Patience begins to wear thin at the Riverside

It’s a good thing Gordon Strachan has a sense of humour. Known for his witty put downs as
well as his coaching abilities - it’s been a season that’s given the Scot little to smile about.

Nor have Middlesbrough fans enjoyed this season - one of constant upheaval and transition on and off the field. Next season can’t come soon enough for the Teessiders.

Indeed, eyebrows were raised when Gareth Southgate was relieved of his managerial duties in October by Steve Gibson - a man well known for showing loyalty and support to his managers. Boro were sitting pretty in the playoffs at the time – just a point off the top of the table.

For a man renowned for his patience, it was a ruthless decision. On current form, it hasn’t necessarily proved to be the right one.

Boro now find themselves in 11th position - eight points off the playoffs and lacking any kind of forward momentum. With the teams above them having games in hand, it appears the Teessiders may have to settle for a mid-table finish. Clearly, it hasn’t been the kind of season that Gibson envisaged.

It’s not hard to see where it’s all gone wrong for Middlesbrough this season. Inconsistency has blighted the club’s progress under Strachan – the club have only recorded back to back wins once during his tenure. Indeed, a return of 25 points from 23 games is a poor return compared to Southgate’s haul of 23 points from the opening 13 matches.

Strachan has struggled to endear himself to Boro fans

It’s been something of a revolving door at the Riverside too. Turning to his former club Celtic, the 53 year old signed the quintet of Scott McDonald, Willo Flood, Barry Robson, Chris Killen and Stephen McManus in January.

Others have come and gone. Signed by Southgate on loan from Preston with a view to a permanent deal, Sean St Ledger was sensationally sent back to Deepdale, and Mark Yeates and Mohammed Shawky, also Southgate signings, have since departed the club.

Then again, he’s always done things his way. Known for his inimitable style and unique anecdotes, many were surprised when he took the job in the first place. Yet it was the challenge that drew him to the Riverside, not to mention the patience of his chairman – a man who has only sacked two managers in his 15 year spell in charge of the club.

Steve Gibson has been in charge of Middlesbrough since 1994

Strachan’s previous experience at this level saw him leave Coventry by mutual consent after an unsuccessful spell in charge. Now, as a better and more experienced manager, the pressure will be on the Scot to deliver promotion next season.

Then again, a return to the Premier League is the requirement for so many clubs in the Championship. For Middlesbrough it’s a task made even harder with Gibson’s tightening of the purse strings at the Riverside. The days of £12million pound signings are over for Boro, and its hard work and endeavour that will see them reach the top-flight again. It’s something not lost on the flame haired Scot, who realises the challenge that lies ahead.

The acid test will come next season for Strachan, with a full pre-season to mould his own team. For the outspoken Scot, it’s time he let his team do the talking.

(dangerhere.com)

Canaries flying high

The Delia effect is in full flow in East Anglia, but it’s not the chef’s cooking tips that have people talking. With 25,000 people flocking to see Norwich City sitting pretty at the top of the third tier, it’s clear that the football team is the winning brand right now.

It didn’t always look the case. An opening day defeat to Colchester United saw the Essex club put seven past the Canaries. Now, Paul Lambert’s side find themselves seven points clear of Leeds United at the top of League One.

It’s been quite the turnaround. After dispensing with the services of Bryan Gunn less than a week into the season, the Canaries turned to Lambert - the man responsible for that resounding 7-1 victory. Having forged an impressive reputation in the lower divisions with Wycombe Wanderers and then Colchester United, the Scot was seen as the man to change the club’s fortunes.

Lambert has overseen quite the turnaround at Carrow Road.

Lambert has done just that. The Canaries have gone from strength to strength during his tenure, winning an impressive 25 from 33 league games, which included a 5-0 thumping of Colchester in January. Relations are still strained between the two clubs, with U’s chief executive Robbie Cowling labelling the score between the two clubs “7-6 to the mighty Colchester,” but it appears that Lambert has made the right move.

Indeed, his stock has never been higher. A number of high quality signings gave many Norwich fans cause for optimism during the summer, though doubts persisted over Gunn’s ability to build and shape a team. Morale was low at the club, which had been on a downward trend since relegation from the top flight in 2005.

Under the stewardship of Lambert those doubts have subsided, and the club has been re-energized. Players such as Chris Martin and Wes Hoolahan have flourished under the new regime, with Grant Holt’s 21 goals proving crucial. The team have tightened up at the back since the Colchester debacle too - only a handful of teams have conceded less goals than the Canaries this season, and the club boast the best goal difference in the division.

Grant Holt's goals have propelled Norwich to the top of the division.

Lambert remains calm, insisting that the playoffs were the only target when he took over. Norwich look set to go one better than that as things stand with an immediate return to the Championship. The title could be all but secured when City take on Leeds at Carrow Road on the 27th of March - a ten point gap would be too much for Simon Grayson’s side to make up at this stage of the season.

On that fateful day in August, it seemed Norwich had committed seven deadly sins. Now they find themselves in seventh heaven. Call it the Lambert effect, if you will.

(dangerhere.com)

Keith Alexander - a lower league institution

As a manager his style of play was hard and uncompromising, but the man himself was known in footballing circles as a friendly giant.

Keith Alexander was one of football‘s good guys. Not just a football manager - as the the first full-time black manager of a professional football club in England, Alexander was also a pioneer for black managers everywhere. Everybody liked and respected the man - so much so you’d be hard-pressed to hear a bad word about him.

Indeed, well-wishers have been bombarding websites and messageboards with tributes to the man affectionately known as ‘Big Keef’ - much like his teams would bombard the opposition with long balls forward.

Not that his style of play should do him a disservice. Over the years Alexander developed a reputation in the lower leagues for achieving results at clubs with limited budgets, and though it wasn’t always pretty, it was certainly effective.

Take his time at Lincoln City, for instance, where Alexander guided the Imps to the play-offs four times in a row. His famous 3-4-3 formation and long ball tactics won him little respect amongst fellow managers during his tenure at Sincil Bank, but off the field, he was liked and respected by many who graced his presence.

Spells at Peterborough and Bury followed, but his most recent challenge was at Macclesfield Town - where the big man was at it again. Under Alexander’s supervision the Silkmen continued to punch above their weight - as they have for the majority of their tenure in the Football League. Keith Alexander and Macclesfield Town? It seemed like a perfect fit. Not many other managers understood the financial constraints and the difficulties of managing in League Two better than Alexander.

Indeed, he relished a battle - be it on the field or off it. In 2003 a brain aneurysm threatened to cut his managerial career short, but much like the teams he managed, Alexander was big and strong in the face of adversity. It was to his immense credit that he returned to the game so quickly.

You can’t help but take your hat off to him, even if he refused to remove his own cap most of the time. Much like his direct tactics, he was well-known for donning a baseball cap during matches. It was one of the unique traits that endeared him to lower league football fans across the country.

His work off the field was vital. As the longest serving black manager in English football, Alexander was a role model to black managers, though he was a shining example to all aspiring coaches and managers whatever their racial background. From 1993 to the present day, Alexander was rarely out of work.

The final game of the season in League Two sees two of Alexander’s former clubs face off, with Lincoln City taking on Macclesfield Town. As things stand, both teams are embroiled in a relegation battle with their league status on the line. It’s the kind of encounter he would have relished.