By Myles Palmer
August is a great time to play Middlesbrough away.It’s not freezing cold, not grey and gloomy, not bucketing with rain.
And since new boss Steve McClaren has been with England all week it’s even better than it would otherwise have been.
The argument that Boro chairman Steve Gibson is a great man because he was so loyal to Bryan Robson never struck me as valid. I thought it was poppycock.
Did McClaren say : get rid of Venables, Robson and Viv Anderson and I will come? I don’t know.
But I’m told he has a clause in his contract allowing him to coach England for every match. If I was Gibson, and hiring a No.2 for his first big job, there is NO WAY I would allow that.
Tomorrow I expect Pires and Vieira to rip Boro to shreds and Arsenal to win by two goals. And I wouldn’t be surprised if it is 4-1.
But Boro have won six in a row pre-season.
They will work hard and be physical,and Boksic might give Sol Campbell the slip a few times, but Arsenal will make chances and they will not miss eight sitters, like they did at Sunderland a year ago.
Arsenal will not annihilate Middlesbrough and lose 1-0. So Vieira will not be sent off in this game.
Arsenal needed Jeffers a year ago, and they needed him in Cardiff. I hope he starts the game with Henry.
Keown and Edu are injured.
Squad which travelled : Seaman, Dixon, Lauren, Adams, Campbell, Cole, Parlour,Ljungberg, Vieira, van Bronckhorst, Pires, Bergkamp, Henry, Wiltord, Jeffers,Kanu, Luzhny, Upson, Wright.
What team would I play? That’s irrelevant because I’m not the manager.
Here is the side I think Arsene will choose :
Seaman, Lauren, Campbell, Adams, Cole; Ljungberg, Vieira,van Bronckhorst, Pires; Bergkamp, Henry.
Middlesbrough squad : Schwarzer, Crossley, Fleming, Cooper, Stockdale, Ehiogu, Southgate, Vickers, Gavin, Ince, Okon, Greening, Wilson, Windass, Mustoe, Boksic, Job, Ricard, Deane.
17th August 2001.
PS. Today is my birthday. And yes, I’m having a really good day, thank you.