Just over a tenth of the 2011-12 English Championship Season may have gone by, but Middlesbrough's chances of promotion are almost as good as their revival under former club stalwart Tony Mowbray has been refreshing. He played for the team for nine years starting 1982 and returned after Gordon Strachan resigned as manager last October.
With five matches of the 46 game league schedule completed, Boro sit in fifth spot with 11 points, just a couple off Brighton in the lead. Rather impressively, the squad at Riverside are yet to lose and have notched 10 goals while allowing only five. Throw in a pair of away victories in the league cup and Mowbray's side are off to an excellent start this season.
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Obviously, tipping the club for promotion is rather near-sighted at this stage but the air of confidence and in game control displayed by the club bode well for the future.
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One which started with an air of trepidation at home to Portsmouth, and ended somewhat inauspiciously with a late, late equaliser from Portsmouth's Luke Varney preserving a point for the visitors. Twice Middlesborough had led through strikes from the excellent Marvin Emnes and Australian Rhys Williams. Twice they had been pegged back. With a game that felt more like two points dropped than a point gained, the club's supporters might not have been too optimistic about the season ahead. A pre-season that featured the final three games ending in defeat, including a loss at Conference side Darlington, seemed to be stretching into the start of the business part of the year.
However, a League Cup game at Walsall provided a useful distraction for the team. While a win over a team that finished 20th in League One last year, is nothing to get too excited about, the manner of Boro's victory was more than encouraging. Although an early red card for Adam Chambers gave Boro a man advantage, they drilled it home with Dutch forward Emnes scoring a hat-trick within an hour. The back four of former Celtic and Scottish defender Stephen McManus, Tony McMahon, Seb Hines and former Arsenal right back Justin Hoyte held firm, restricting Walsall and preserving a clean sheet.
That League Cup victory was obviously a springboard as the club reeled off four straight wins to move up the table. While a tempestuous affair at Leeds saw the West Yorkshire club lose two men to second yellows, Boro themselves had McMahon dismissed but managed to retain focus and score a goal just past the hour. Once again Dutch attacker Emnes potted a well taken goal, set up by Williams.
Barnsley and Carling Cup Champions Birmingham City were similarly dispatched 3-1, with Boro both times coming back from a goal down. While McManus put through his own net at Oakwell, Andy Rooney scored an opener for City from the penalty spot at The Riverside. However, both times Mowbray saw his team display classic powers of recovery with Scott McDonald, Barry Robson (both Celtic alumni) and Emnes seeing off Barnsley; before Robson again, Belgian Faris Haroun and Malaury Martin sealed the comeback over Birmingham.
Three wins had taken them near the top of the table, just trailing in the wake of leaders Southampton and Derby, and Boro were looking resilient and balanced. A further league cup victory, 2-0 at Peterborough, resulted in another away clean sheet with Robson, scoring for the third game in a row, and Hines seeing them win the battle of the Boro's.
Their most recent match before the international break was a 1-1 stalemate to Coventry, bringing their home record this season to jsut one win and two draws. However on the road, The Smoggies have been irrepressible, staying perfect with four wins from four. Mowbray, hardly the apostle of flowing attacking football, has prior experience in getting teams promoted to the top flight, taking West Brom up in 2008 as well as to the FA Cup semifinals where they lost a close game to Portsmouth.
Having taken over when Boro were perched perilously over the drop zone, Mowbray's revival continues apace. His work in the transfer department has also been shrewd with free agents, French midfielder Martin, experienced Argentine utility man Julio Arca and Haroun have added both depth and steel to a team that lacked them.
Meanwhile Nigerian goalkeeper Carl Ikeme, on a two month loan from Wolves, has been handed the starting spot in goal. The departures of Willo Flood, Andrew Talyor and on time top marksman Kris Boyd have not affected performances, while the 1.75 million pound departure of Leroy Lita was the biggest sale the team made in the off season.
The squad looked jaded and disjointed at this last year to slip down the table but under former Celtic manager Mowabray, have looked refreshed and composed this year. Provided they keep Emnes, Williams and the back four fit, a promising season awaits.
There's still most of the season to go, but a job well started is half done. Boro were favourites to go up last year but they may instead make the step up this season.
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