Aliadiere supplies pièce de résistance

2:01am Monday 11th February 2008

Middlesbrough 1 Fulham 0

AMONG the many flags flying around the Riverside Stadium was one referring to Middlesbrough's new club record buy, Afonso Alves. The Goal Machine, it stated.

Given how Jeremie Aliadiere has struggled to find the net during nine years in the Premier League, the giant wall-hanger was clearly not referring to him. At Aliadiere's current rate, however, perhaps there will be a change of heart.

The Frenchman has become something of a fans' favourite on Teesside and soon it could be justified to have an artist's impression of Aliadiere appear alongside that of Alves on a Goal Machines poster.

A third goal for Middlesbrough may not warrant an international call-up for a striker, and it is also unlikely to even assure him of an automatic place in manager Gareth Southgate's team.

But in Aliadiere, Southgate has a young forward growing into his role as a Premier League striker and showing signs of fulfilling the outstanding potential those in the game always felt he had.

After loan spells with Wolves, West Ham and Celtic, Middlesbrough had no right to pay £2m to Arsenal for his services and expect to acquire a player deserving of becoming one of the first names on Southgate's team-sheet.

But after 19 league starts since his summer move from the Emirates Stadium, Aliadiere is in danger of becoming exactly that. First choice.

Forget the Samba flavour and the clamour for No 12 shirts for the £12m man, the emergence of a little French class at a much cheaper price could prove just as important.

Aliadiere's second goal in three outings, both ending in 1-0 victories for Middlesbrough, have proven enough to boost chances of survival and raise levels of optimism around the Riverside; something not lost on Southgate.

"Jeremie's been our best player over the last few games, in an attacking sense he's been a real threat. His commitment and the way he works for the team's outstanding," said the Middlesbrough manager.

"I'm chuffed for him that he's getting the goals, they'll give him a huge lift and he'll be a terrific player for us. Young lads all need a run of games. Jeremie's getting that now where at Arsenal he didn't.

"No matter how well he did at Arsenal he was always going to be back out of the side. Now he's getting a run of games, he's playing with injuries and he can take the knocks because his body's getting harder from playing a whole season."

Southgate deserves credit for taking a gamble on a player who most clubs were afraid of, given the misery he endured during his difficult spells away from North London.

But Aliadiere has some way to go before he can rightfully claim to have a similar goal ratio to that of his new striking colleague at Middlesbrough.

With a free-scoring reputation in Holland after netting 49 goals in his 49 matches for Heerenveen, Alves' transfer from the Eredivisie has caught the imagination on Teesside.

Middlesbrough's club shop has sold thousands of shirts with his name on the back, while a samba band and dancers have been performing in an attempt to make him feel at home. Even Saturday's official match-day Red Square programme was Brazilian yellow.

With the mood set, the expectation and the buoyancy levels high, the least Southgate could have done was field the prolific marksman. Instead, though, Alves was kept on the bench for almost an hour.

It was a decision which could quite easily have backfired. But, despite the South Korean's obvious shortcomings, Dong-Gook Lee's inclusion was justified, at least initially.

Inside 11 minutes, Lee laid possession off to Gary O'Neil. O'Neil fed the lightning Aliadiere, who beat the offside trap, and the in-form striker slotted through Antti Niemi's legs.

Why was Lee surprisingly included ahead of Alves? "We haven't really had a chance to monitor Alves' fitness, we've done bits and pieces with him, that's all," said Southgate.

"Even if he was match fit coming from Holland he'd still have to adjust to the pace of the Premier League. On two counts we've got to get him up to speed but it was good to give him half an hour. We won't rush him because the last thing we want is him breaking down.

"It was great that the area was buzzing this week, people were talking about the club in a positive way again. I also knew we had this very important game coming up and that was the most important thing."

What would have been perfect for Middlesbrough would have been Alves instantly living up to his billing, showing a glimpse of the player who has cost a record £12.7m fee.

However, the 27-year-old looked well short of that after arriving onto the pitch in the 57th minute, although the fact he has not played since the end of December will obviously have played a part in that.

Nevertheless Southgate, who should also have Mido and Tuncay Sanli fully fit and available to fight for roles before the end of the month, insists that none of his men are assured of a start.

"Nobody's guaranteed their place, it's about competition here and it'll be fantastic when we've got them all fit, we've not had that situation all season," said the Boro boss.

With all the talk centring on Middlesbrough's growing list of attacking options, there also has to be praise heaped on the side's defensive play.

It is now seven matches unbeaten since the New Year's Day defeat to Everton and there has been three clean sheets during that run, with none of their opponents during that spell hitting two goals.

The rise and rise of David Wheater as a Premier League defender alongside Robert Huth has clearly had a major impact, although there is a tremendous amount of work-rate right across the pitch.

Both Wheater and Huth had early opportunities to put Boro ahead against Fulham before Aliadiere hit his match-winner.

Goalkeeper Mark Schwarzer did have to show good handling throughout but Fulham were poor and reflected a side destined for the drop come May.

It was for that reason it was surprising Southgate opted to switch to a five-man midfield part-way through the opening half, when really he should just have allowed the visitors to worry about the hosts.

In the end, and after Alves had been afforded a standing ovation after making a belated entry, Middlesbrough preserved their slender lead.

Second from bottom Fulham are still without an away win this season, while Southgate's men move onwards and upwards. Seven points clear of the drop zone and counting, maybe Alves could push them into the top ten.

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