Middlesbrough finally has a great goalie with them again - Jason Steele is defying all odds
Since Middlesbrough Football Club sold out Mark Schwarzer, things have gone downhill in the goalkeeping section. A number of goalies have come into the English club trying to fill the great Australian keeper’s gloves but all of them have failed so far.
First it was Brad Jones; the Australian who later moved to Liverpool FC followed by Ross Turnbull the English man who later moved to Chelsea, and finally Danny Cone who is the current Middlesbrough keeper. The 36-year old is showing some promise but still is not coming to Schwarzer’s level.
Looking at it from a critic’s perspective, Middlesbrough FC, also known as “the boro” has produced some talented goal keepers over the past few years. Although most of their goalkeepers have shifted up to better clubs, and have went on to play for the Champions League Clubs. They still are not considered to be in the same league, as club legend Mark Schwarzer.
Brad Jones, the goalie to come right after Schwarzer contributed to “The Boro’s” relegation from the Premier League; had been showing hesitance, and his doubt seemed to spread through the team like forest fire.
Although Jones did have some good games, but when you sum up his overall contributions to the team, then the score is definitely very poor. Still the fact is that he ended his boro career with a multi-million pound transfer to Liverpool.
The next in line was Turnbull; he started out with the club shining brightly and winning the praise of numerous fans. He was far from the level of the Australian Schwarzer that the club wanted for their goal keeper but he was making due.
Gareth Southgate, the Middlesbrough manager had a fall out with Turnbull, and after that he made an astounding error at Stamford Bridge. He got benched and his Middlesbrough career was pretty much cut short.
The next goalie in line to come for Middlesbrough is Danny Cone; he is the current goalkeeper for the Middlesbrough club and joined them in the middle of 2009. He is referred to as an exceptional communicator, a popular personality among the fans and a brave character. Even after some really commendable performances, Cone has still not made his position permanent as a first goalkeeper in the club.
However, Gordon Strachan, Middlesbrough FCs boss did not find a new replacement and did not make a major transfer from the goalkeeping side. Instead he introduced another goalkeeper Jason Steele, who had yet to show his true colours, into the squad.
But Steele proved his real worth to the world and proved his doubters wrong. Playing against Chesterfield in the Carling Cup, his goalkeeping was nothing less of magnificent. It is still argued if Strachan expected this from his goalkeeper lady luck just granted the boro club some good gaoling days.
Only a week later Steele seemed to be the future of the clubs goal keeping. The match with Chesterfield was a heated one for Middlesbrough but still Steele stood firm and made sure that the club held on to its 2-1 lead to score a victory. Steele’s performance against Chesterfield acclaimed worldwide coverage and publicity for the club. The matches’ short clippings were run repeatedly on numerous channels. It was quite a sight when some American channels kept airing the saves and in the middle of touch downs to home runs were Middlesbrough’s saves.
Steele again outdid himself again and seems to be on a sure route to the top. He caught the eyes of the fans by making a lot of dazzling saves in the match against Leicester City; the team that shattered “The Boro” last season.
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