Boro v West Ham 2000-01 KAREMBEU JOB GOAL

• published: 08 Jun 2013
• views: 1049

Final game of the 2000-01 season sees Middlesbrough (wearing the new strip for the following season) beat West Ham 2-1 at The Riverside.....click "show more" for more... Joseph Job gave Boro the lead with his second league goal of the season (his first had been on the opening day!) but 9 minutes later Todorov equalised for The Hammers. On his final game for Boro and after just completing one season, Christian Karembeu signed off with the winning goal. Someone else also signing off was Bryan Robson as this was his final game in charge. Terry Venables had effectively taken over as first team manager in December and fulfilled his brief to guarantee Boro were not relegated. Unfortunately from that moment, Robbos position became untenable and after seven of the most exciting and successful years in Boros history the ex Manchester Utd and England Captain ceased to be employed by Middlesbrough. Robbo did not receive the best of receptions from the Boro fans at the end of this game when the squad completed the [what is now traditional] lap of honour however history should judge Robson kindly. He had presided over an unprecedented period in Boros history playing some of the best attacking football ever seen on Teesside and just by being at the helm put Boro on the global football map with some staggering signings. Arguably the period should have been even better as poor managerial decisions cost Boro in the games that mattered (Not signing a world class defender or two whilst other notable attacking players were being recruited and not shuttingup shop prior to Heskeys 1997 Wembley equaliser being the big one) but the good far outweighed the bad and anyone who was lucky enough to attend Boro matches during these years will never forget the impact Bryan Robson had on the club. It was the mark of the man that it was HE who told Steve Gibson to bring Venables in as he didn't feel he could guarantee keeping Boro up and by doing so probably knew that the ultimate outcome would be he would lose his job. Steve Gibson tried to persuade Venables to stay on as manager but El Tel was having none of it, preferring instead to stay with ITV until the opportunity to preside over the beginning of Leeds Utds spectacular decline came along the following year. Gibson therefore again turned to Old Trafford for his next unproven managerial appointment.