Premiership Preview - Middlesbrough and Newcastle United

Middlesbrough
Last Season: 12th

It is difficult to fill a Mark Viduka sized hole, so difficult in fact that Middlesbrough need two men to do it. But while both Jeremie Aliadiere and Sanli Tuncay each have their own individual qualities, neither is likely to bring as much to the Boro side as Viduka did.

The loss of the Australian is not only a blow to the Middlesbrough area’s Castlemaine XXXX stockists, but also to Gareth Southgate and his team. He has his knockers, but Viduka is a top player, and without him Boro look a weaker proposition.

With fellow striker Yakubu reportedly far from happy at the club, Southgate is faced with a potential striking crisis. Aliadiere showed glimpses of talent at Arsenal, but only sporadically. Asking him and Tuncay to spearhead a challenge for Europe could be a little too much.

Middlesbrough are reportedly the only club in the Premiership who have seen season ticket sales drop. Looking at the team, it’s not surprising.

For years now Boro have established themselves as a firmly midtable Premiership club. Their League Cup win and subsequent heroics in Europe a couple of years ago could have spurred them on to greater things, but the loss of Steve McClaren seemed to stunt their growth. Gareth Southgate is trying, but the club seem happy to occupy their current position; there appears to be no ambition. If the fans perceive that the club has little or no desire then they’ll vote with their feet and stay away.

This season could be an eye-opener for Boro. Clubs around them seem more eager to improve, and if they stand still they’ll struggle.

All the signs point to a difficult year for Southgate.

Key Man: Jonathan Woodgate. Needs to stay fit for the majority of the campaign if Boro are to have a chance of making the top half.
One to Watch: Jeremie Aliadiere. No longer an Arsenal understudy, the Frenchman will look to prove his worth on Teesside.
This Season: Bottom half, with the threat of relegation a very real one.

Newcastle United
Last Season: 13th

Titus Bramble and Freddy Shepherd gone, a new board taking over and a talented, hungry manager in place, could Newcastle be in danger of actually getting it right for once?

Sam Allardyce inherits a group of fans who are more desperate for success than any other. Newcastle’s wait for a trophy has now gone beyond the interminable; it is simply not acceptable any more. If Big Sam fails to deliver silverware, then he’ll be out of a job.

So who has he got on his side to help him find that elusive trophy? In Michael Owen, Alan Smith, Obafemi Martins, Shola Ameobi and Mark Viduka, Allardyce has a strike force that will be the envy of much of the football world. Viduka is an excellent target man and Martins, although quite astonishingly inconsistent, does offer searing pace and the odd flash of genius. Ameobi’s future at the club looks uncertain while we could see Smith used more often in midfield.

But the eyes will be on Owen, who'll be desperate for an injury free season. Back in his Liverpool days there was a time when he was arguably the best striker in the world; any return to that sort of form could see the Geordies shoot up the table.

There is a good player lurking somewhere within Joey Barton. If Allardyce can rid him of his personal demons then his £5.8m price tag will look a bargain, while fellow new signings Geremi and David Rozenhal will add experience.

Kieron Dyer looks to be on his way out, but in James Milner the Magpies have a hard working midfielder who is only going to get better.

Newcastle were desperately poor last season, their final position of 13th was simply not good enough for a club of their stature. They’ll improve on that, but it could be in the cup competitions that they find the most success.

Key Man: Shay Given. Committed his future to Newcastle when he could have left, the Irishman will be a big player in the Allardyce revolution.
One to Watch: Michael Owen. If he stays fit, he could fire Newcastle into Europe.
This Season: Top half, but Big Sam has only just begun…