This Week's Steve Goldby Column
By Steve Goldby
April 23 2005
We really are in uncharted territory now. Into the last six games of the season with a place in Europe to play for.
It's been almost thirty
years since the last time we were in this postion. We didn't pull it
off then but this time round, we appear to be holding a lot of
aces.
Last week, I said that we needed three or four wins
from our remaining seven matches. The defeat to Arsenal means that
we now need to win at least half of our last six to qualify for next
season's UEFA Cup.
Of the last six games, Boro are well
capable of winning the lot. And we are well capable of losing the
lot as well. But I imagine that what will actually happen is
something in the middle of those two scenarios.
So let's
glean three wins from the last six matches. Manchester City is first
on the list as I doubt that they will have anything to play for in
the last game of the season.
Nevertheless, Stuart Pearce will
see the game as a cup final as his chances of landing the manager's
job on a permanent basis may depend on the result of the game
against Boro...
Next up is Newcastle. I sense that the
Geordies could fall apart at any moment. Lauren has blown apart the
myth of team unity that Souness had tried to sell since Bowyer and
Dyer's fight and last night's heavy defeat in Lisbon will have
shattered their belief. I don't think they will have recovered by
the time we arrive at St James'.
However, if they can pull
off some sort of result in Sunday's FA Cup semi, then they could get
on another roll which could spell bad news for us...
Spurs
at home. We have a great record against them at The Riverside and
their challenge for a European place is in jeopardy because of yet
more rumblings from within. It could be all over by the time we play
them.
Yet we could be neck and neck for sixth, or even fifth
place by the time the last but one fixture arrives and anything can
happen in a 'cup final'...
If maximum points is too much to
expect from the games with Manchester City, Spurs and Newcastle,
then we have other chances against Fulham who appear to be in
freefall, West Brom who remain relegation threatened and Liverpool,
who play us in between their Champions League semi-final double
header with Chelsea.
However, West Brom are playing well and
picking up points, Fulham need a win badly and Liverpool will be a
tough game, whatever their recent form.
And there is always
the chance that we will pick up more injuries during the remainder
of the season. The situation reached the point of farce last weekend
when Skippy was injured in the warm up. Now Stuart Parnaby has
picked up a strain in training and it seems as though the situation
has no end.
But this is Boro and we should be used to the
team doing things the hard way by now.
It's great that our
season is not over by early April, as is usually the case and
whatever happens during the run-in, you can guarantee that it won't
be boring.
But will your nerves be able to stand
it...?
Until next week.
Steve
BET WITH CORAL...
