The Gunners or Gunned down?Arsenal come into town this week and let’s hope they haven’t got smart and purchased a sat nav so this I suppose they won’t get lost on Stockton high street and their tactics are all but forgotten.

Boro have a few injury worries according to reports… Hoyte is out, Taylor is out, Wheater is suspended, Riggott & Huth are doubtful; O’Neil is out so <sigh> a makeshift side against the Gunners. 

The only players who are fit are the ones being linked with moves away (the majority that is, don’t want to spread Aliadiere is moving as that will surely disappoint Stepper.)  So soon very soon for Boro it could be make or break, it doesn’t bode well as Christmas plays a detrimental effect on the season and with our record it might not be healthy. 

I hope the Gunners can prove to be slightly jaded and unconfident, a defeat at Porto in mid-week could have taken it out of them but I suppose we’ll have to find out. 

Boro need goals fast, there’s no point moping around waiting for it to happen, grab the bull by the bloody horns and smack in the back of the net.  Obviously the main factor of controversy is Afonso Alves and his lack of, I’d like to think that he could score a goal and lift everybody’s spirits and most importantly his own.  I’d like to refer a point Mr Vickers stated in his blog on the Gazette website stating that Premiership hits such as Bergkamp, Henry and Zola took this amount of games too settle in, obviously the league has changed from now to what it was then but it’s more of a point to get behind Alves and not write him off, not because we paid 12.7 million because he can score the goals for Boro and does have a talent, at the moment it’s not working but hey shit happens and in modern day society we have to lick the wounds and get on with it. 

http://anthonyvickers.boroblogs.co.uk/archives/2008/12/whats-it-all-ab.html

Due to our defensive worries and niggles I think a draw would be acceptable under the circumstances and Boro will need to look on the next two games (Fulham & Everton) to win them.  We’ve had Bolton, Newcastle and Hull and you’d of thought that we’d at least get 5 points instead of a measly 1, so it’s vital that we rectify it. 

1-1 Come on Boro!!