Middlesbrough v Manchester City: Boro Bag the Points as Sven’s City Reign Ends in Defeat?
Gareth Southgate has endured a difficult season and seemed destined to lose his job on a number of occasions but still he remains in charge at Boro. His counterpart this weekend seems destined to depart from Manchester City despite a season in which his team have never been out of the top 9 positions in the Premier League. As Jimmy Greaves once said “it’s a funny old game”.
City Not so Great in 2008
The Citizens roared up the table in the opening half of the season rubbishing the critics claim that Sven Goran Eriksson’s foreign recruit heavy City side would struggle to compete with so many new signings at the club. They turned Eastlands into a fortress with 9 successive League wins but 2008 has seen City slump from 4th on January 2nd to their present position 9th. Sven’s side have picked up 5 wins from 17 League matches this year (8 defeats). This is in marked contrast to the first half of the season when City won 10 of their opening 20 games and lost just 4.
The Citizens have slumped to defeat in their last 2 League matches against Fulham (h) and Liverpool (a) so shouldn’t be full of confidence especially with the current predicament of their manager. They are conceding a lot of goals having kept just 1 clean-sheet in the last 9 games having let in 11 goals in the last 6 games. Therefore, expect Boro to score in this one. The Citizens have won only once in their last 5 away trips (3 defeats) so I would be surprised if the current turmoil at the club is conducive to success this weekend, particularly now Boro are assured their Premier League status.
Boro Back on Track
Middlesbrough have had an inconsistent season. They’ve taken important points off of some of the best clubs in the land such as Arsenal and Manchester United but have struggled against the League’s minnows. Less understanding Chairmen than Steve Gibson may not have given Southgate the time he has had at the Riverside. However, slowly but surely Boro seem to be developing a decent if unspectacular team. The undoubted success story of Middlesbrough’s season has been young centre-half David Wheater who has stepped into Jonathan Woodgate’s boots with the minimum of fuss. He has broken into the England set-up following superb defensive displays coupled with an ability to threaten aerially from set-pieces (4 goals in all competitions). On top of this, record signing Afonso Alves has begun to show glimpses of the talent Boro saw in him whilst Stewart Downing has grown in stature this season.
Middlesbrough’s 2-0 home League win over Portsmouth last weekend ended a 5-match winless run (3 defeats) and should ensure they finish the season with a confident display as the threat of relegation is no longer an issue. I would back the home side on Premier 10 to end a 3-match losing run against City as the farcical decision-making behind the scenes at Eastlands begins to affect the players. Boro will want to end a disappointing season with a show in front of their home crowd and I expect them to triumph as Sven departs in defeat.
Pundit’s Pick: Eriksson ends the season with defeat at the Riverside (home win) Do you agree with this result for your Premier 10 prediction? Play Now>>
Tags: Boro, Citizens, Manchester City, Middlesbrough, Premier 10 preview, Premier League
