Boro’s first game of the season is against Tottenham Hotspur on Saturday August 16th at the Riverside.
Preparations for this game have been going very smoothly with only a couple of injuries to players that will be in contention for a starting place against Spurs.
Julio Arca picked up a knock on Saturday playing against Hibernian but has been given the all clear to play in the friendly against Sparta Rotterdam this Friday after a scan earlier this week revealed no serious damage has been caused.
The team continued their winning ways last night when they beat Darlington 5-0. Gareth Southgate fielded a very young side against the Quakers’, but they produced some excellent football which resulted in five good goals being scored.
It is key now that all the players are fully focused on the Spurs game. The trip to Rotterdam will be used as another training match but the Boro players will be wanting to impress their manager as Southgate is still unsure on what team he wants to field against Tottenham.
So that leaves the question, What team will Southgate put out against Spurs?
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I cant wait for the game against you guys! I aint here to slag people off I’m just here to say, I hope its a cracking game played in good spirit and we win 0-3 😉 Good luck for the coming season!
Yeah I hope so too, I think it will be a tight game though. I expect a lot of goals for this one! I’ll say 2-2 to start us both off.
Boro team to start against Spurs: Jones, Young, Wheater, Huth, Pogatetz, Digard, Arca, Downing, Emnes, Alves, Mido
Really hard one to call this, which makes me content to take a draw and move on to the next one, plus spurs have always had a shoddy away record, good luck to ‘boro for the season ahead though.
I like boro’ so in no way slagging you off… we have a decent record against you guys thoguh, and I don’t think you’ve got the greatest team (by no means the worst either)…. i’d be dissapointed if we didn’t win this one… I know you’ve got some good results against the top 4 at the riverside, but so have bolton… it doesn’t stop me thinking we should beat them (you are better than Bolton though I spose)…
Good luck anyway for the rest of the season… except when you play us!
by the way – the voting thing you got to your left… I can understand why Ravinelli is winning that obviously… How the hell is Alves above Hasslebaink, Viduka and yakabu… He hasn’t even done anything yet… I’d even go as far to say that Hamilton Ricard should be a bit higher… strange…
I think the game will be a good reality test for both teams in terms of what can be achieved this year. I think Southgate has done a first-class job with your team and they play some great football from time-to-time….a bit like us! I will be happy with a draw from this one and wish you good luck for the season.
as a tottenham fan no disrespect to Boro anything but the 3 points will disappoint me. Line up: Gomez, hutton (zokora), king,woodgate,bale,do santos,modric,jenas,bentley,berbatov (if there), bent….. Are you Boro fans worried about this game and I mean this not taking the mick?
We have a few players that owe us a good season in a Boro shirt – Mido and Gary O’Neill are players I’m looking forward to seeing because they had shockers last year, Mido is looking sharper and O’Neill has settled in the North East now (we hope). I’m not worried about the Spurs game. You guys have got a lot of new players that will have to gel together so I’m expecting an even contest to be honest. A score draw. Good luck for season though and we will enjoy getting another 4 points off your rivals for you! Make sure you beat Sunderland and Newcastle for us!
Spurs to start off with a classic Tottenham howler type of game. Rememeber Sunderland last year? More of the same I think this year round!
Id take a score draw and a good performance. Wouldnt be too disheartened by a defeat either on a good day Boro can beat anyone
This will be a very tough one for the Boro, Spurs spent big again but did that last summer and the Yids went down 1-0 to the Mackems in the first match.
Team hopefully will be Turnbull, Young, Wheater, Huth, Pogatetz, Emnes/A.Johnson/Aliadiere, Digard, O’Neil/Arca, Downing, Alves, Tuncay.
We have a chance of winning the game if Berba has gone and Spurs only have Bent and to be honest I see Alves and Tuncay giving Woody and King lots of problems, Woodgate was awful at the Riverside last year when he played and he will be challenged by two good strikers. I will go for an optimistic 2-1 to the Boro but a draw will be a decent result.
Good luck Boro… you guys never disappoint against all our rivals, sure we can repay the favour this season!!! maybe a draw, not sure how your preseason has gone so far, but obviously we’d all like a win!!!
Much the same as everyone else, I quite like Boro and am glad you stuck by Southgate, its a tough place to attract players to and he has done a good job and your youth academy is excellent. As for the game I see a few goals but if (and its a big if) we hit the ground tunning I can see you getting overrun! So 0-0 it is then!!! Hahaha. Have a good season guys
giovanni dos santos will run riot….modric will carve open the middle….cant see anything other than a spurs win
Boro to win 2-1, i think both teams dont have the greatest opening day records. Hopefully Turnbull will start in goal and Aliadiere on the right – forget about Emnes, give Ali the chance and make Emnes fight for his place.
Might have to change my right back position as our first choice is just about to sign for Villa. Tony McMahon it is or… new signing!!
I say mido will want to get a goal against his old team and knowing him he will…
Jones, X, Wheater, Huth, Pogatetz, Digard, Shawky, Downing, O’Neill , Alves, Mido
It would make a good headline if Mido scores against Spurs next week.