BLACKBURN v MIDDLESBROUGH - ROVERS RUN OVER MIDDLES-BRAZIL TO CONTINUE?
Gareth Southgate looks set to do a fair bit of business in the January transfer window with a striker high on the list of priorities but its the distant sound of the samba drums that will be exciting the Boro fans. The Riverside has been a haven for a number of Brazilian imports over the years including Juninho (3 spells at the club), Emerson, Branco and Fabio Rochemback. This January there could be a couple more to add to the list in the shape of strikers Afonso Alves and Fred.
Alves has been linked with a move from Dutch club Heerenveen for a while now and was photographed in negotiations at the Riverside last weekend. The Brazilian has an incredible scoring record in Dutch football including finishing top League scorer with 34 goals last season. This feat is even more impressive when considering the stature of the club he plays for. In the previous 8 seasons the Dutch League top scorer has played for one of the big Dutch four (Ajax, AZ, PSV or Feyenoord). He also finished a close runner-up to Roma’s Francesco Totti for last season’s European Golden Boot.
This season Alves even scored 7 goals in just one game against Heracles so he certainly seems to have the right credentials for the Premier League. Alas, there are a few barriers to overcome before he can join Boro. One is his price-tag reported at £14million plus and the other an alleged pre-contract agreement with AZ Alkmaar which Heerenveen have refused to acknowledge. So expect this transfer to drag on throughout January. Boro have also been linked with Lyon’s Brazilian star Fred, but with both PSG and Tottenham also in the hunt this could be a non-starter.
The rumour mill surrounding Blackburn has been far quieter, though manager Mark Hughes has been strongly linked with the vacant managerial role at Newcastle. Whether Sparky fancies the job is debatable given the comfort of his position at Ewood Park. However, he will certainly fancy his chances of completing a League double over Boro this weekend as Rovers boast a record of 6 wins in the last 6 encounters with the Teessiders (in all competitions). Rovers won 2-1 at the Riverside on the opening day of the season with Benni McCarthy and Matt Derbyshire the scorers and it is hard to back against them winning again. Despite being dumped out of the FA Cup by Championship side Coventry, Rovers have won their last 3 League matches (all against teams in the bottom 6). Boro however, have won just once in their last 5 matches, a run that includes 3 defeats. So back the home side to beat Middlesbrough again with the only Samba star in action this weekend likely to be Rovers giant centre-half Christopher Samba.
Pundit’s Pick: Boro poor without boys from Brazil (home win)
Tags: 19/01/08, Afonso Alves, Blackburn, Boro, Fred, Gareth Southgate, Mark Hughes, Middlesbrough, Premier League preview, Rovers, transfer window
