Despite my relief at seeing the back of him (at least temporarily), it seems a strange move for Mido. While he is undoubtedly a nuisance, he is better than Zamalek. And so are Boro – if he wants to impress his national boss to secure a World Cup place, then surely he’d be better advised scoring goals for Championship promotion chasers than for a side who finished 6th in the Egyptian Premier League last time out.
Elsewhere on the stroppy striker front, there are still no takers for Tuncay Sanli or Afonso Alves. Bafflingly in the case of the former, who has not only been brilliant for Boro over the past two seasons but also an inspiration for his national side. It would be incredible if the Turk stayed beyond the transfer window; although his reported £65k-a-week wages could be something of a strain the club’s beleaguered budget.
After being relegated, the Holgate faithful could scarcely have believed Tuncay – not to mention the likes of Gary O’Neil, Robert Huth and Jeremie Aliadiere – would be available for selection in tomorrow night’s curtain-raiser at the Riverside. At the moment, we have (on paper) a team rightly touted by bookies as one of the promotion favourites.
Leroy Lita scored 32 goals in four seasons for Reading
And now, in Leroy Lita, Gareth Southgate has finally added an experienced Championship goalscorer to the ranks. The free transfer signing is unlikely to be fit enough for a place in the starting line-up against Sheff Utd but what price he comes on to grab a goal against the club he snubbed to join Boro?
There is a bit of a gamble attached to his signature. Lita comes with something of a bad boy tag after falling out of favour at Reading last season and subsequently being farmed out on loan to struggling Charlton and Norwich. After finally getting rid of Mido, the last thing we need is a troublesome front-man. But Lita is a risk worth taking – he is still only 24 and boasts a blistering England U-21 career, hitting six goals in just nine appearances.
Whilst it is a great addition to what is a strong squad at this level, I hope it doesn’t signal the end of Boro’s transfer activity this summer. We still need a target-man striker as a foil to the pace of Lita, Aliadiere and Marvin Emnes. Rob Hulse is the most obvious solution, though rumours linking the 29-year-old with a move to Teesside have simmered in recent weeks.
More depth could be required in midfield, too. After losing Matthew Bates to injury, we look short on players capable of filling the 'Boateng role'. Rhys Williams, who has had a superb pre-season, can play there but, like the promising Josh Walker, is still largely unproven in the first-team. The ever-forgettable Mohammed Shawky would struggle to get in the Zamalek side, while Julio Arca’s tackling makes Adam Johnson look like Robbie Mustoe.
Still, we have exciting (if perhaps lightweight) first-choice quartet of Mark Yeates, O’Neil, Digard and Johnson which should have the beating of most defences in this division. Don’t expect too much tomorrow night, though. The Blades are a tough side to beat but, more decisively, the game is on telly – so it’s bound to be a shocker.
Sports!
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