Bryan Robson Middlesbrough: Last Season: 12th, 52pts W14 D10 L14 F46 A52 Stadium: Riverside Stadium (115x74yds) Capacity: 35,000 Year Formed: 1876 Manager: Bryan Robson Chairman: Mr. S. Gibson

Joseph-Desire Job

This is a massive season for former England skipper Bryan Robson, who will be expected to deliver a trophy after the high-profile arrivals of players like Christian Karembeu and Alen Boksic.

According to some, Robson's position at the Riverside stadium remains unassailable, with Steve Gibson surely the most patient chairman in history. But, reading in between the lines, if Robson fails to get the best from his players during the next few months, and 'Boro have failed to set the Premiership on fire by Christmas, the Gibson could be forced to act.

The memory of their stunning departure from the Premiership in 1997, and reaching and losing two Cup finals last season, is a painful reminder that money doesn't always buy success. The only remedy is silverware and Boro fans won't settle for anything less this season.

Alen Boksic

Karembeu and Boksic are capable of helping Boro reverse this trend, but it won't be all plain sailing. Boksic is a particularly big gamble because if he does succumb to injury once more, then Robson will probably look to partner Hamilton Ricard with one of his two other summer signings: Noel Whelan and Joseph Desire. Neither of these players are proven goalscorers, indeed Whelan has mainly been playing in midfield for the past couple of seasons. It would be a surprise if they were the strikers to help Boro to a goals total higher than last season's meagre 46 (less than Man Utd scored at home by the way).

Then there's the defence. Pallister, Cooper, Gianluca Festa and Steve Vickers, are all in the twilight of their careers, and new signings Karembeu and Paul Okon are in no way natural centre halves. Meanwhile Jason Gavin, the teenage defender tipped to graduate to the first team, made only six appearances last season. Add in the impending departure of Christian Ziege, and things start looking decidedly creaky, especially for a team that plays with three centre-backs.

Christian Karembeu

Finally, there is the question mark over Robson's ability to make the most of what he has got. While he has stuck to one formation, 5-3-2 with occasional bursts of 4-4-2, he has rarely shown the tactical prowess to make it work. He never got the best out of Juninho during last season's loan, and his wing-backs, Ziege aside, fail to provide the side with real width.

2000-2001 SQUAD NUMBERS

1 Mark Schwarzer (G)
2 Curtis Fleming (D)
3 Dean Gordon (D)
4 Steve Vickers (D)
5 Gianluca Festa (D)
6 Gary Pallister (D)
7 Robbie Mustoe (M)
8 Christian Karembeu (M)
9 Paul Ince (M)
10 Brian Deane (F)
11 Alen Boksic (F)
12 Keith O'Neill (F)
13 Marlon Beresford (G)
14 Paul Okon (D)
15 Neil Maddison (M)
16 Joseph-Desire Job (F)
17
18 Andy Campbell (F)
19 Hamilton Ricard (F)
20 Alun Armstrong (F)
21
22 Mark Summerbell (M)
23 Carlos Arturo Marinelli (M)
24 Phil Stamp (M)
25 Mark Crossley (G)
26 Noel Whelan (F)
27 Robbie Stockdale (D)
28 Colin Cooper (D)
29 Jason Gavin (D)
30
31 Alan Moore (M)
32 Steve Baker (D)
33 Anthony Ormerod (M)
34
35 Sean Kilgannon

Arturo Bernhardt
Marco Branca (F)
Alan Moore (M)
John O'Loughlin (M)
Sean Prunty (M)
Andrew Swalwell (M)

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