THE ROCKLIFFE FILES By Toby Higgins.

By Toby Higgins
October 18 2005

I PITY THE FOOL 18-10-05 After another home disappointment on Saturday the question I find myself asking at the start of this week’s article is, where to begin?

it’s not easy to write negative things about the club I adore, but the way we’re playing at the moment is making writing positively a near impossible task. Leaving the ground on Saturday, we Boro fans had very few positives to cling onto.

In fact, the only real positive is that we got something out of the game, which frankly is appalling considering Portsmouth are a side who most would label “relegation fodder”.

For me, the main cause for concern after Saturday is that McClaren has lost the fans. Although come to think about it, you can’t lose something you never had. The quiet murmur from disgruntled fans is becoming increasingly vocal.

Yet again there are calls for his head from angry fans. To be honest, it’s fairly easy to see why. A starting XI including the name Doriva is never going to please fans, especially at home and especially as there was an attacking alternative in Mendieta on the bench.

The first half was quiet. Aside from Maccarone’s speculative overhead kick, we didn’t offer much, other than a glorious opportunity to Pompy’s Dario Silva, who somehow failed to connect with the goal at his mercy.

I agree that the fans shouldn’t pick the team, but when you’re a man under fire from your own supporters, as McClaren is, maybe you should consider doing as little as possible to fuel their burning fires of rage.

Whether he did or did not consider this, what followed shows to me that the fans no longer trust him at the helm. To withdraw crowd favourite Franck Queudrue at half time, and then Massimo before the hour, McClaren had made his bed.

The reaction to Franck’s departure was somewhat disguised by the half-time interval. The reaction to Massimo’s most certainly wasn’t. The crowd made more noise booing as he left the field than they had done seconds before when celebrating Yakubu’s equaliser.

Whether you rate him or not, Massimo has won the fans over since his return and the reaction was in my eyes justified.

He’s playing Maccarone out of position, and not only that but he isn’t even playing week in week out. The old Massimo’s confidence would have hit rock bottom at Villa when Nemeth started ahead of him.

But despite that, he is playing as well as any of us have ever seen him play and long may it continue. Where this passion has come from, I don’t know, nor do I care. The fans appreciate it, but McClaren doesn’t. Taking off two of the most popular players on the pitch was at best, unwise.

However, for the ten minutes after Viduka and JFH were on the pitch it was exciting stuff to watch. It was end to end as the new 4-3-3 formation left us defensively exposed at times, but with enough bodies in the box to create a few chances. Which came and went, along with 26,551 supporters who were at the game.

With the exception of Yakubu, McClaren’s newest signings didn’t bring anything to the team. Pogatezt, who was sent off for attempted manslaughter playing for Austria in midweek looks very, very average. In fact, at the risk of being branded too negative, he looks shite. Get Franck at left back. It’s where he belongs.

And Fabio Rochemback looks poor too. It’s going to take him time to learn the game over here, fair enough, but surely they teach you how to shoot, no matter what country your in. His first half “effort” literally hit the North Stand roof, were it not for that, an unlucky ball boy would have been fishing it out of the River.

And as for McClaren’s other new signing, Abel Xavier, well he was ill. He must have been sick with worry over the weekend that the drugs test he took in Greece would come back positive.

He is of course innocent until proven guilty and all that, and the player himself is set to make a statement later today, but it’s very rare that such accusations turn out to be false.

I’m sure a lot of people will have their say in the next few days and weeks about this issue, but it could potentially ruin the clubs reputation depending on the severity of the drug.

I didn’t rate him before he came to us and I questioned McClaren at the time for buying a proven flop. But credit to him, in his short stay with the club, he has played quite well.

But we owe this guy nothing. We pay him thousands of pounds a week to represent this club, and to have ever got into this situation is disgraceful, circumstances pending. But no matter whose fault it is, player or club, it should never have been allowed to happen.

Without any more information than is available at the time of going to press, it is hard to make further comment.

But just remember, we have no duty to defend him. He has played a handful of games for us and could have given Middlesbrough Football Club a bad name that could be very hard to shake off. Of course if you think he’s innocent, then fair enough.

Call me cynical, but I think he’s guilty. And if he did indeed take drugs in the first place, then I pity the fool.

West Ham away on Saturday won’t be easy. We don’t have a brilliant record there and I’d be quite content with a draw.

On the bright side of an otherwise frustrating weekend of football, a big thank you to Newcastle who were able to make our draw away at Wigan look like a good result.

Same time next week… UP THE BORO!
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Harry Haverton

I may have mentioned a couple of weeks ago that I was at the UEFA Cup draw in Nyon when the groups were formulated.

What a blast I had. It was nice to be in such exalted company, even though anybody who was even remotely important pretty much ignored me.

Apart from one gadgie who I met who turned out to be a really great contact. He was sat next to me at the draw and as Boro's name came out of the hat, I acknowledged my support of the north-easts' finest to him.

Well actually, I shouted. "Away Boro!" and put my fist in the air. You're not supposed to do things like that in these posh places and as the officials gave me a school-masterly like stare, this guy smiled and struck up a conversation with me.

Turns out his name is Victor and he owns a very large bookmakers based in Gibraltar. He looked the part as well. Smooth, suave, debonair, sophisticated. It was obvious why he wanted to make friends with yours truly.

So Vic was telling me that he'd never been to Middlesbrough but he knew a lot about the team. But he politely declined my invitation to the North Ormesby Working Men's Club for a knee's up and a live match on the big screen. Well he's a busy guy isn't he...

We had time for a quick drink after the draw. Well they don't have real beer in Switzerland and especially not at FIFA conventions so he offered me something called a Alsace. "Aye, cheers, I'll have a pint of that Vic" I said and he just looked at me, bemused as I offered him a rollie.

We got chatting about betting, which seemed an appropriate subject as he is one of the world's top bookies and I was England's number one tipster for around twenty minutes back in September.

He asked me what the form is with the Boro fans, like what do Boro fans like to see from a bookie?

"Freebies Vic. All Boro fans like something for nothing."

So guess what he did next? He only goes and gives me a hundred quid's worth of free bets for the Boro fans.

After buying another round of course. Mouton Rothschild this time. Wasn't he an Argentinian midfielder once?

So here's how the hundred quid's worth of free bets will be distributed.

Sign up for an account with Vic's bookies by clicking on the banner below. You must click on the banner below to open your account so that Vic knows that I sent you.

Place a bet on the Grasshopper's match - or any fixture you fancy - and then send us an email with your VC Bet account number. Vic will then drop a tenner into your account.

We'll split the hundred quid between the first ten to sign up, so be quick. It's as plain and easy as that.

But there is a little more as well. You actually get half of your first stake back as well up to a maximum of fifty quid when you place your first bet at Vic's bookies. Generous guy is Vic. Not keen on rollies though might I add.

So that's it then. Grab your free tenner while you can and if you see me around the town, just buy me a pint to say thanks. Real beer though please. Not that sweet stuff that Vic was drinking.

CLICK THIS BANNER TO QUALIFY AND DON'T FORGET TO EMAIL ME YOUR ACCOUNT NUMBER SO I CAN TELL VIC.