Oppos View – Middlesbrough

View from the opposition – Middlesbrough 18 Jan 2013

A bit about you:

Name: Brian Bailey 

Current home town: Billingham              Birthplace: Middlesbrough  

How long have you supported your team? 30 years 

Overview of your club:

Favourite thing about your home ground: Local delicacy of ‘parmo in a bun’  

Favourite match played by your team & why: Semi final of UEFA cup against St Bucharest… conceded early meaning we needed to score 4 and we did it against the odds. ‘Small town in Yorkshire’ though to the UEFA cup final. Don’t think I’ll ever see those scenes again… 

Favourite player of all time who played for your club: Has to be Juninho. He glided across the pitch and was the main reason for Ravenelli bagging 30+ plus goals that season. To be just pipped for PFA by Zola in team that was relegated says it all.

Being a keeper all my life I’d say my favorite goalkeeper has to be current goalkeeping coach Steve Pears

 About our forthcoming match against you:

Your favourite current player in your squad and why? Difficult to say as we had 11 signings in the summer and most have settled in well. I’ll say Grant Leadbetter, nothing flash but can control the pace of a game with his simplicity

Player in your squad we should most fear and why? Scott McDonald is on a good scoring run at the moment ably supported by Lucas Juckewitz – the juggernaut!! 

Player in our squad you most fear and why? It would have been Beckford as he has got to come good at some point … but now you’ve loaned him out until the end of the season I’d say your new signing Wood, looks like a great bit of business during January!! Guess those years on Teesside have helped Pearson spot a bargain….

Up and coming prospect in your squad? Adam Reach – tricky winger who has been used as a sub recently and changed a couple of games with goals 

Where do you think you’ll finish this season? Love 2nd but happy with play offs 

How do you think you’ll do against us? Someone’s got to stop your scoring spree, may as well be us…2-2 

Any other comments? Looking forward to it…this could be a dress rehearsal of the play off final!!