Boro Going Egyptian

I reported here on Boro Blog, last month, that Boro were looking to offer 2 of Egypt's top players a trial run at the club and today the MFC official website have released an article confirming that boss, Gareth Southgate, is handing trials to Emad Moteab and Mohammed Shawky.
Moteab is a 24-year-old striker who has found the net 12 times in 27 appearances for Egypt and has a good record with his club Al Ahly.
Fellow countryman and club colleague Mohammed Shawky is a 26-year-old midfielder with an incredible 42 caps under his belt and will join Moteab on trial at Boro next week as Gareth Southgate looks to strengthen his attacking options with ongoing speculation over Yakubu's future.
The Egyptian duo will meet up with international team mate Mido who signed a 4 year contract with Boro following his £6 million move from Spurs and the granting of his work permit on Wednesday.

The Worst Possible Start

Boro have got their new season off to the worst possible start with 2 defeats in 5 days.
The away defeat to Wigan, last night, marked Boro's second defeat of the season so far, after just 2 games played. Both teams started the game slowly and created very few chances. Wigan edged the first half, though it was 0-0 at half time, with new boys Antoine Sibierski and Jason Koumas putting on a good display.
Tuncay was, once again, Boro's best player of the first half and played well along the right wing, exposing Kevin Kilbane's inability to block a series of pin-point cross-field balls directed at the Turkish international. Tuncay and Aliadiere looked hot and were definitely on the same page with a series of clever one-twos and some good link up play.
The two teams went into the break at 0-0 and Boro Boss Gareth Southgate would have certainly been happy to take a draw into half time after they failed to create many chances. A slight scare for Boro came just before half time when Stewart Downing turned awkwardly and appeared to twist his knee. Downing looked uncomfortable as he limped around, reluctant to receive possession, in the remaining few minutes of the half.
Wigan started the second half stronger than the first and were mounting a series of attacks against Boro before, 9 minutes into the second half, a deflected drive from Antonio Valencia could only be parried by Boro keeper, Schwarzer, into the path of Antoine Sibierski who bundled the ball over the goal line.
The goal gave Wigan more confidence and they began to dominate the game, with Koumas ruling the midfield.
Boro did create a few chances, one from Stewart Downing who shrugged off his earlier injury to blast a low drive from the right which just needed a tough from anyone to direct it into Chris Kirkland's goal. Downing created another chance a few minutes later where his powerful drive from the right smashed off the Wigan goal post.
Wigan Continued their charge and were unlucky not to take more goals out of the second half and Boro began to look tired and their quality really dropped, misplaced passes and aimless long balls began to frustrate the fans who have been promised a more attacking and pacey style of football by Gareth Southgate.
Boro' problems were worsened when Southgate decided to substitute Boro's best player of the game, Tuncay. The decision was not taken well by the fans who booed as Tuncay was subbed by Adam Johnson.
Then Boro were given more cause for concern as Jeremie Aliadiere picked up a knock and looked uneasy forcing Gareth Southgate to make the decision to substitute him for Lee Cattermole. Lanky defender, David Wheater, was dispatched up front to accompany Dong Gook Lee who had earlier replaced Yakubu, as Cattermole made up a 5 man midfield.


Mido, was in the stands with chief executive Kieth Lamb to watch the game and, if all goes to plan, Southgate will be hoping to have the big Egyptian available for selection on Saturday against Fulham after his transfer from Spurs was finalised before yesterday's game.

"It's important to keep strengthening the squad because we're short of experienced players.

"I've been wanting a centre-forward who can hold up the ball. He has got a physical presence and can be a leader on the field.

"Ultimately he has to score goals as well and I think Mido has all those attributes." Boro boss Gareth Southgate said after the game.

Fee Agreed for Mido

Boro today revealed that they have had a fee agreed by Tottenham for their Egyptian striker Mido.
Mido has fallen out of favour at Spurs after the arrival of Dimitar Berbatov, last season, and Darren Bent, this summer, along with Robbie Keane and Jermaine Defoe already at the club and Tottenham have allowed him to spend today in Teesside to tour the Boro training complex and to undergo a medical.
Boss, Gareth Southgate, was hit by a startling eye-opener on Saturday after Boro crashed to a 2-1 defeat at home to Blackburn despite taking a 1-0 lead into the break and despite also fielding new boys Tuncay and Aliadiere along with last season's top scorer, Yakubu Aiyegbeni. Having sold James Morrison to West Brom, for 1.5 million, Southgate has been left with absolutely no one to cover the right wing except new striker Tuncay who can also play in that position leaving just Yakubu as a proven Boro goalscorer up front with Lee Dong Gook and Jeremie Aliadiere still to score for the Boro, the former of whom has not scored since signing for Boro last January.
It has been suggested that a fee of around £6 million has been agreed for the Egyptian forward who was a hit with Spurs fans upon his arrival on loan from Roma 2 seasons ago, scoring on his debut, but has since withered away leading to a less than outstanding record. Gareth Southgate is hopeful that everything will go off without a hitch and that he can secure his 5th signing of the summer within the next 36 hours "We've agreed a fee with Tottenham and that's enabled us to have Mido up to see us and he's currently in the process of having a medical, all the talks have been very positive and I don't see the medical being too much of a problem for him."

Some Concern

Boro have something of a defensive concern for the start of the new season.

Emanuel Pogatetz is the latest victim of the Boro injury curse, he is today undergoing an operation to correct a knee injury that will probably see him miss several games at the start of next season. Whilst Gareth Southgate is remaining hopeful of only losing England

international defender, Jonathan Woodgate, for the first 2 weeks of the season after he sustained an injury picked up during the summer. Meanwhile Chris Riggott is also set to miss the start of the new season with a badly bruised foot, long suffering German defender Robert Huth is still recovering from an ankle problem that has hampered his Boro career since joining from Chelsea last season and injury-prone youngster, Matthew Bates, will again be out of action for several months after a cruciate injury picked up during the pre-season win over Darlington. All these injuries mean that Southgate's back four will pick itself with only Andrew Davies and David Wheater fit to play in the centre-back position, the latter of whom has had a positive pre-season and has looked sharp and ready to challenge for his 1st team place, at least whilst 1st choice Pogatetz and Woodgate are out.