Derby Draw

Middlesbrough 2 - 2 Newcastle United

Boro earned a well deserved 2 - 2 draw with local rivals Newcastle today after twice coming back from a goal down.


Boro started the game quick and sharp, immediately creating early chances, as new boys Jeremie Aliadiere and Mido linked in together superbly.

Just 5 minutes into the game and Newcastle's Steven Carr had to be substituted after he fell victim to what appeared to be a pulled hamstring, he was replaced by Peter Ramage.
Newcastle then turned the game and started creating some chances, though proving fruitless as Obafemi Martins skewed horribly wide and Alan Smith was denied by a superb last minute challenge from in form captain George Boateng.

However, somewhat against the run of play, Newcastle took the lead on 22 minutes as Charles N'Zogbia checked in from the left and launched a superb right foot strike into the top corner, giving Mark Schwarzer no chance.

Just minutes later, Fabio Rochemback picked out home debutant Mido, in the box, who passed Rozehnal and Taylor like they weren't there before rounding stand-in goalie Steve Harper and slotting the ball into the net just in front of the traveling supporters, who he then taunted (below).


Mido's goal injected excitement back into the home crowd who got behind the Boro to spark a late attack in the first half.

Rochemback saw his low drive palmed just wide by Harper, whilst his midfield partner Arca had a shot parried from through a crowded penalty box.

Adding to big Sam Allerdyce's injury concerns, Peter Ramage who replaced injured Steve Carr was stretchered off with a bad knee injury, after a lengthy pause in play.
It was always going to happen and on the stroke of 77 minutes it did, former Boro favourite Mark Viduka fired Newcastle back into the lead, right in front of the away fans. Perhaps respectfully, Viduka did not celebrate the goal as his fellow team mated crowded round to congratulate him.

Boro had a scare late on as Jeremie Aliadiere was knocked unconscious and was out for several minutes, with Boro physio Chris Moseley rushing on to tend to the Frenchman. As with Peter Ramage, earlier, Aliadiere had to be stretchered off to a standing ovation from the home crowd.

Mark Schwazer was having, by far, an uneasy afternoon and kept the home fans on edge as he half-heartedly punched clear a series of crosses and failed to leave his goal line to challenge for the ball and his kicks were equally, if not more so, atrocious; struggling to pick out a red shirt on more than one occasion.

But Boro, once again, equalised within minutes when a series of missed chances and a misplaced cross which found Tuncay, who attempted to deliver the ball back into the box. The ball fell to Arca who drilled a left foot volley past a static Steve Harper, sending the Boro fans wild.

After all of the stoppages from injuries, 5 minutes was added at the end of the game giving both teams a chance to grab the 3 points, but Boro defended strongly and mounted positive counter attacks to secure a well deserved draw.

Attendance: 28,875
Boro Blog Man of the Match: George Boateng
Gareth Southgate's view

Mendi is Delusional

"We have been doing all we can to help Gaizka find another club and will continue to do so, but there is NO chance of him gaining a place in the Middlesbrough squad."

Gaizka Mendieta told earlier this week of how he had not been told to leave Boro and would therefore stay and fight for a place in Gareth Southgate's starting 11, despite not being issued a squad number.
Boro's chief executive, Keith Lamb, confirmed that he has held talks with all of the player's representatives about moving away from Boro as he has no future in Southgate's team.
"We were amazed to read Gaizka's comments, as the club have held numerous talks with Gaizka, his agents and lawyers over an exit strategy for him,"

A Forgotten Star

Mendieta - "I will fight"

A forgotten Boro star has, today, told of how he will fight to regain a spot in at least Southgate's first 16.
Gaizka Mendieta has been with Boro since 2003 and has made over 80 appearances for the club. Restricted by a series of bad injuries, including a cruciate ligament injury that ruled him out of most of Boro's 2004/2005 season and a badly broken foot that kept him out of the game for much of 2005/2006.

Mendieta, who became an instant star with the Boro, produced his best performance in the unforgettable 4-1 home win over Man United in October 2005, where Gaizka scored Boro's first and second goals as he commanded the midfield from his favoured attacking midfield role after so long playing, largely unsuccessfully, on the right wing.

With George Boateng, Lee Cattermole, Fabio Rochemback, Julio Arca and new trialist Mohamed Shawky all in contention for Boro, it was expected that Gaizka would be looking for a new club in the summer, something which was all but confirmed as the club did not issue him with a squad number for this season.

However, after reports of 'Mendi' possibly making a move to MLS or home to Spain failed to turn true, the player will stay on at the Boro and he has insisted that he hopes to be staying and fighting for his place, come September 1st.
"I am working with the dream of doing good for Boro, I work to the same intensity each day and then it is up to the coach to decide who plays at the weekend.

"It is a real pain that the Boro fans have yet to see the real Mendieta

"I am hopeful of getting more chances this season."

Yakubu & Euell Head For The Exit

The ongoing speculation over Yakubu Aiyegbeni's future has come to an end this afternoon as Boro officially confirmed that they have accepted a £12 million offer from Everton, for the Nigerian striker and the club have given Yakubu, who went AWOL from training earlier this week, permission to talk to the Merseysiders in an attempt to offload the out of form striker.
Yakubu cost Boro £7.5 million from Portsmouth just 2 years ago and has since found the net 35 times in over 100 games, helping Boro to the UEFA cup final in only their second year in the competition.

In a double headliner, today, it has emerged that Gareth Southgate has turned two-faced as he told 30-year-old Jamaican striker Jason Euell that he can start looking for a new club as he does not fit into the team plans, despite telling Euell just last month that he would see more action in the striker role this season after a productive pre-season run. Euell, who only arrived on Teesside 12 months ago and has settled well here, told of how he has been shocked by the turnaround from the boss, "Three weeks into pre-season and everything was going well and Gareth told me I would not be in the reckoning for midfield, so I would be classed as a striker. Then a few weeks later I am told I am not part of his plans - which is a strange turnaround."