Secret Revelation

It is no big secret that Dong-Gook Lee has failed to set the stage alight since joining BORO in January, last year. But the news that the out-of-form striker was on the verge of a Riverside departure was kept well quiet.

The Evening Gazette have reported that the Korean striker was one step away from returning home to Pohang Steelers, the club BORO signed him from just 13 months ago. However, despite seeming like a done deal, the transfer has stalled just short of the Korean transfer deadline as Lee failed to sign the deal which would see him return home.

Steelers had first option to take the player back, if he didn't no succeed in England, and, that being very much the case, they were more than happy to take the player off BORO's hands and BORO are more than happy to let him go.

The deal should have been finalised a number of weeks ago, but BORO had to delay the move and hang onto Lee as cover for the injured Tuncay. Now that Tuncay is back, BORO are keen to move Lee back to his homeland and Steelers are itching to get him back before the end of their transfer window, tomorrow.

It is now believed that Lee will intend to run out the remainder of his contract with BORO, until the summer, in the hopes of drawing interest from elsewhere. However, with just two goals to his name since joining BORO and a stop-start first team spot it is unlikely that he will spark interest from anyone.

BORO Squeeze Through

BORO 1 - 0 Sheffield United

BORO have squeezed through to the quarter-finals of the FA Cup after narrowly edging to a 1-0 home win over a battling Sheffield United side, tonight.

BORO played host to the Championship side after the two sides played out a 0-0 draw at Bramall Lane on February 17th and were favourite amongst pundits to advance to the next round.

New boy Afonso Alves was handed his first start; in a game that was always going to be a battle, and so it proved. The two sides got off to a bright start and Alves looked more on form than in previous appearances, he could have had an early goal when Rochemback's corner found his fellow Brazilian, who could only nod wide of an empty goal.

An on fire Rochemback then fed in Downing who looked odds on to bag his 6th goal of the season, however he fired wide and the early exchanges began to peter out as each team launched aimless long balls down field.

The second half began even worse as neither team appeared to have a game plan other than win. Time after time BORO frustrated as they lashed hopeless balls from a partially inexperienced deffence, with Seb Hines and Jonathan Franks playing alongside Luke Young and Emanuel Pogatetz at the back.

Fabio Rochemback continued to impress as he scrapped for every ball and played a series of clever and accurate passes and showed that Gareth Southgate is right to hold his faith in him. Compatriot Afonso Alves also showed glimpses of what's to come, with some good movement and some good efforts, but the Brazilian forward was replaced by Tuncay in the 73rd minute to the sound of booing from the home crowd who wanted to see their new player grab a goal.

Tuncay immediately reminded the home fans of what he is capable of as he chased every ball and tried to link in well with Downing, on the left, getting into some good positions but just failing to finish.

James Beattie had United's best chance, close to the end of normal time as he threw himself at the ball from six yards out after a deflection, but the ball went into the side netting past the on-rushing Mark Schwarzer.

So the game went, inevitably, to extra time and descended into a free-for-all of scrappy desperation as both teams battled for a goal.

The first half of extra-time ended at 0-0 with BORO having had the better chances, one ntoable one from Tuncay as he picked up the ball inside the box before delicately lifting the ball over the defender before stabbing a shot towards goal, Paddy Kenny got down well to save for a corner.

BORO then grabbed the scrapiest of scrappy goals as Mido headed the ball on to Tuncay whose control bounced back off the defender into Mido's feet, he smashed the ball toward goal, but the shot was heavily deflected over Paddy Kenny as Chris Morgan turned goalkeeper to dive and divert the ball onto the post. The ball then came back to Kenny who, facing his own goal, attempted to scoop the ball away but could only palm into the back of his own net.

BORO then held on, by the skin of their teeth, to the lead until the end to secure their place in the quarter-finals, where they will host Cardiff City and former BORO striker Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink.

Attendance: 28, 108
BORO Blog BORO Man of the Match: Fabio Rochemback

Photos Courtesy of BBC Sport (news.bbc.co.uk/football) & MFC.co.uk (www.mfc.co.uk)

Stewie Meets The Press

Stewart Downing, today spoke to SkySports, having finalised his new five-year contract with his home-town club.

Click here to see his interview

Courtesy of Sky Sports (www.skysports.com/football)

Catch Up

I haven't posted on BORO blog for some time now because I have been bogged down with work, but I thought I'd deliver a summary of what I understand has been going in with BORO in the last couple weeks. Because I am not dillusional enough to think that people are sat waiting for me to deliver up-to-date BORO news, here's a condensed look at what's being going on.

BORO will host former Premiership side, Sheffield United, at the Riverside for the FA Cup fifth replay on Wednesday night after the sides played out a 0-0 draw at Bramall Lane on the 17th. Wednesday's match will be broadcast live on BBC Match of the Day. Whoever wins at The Riverside will host Cardiff City in the quarter-finals.

BORO also ended their eight game unbeaten run on Saturday in a battling game against Liverpool at Anfield. BORO took the lead in under ten minutes when, back from injury, striker Tuncay netted on the nineth minute. But BORO's lead didn't last long as Spanish Striker Fernando Torres netted goals in the 28th and 29th minutes after a pair of terrible mistakes from Mark Schwarzer and Julio Arca (that captain's armband must be a curse at the BORO), giving Liverpool a 2-1 advantage at the break.

Torres then capped his day off with a third goal before Stewart Downing pulled one back in the 83rd minute, keeping him top of the scoring chart at BORO.

Jeremie Aliadiere then saw red as he received his second yellow card of the match, with just five minutes to go BORO had little chance, now, of a comeback and, once again, new signing Afonso Alves came on as a late substitue but failed to prove, yet, that he is worth the £12 million that we payed for him.

BORO's next premier league game is at home against Premiership free-fallers Reading, a chance there, maybe, for three points as 'The Royals' are fast becoming favourites (besides Derby) to be relegated after a string of poor results, the latest of which coming at home yesterday, against Aston Villa.

A final word, former BORO defender Jonathan Woodgate placed his name into the record books as he bagged the winner for Spurs in the Carling Cup final against Chelsea, yesterday. Woodgate, who only joined Spurs from BORO last month, headed home an 'extra-time' goal to give Spurs the 2-1 win at Wembley after normal time ended with the sides level at 1-1.

Sheer Jubilation

Sheer jubilation rung around Middlesbrough today as the news that Stewart Downing has finally agreed a new 5-year deal began to circulate.


The England winger is BORO's top scorer this season and has been subject to heavy transfer speculation in the last year or so, with Tottenham reported favourite to sign him, on more than one occasion.

But today, he ended all doubt over his future by agreeing a five-year deal with his home town club, bringing delight to manager Gareth Southgate, "It's so important not only to sign new players but to keep hold of your best ones. It's fantastic news as a club and we're delighted that Stewart sees his future as being here. He's wanted to sort it out for a while and we're delighted to have been able to come to an agreement."

Downing, himself, cited the signing of Afonso Alves as one of the main reasons he decided to stay at the club. The signing, he believes, shows the club's ambition to succeed. Ambition, which former BORO player Jonathan Woodgate claimed the club was lacking in,

"It's my hometown club but I've told them that I didn't want us to stand still. Signing Alves shows how ambitious we are, the fact that the chairman was willing to splash out like that.

"The chairman has proved again just how much he wants this club to go forward. To be fair, the chairman and the manager have been spot on about it.

"They've never pressurised me, they've just made it clear that they wanted me to stay."

Downing can now focus on maintaining his recent good form with BORO and adding to his current goal tally of 5, though I'm sure who would rather turn provider for new boy Alves to grab the goals.

Quotes and Photo courtesy of MFC official website (www.mfc.co.uk) & Google (images.google.com)

Josh Has Valentine's Day To Remember

On loan BORO youngster, Josh Walker, had a Valentine's day to remember tonight, as he grabbed a stunning 24th minute goal in Aberdeen's stunning 2-2 UEFA Cup draw with German giants Bayern Munich.


Josh, who is on loan at the Scottish club has made a huge impact since arriving last month and was even awarded the Man of the Match award in his first game for the club.

Walker had been very much a fringe player at BORO, having come through the famed academy system and was allowed to leave on loan in order to gain more first team experience.

Aberdeen faced Bayern, tonight, in the last 32 of the UEFA Cup competition and got off to a flying start, with an early penalty claim turned down, before the 18-year-old loanee, Walker, curled a fantastic shot into the corner of the net in his first ever European appearance.

Photo Courtesy of BBC Sport (news.bbc.co.uk/sport)

He's Here!

BORO unveiled their new arrival, Afonso Alves, at The Riverside stadium today in front of 2,000 fans.


Alves was granted his work Visa earlier in the week and made a Juninho-style appearance at his new home ground, vowing to be the answer to BORO's goal scorer dilemma.

Southgate is hoping that Alves will prove to be just as much a hit with the BORO faithful as Juninho was and believes that the Brazilian could line-up against Fulham on Saturday, provided he is fit enough.

However, I believe, that anything short of a broken leg and Alves will be in the side, either starting or on the bench on Saturday.

Photo Courtesy of SkySports (www.skysports.com/football)