Boro Hit The Heights

What ever happened to Middlesbore? The end of October has brought a total transformation at the Riverside Stadium, as McClaren’s men cut Manchester United to pieces with a pulsating display that bore no resemblance to recent performances which had worried even chairman Steve Gibson.

From the second minute, when Gaizka Mendieta burst through unchallenged to embarrass Edwin van der Sar with a shot from some 25 yards, Middlesbrough were in total control and before long they were further rewarded for the slick and incisive quality of their football. In the 26th minute Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink turned inside Rio Ferdinand as if he wasn’t there to convert the second and in the dying moments of the first half a Yakuba penalty added to United’s humiliation.

Mendieta, who was in inspired form throughout, added the fourth 12 minutes from time to complete the rout, and it was no consolation as Sir Alex Ferguson sat grim faced and inwardly seething when a Ronaldo header secured Manchester United’s 1,000th premiership goal. Never was a milestone achievement marked by such depressing circumstances.

As for Boro, the real challenge starts here. Is this a hint of the shape of things to come, or merely the football equivalent of a golfer’s hole in one?

One thing’s for sure, now that their fans have seen what they can do, they’ll be hungry for more.