By Andy Morgan
December 29 2004

The full length version of this very short report on today's game can be read in our forthcoming book of Boro's 2004/05 season, which will be published at the end of this campaign. After the UEFA Cup Final. 26 Dec 2004 18:00

I think today highlighted a few things that are becoming painfully apparent. That was a dreadful game, a game we should have won if we have any aspirations to being in the top five.

Furthermore, if Liverpool beat West Brom - which, let's face it, is likely - then all of the other top seven clubs will have won and we will have lost out tremendously.

Today we could not string three passes together and without Boateng we looked bereft of combatitive edge in midfield. Parlour didn't play one decent pass, Job is not a Premier League player as he has no control in the box whatsoever and Downing was hopelessly off form.

Thus in effect we let Birmingham, who are no better than a mid-table Premier League team, play rings around us and hence we lost the game. We made them look good.

Now I know we have injuries but this time of year sorts the pretenders from the serious challengers and if our squad is not good enough to cope then the simple fact is we are no better than the midtable side we are inevitably going to end up being, again.

We have conceded twenty four goals this season or something. Defensively we are poor. Accept this, because it's the truth. The lack of Boateng and Viduka will hit us and all I can say is thank God it is Norwich on Tuesday because it is a game we can feasably win. Although now I am not so sure.

The thing is, we are doing well in the UEFA Cup but I still don't see us winning it. Thus qualification for this competition should be the aim, be it through league or FA Cup. the latter is a lottery so we need to try through the former.

We have been lucky in recent weeks and that luck has now run out. I just hope we can pick it up and get our confidence back by beating Norwich because on this form we have no hope against Man Utd or Chelsea.

I just have this fear that today we were shown up for the charlatans we really are. I hope I am wrong, but I have this fear.

All I say is, thank God I didn't go down there. It was the second away league game I missed. I feel vindicated now, not for the result but for the performance. I question whether we even tried today.