amount of pressure (i.e. no one was in fifteen yards of him). The Austrian had to be taken off on a stretcher, with generous applause from the home faithful, clutching his ankle. It could be a long term injury. Andrew Davies, who is actually a natural centre-half, replaced him.

The Boro were involved in more build-up work than the three little pigs - with pretty much the same results at the end. The game was one of attrition - with City's efforts falling kindly for Schwarzer and Boro not having any efforts at all.

Until sixteen. Xavier checked the ball back to Downing who chipped in a delicious fluffy potatoey ball into the box. Euell failed to devour it however, his header looping easily into the arms of Andreas Isaksson from the penalty spot.

The nearest Boro came to a goal came on twenty-three when Xavier lifted a gentle ball over the City defence to Downing. He cut the ball across and forced a parrying save out of Isaksson. From the corner, Xavier had a free-header that went narrowly wide.

Downing was livelier than a distressed ferret in a nut factory - forcing another corner out of the stretched City defence. Again he aimed towards Xavier but this time he failed to connect to the ball, allowing the opposition to clear.

On twenty-eight Boro's defending almost cost them. Cattermole was caught out allowing City to cross the ball into the box. Emile Mpenza's header was atrocious, flailing hopelessly wide.

Boro's problem was down the right - where there was little support for the onrushing midfield. To be fair, Cattermole is not a natural right-winger but this was a weakness in Boro's game-plan that was starting to expose them.

On thirty-four Joey Barton again created havoc feeding Mpenza who took a shot. Schwarzer saved comfortably. Boro broke from this but Euell fluffed the chance at the other end, allowing City to come at Boro once more.

Jason Euell was told to come wide with Lee Cattermole being asked to deal with Barton. The hope was that this would help Boro's right-hand side as the lack of balance in the side was making Boro's defence look rocky.

On thirty-six man of the moment Downing set up Euell but the ball was too high for the ex-Charlton man. The midfielder hit it with his right foot but, because he was leaning back too much, all he managed to do was to spoon the ball over the bar. The Boro fans muttered "for fork's sake" under their breath as that wasn't a very knife thing for Euell to do.

There was less discipline in the Boro side than that in a pessimist's bondage dungeon as City looked to expose the home team's lack of organisation. Jason Euell was pole-axed by the shot launched by Georgios Samaras, taking the ball full in the face from the City striker.

With a lull in play I thought now would be a good time to update you on my cross-stitch adventures. Well, my mother didn't like my windmill picture so I gave it to my sister instead. I have now started on a lovely traditional Easter picture, starring a crucified rabbit and an angelic Easter egg. I hope to sell it at the Church fate next week - if I can only get a new needle after the last one broke.

The game was slow at this point - making me wonder why we couldn't just choose a different game. It'd be far more entertaining if two sides played Buckaroo for ninety minutes - perhaps how many defenders can you stack on Yakubu before he bucks or something. It'd be far more interesting.

And that was pretty much that - the whistle waking me up from my slumber. The game was pedestrian at best, when a super-charged turbo car was what was required. Where are the Top Gear team when you need them.

THE SECOND HALF

Gareth rang the changes for the second-half - with Dong Gook Lee being replaced by James Morrison. This meant Yakubu was the lone striker, with Cattermole moving in to form the right side of a three-man central midfield. Morrison was pushed out to the right. So we were playing 4-5-1, at home, against Manchester City.

City rose in anger first - a good cross from the right-hand side found Samaras loitering in the box. His header was powerful but Schwarzer was up to it, catching the ball on the line.

City were brighter than a pair of Scouser's leggings at this stage - with Barton pummelling a ball into the box that forced Boro into conceding a corner to prevent Sun Jihai from connecting with it. Barton had a shot from the set-play, which resulted in Schwarzer conceding another corner when he didn't really need to. Nothing came from this second set-piece.

Like urine in a drunkard's bladder, City kept uncomfortably pressing. Indeed it felt that it would only be a matter of time before they burst through the defence and cause an unfortunate leakage in Boro's backline. The home side were uncomfortably ragged and needed to perform better lest they will come away from the game with nothing.

Boro were sitting too deeply at this stage - with no midfield outlet presenting itself. This just let City come back at the home side but that changed on fifty-eight when a Morrison break gave Boro a corner. The ball was comfortably gathered by Isaksson from the set-play.

On sixty the inevitable happened - and it was through poor defending. Boro had numerous chances to clear - Xavier and Cattermole both rose for the same ball, Davies had the opportunity to clear and all that happened was that the ball broke to Distin who was on his own, four yards out and in front of goal. He made no mistake. And Stuart Pearce was given a lifeline.

MIDDLESBROUGH 0 MANCHESTER CITY 1 (Distan, 60)

Boro tried to break out quickly, with Xavier having a header that was comfortably smothered by Isaksson. The goal seemed to have added some much-needed tempo to Boro's previous lacklustre display.

On sixty-two Euell fluffed another effort but Downing was unperturbed, launching another dangerous ball into the box. Yakubu latched on to the ball and powered his header narrowly wide. This was better.

But what the game needed was Mark Viduka. He was brought on for Jason Euell on sixty-three as Boro resorted to the much-needed 4-4-2 formation. Hopefully this would pay dividends in the final half hour or so (as well as other Co-op Reward Points).

The Boro were starting to buzz - or at least fly like the budget airline. A free-kick was awarded on sixty-six, around thirty yards out but Downing's set-play only managed to hit the City wall - the plane had crashed.

But Boro were still coming. James Morrison darted down the right flank and crossed the ball into the box. It was cleared by the City defence for a corner. From the set-play Davies managed to connect with the floating ball but Distin managed to clear.

For all of Boro's positive play in the last ten minutes, they were caught short on seventy-three. Cattermole got robbed in defence by Barton and he passed it to Mpenza. He dinked it beyond the despairing Davies and poked the ball beyond Schwarzer, with the post cushioning the ball over the line. This meant that a Man City side that had only scored once in the previous six Premier League games had now scored twice at the Riverside. And in doing so, they had ended the game.

MIDDLESBROUGH 0 MANCHESTER CITY 2 (Mpenza, 73)

On seventy-five James Morrison had a crack from twenty-five yards out but it sailed harmlessly over the bar. City meanwhile were confident, stroking the ball around with aplomb, making the Boro look poorzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz

A good ball from James Morrison woke me up. It came on eighty-one and Viduka almost scored. He lost the flight of the ball however and City cleared for a corner, from which nothing came. Oh the barren nature of life!

Boro's defence almost undid itself again after Xavier played a poor pass back to Schwarzer. Barton almost nicked in to score City's third as Boro did their best to sublimate. All they needed was some potassium permanganate and a fuse.

On eighty-seven Yakubu had a dig but dug himself into a hole - his shot ballooning well wide of the target. It was worth an effort though - largely because Boro had done precious little else this campaign.

Schwarzer's alertness kept the score vaguely respectable as one ball over Xavier beat the entire Boro back line. Mpenza was almost in but the goalkeeper cleared.

At the other end, and into stoppage time, Viduka had a shot that went just past the post. Nothing came from the resulting corner and City broke.

Distin ran from one end of the field to the other and put a good cross in for Mpenza. The City striker put his foot through the ball and failed to trouble Schwarzer.

And that was that. A disappointing result against an imperilled side - Boro undid themselves. Whether it was a good idea to rest three or four key players ahead of Monday's trip to Old Trafford is yet to be discovered. Three points here would have made European qualification through our League position a possibility. Now that is unlikely. Should we lose on Monday night therefore, the season is over. Only time will tell.

FULL TIME FAN REACTION

"Expected but still disappointing"
Gaizka14

"It's all getting ready for Monday"
Deeno

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