Emnes fires Middlesbrough promotion charge
Tuesday 20 September 2011
Marvin Emnes arrived in England in the summer of 2008, with a hefty price tag and lofty praise from his new manager, Gareth Southgate, who referred to his capture as an “exciting young player” capable of playing in a variety of attacking positions, and with great “pace, energy and technical skills.”
Despite his grand £3.2 million price-tag, Emnes flattered to deceive in his early days for Southgate’s side, only making 54 appearances in his first three seasons at the club, but a few years on and it seems that Emnes was yet another player of which we all expected too much, too soon. After all, Middlesbrough’s talismanic attacker is still only 23 years of age.
Tony Mowbray’s Middlesbrough side have thus far been the major shock of the Championship season, with a young and thinning squad hurtling up the league places at a startling rate. Aside from notable performances from the usual raft of North-East youngsters produced from Boro’s excellent academy and wonderfully guided by such experienced heads as Dave Parnaby, Marvin Emnes has been the shining light on the Riverside.
Emnes has been attracting interest from all over the country following a successful loan spell with Swansea City last season, Wolverhampton Wanderers recently checking up on the attacker’s progress, and Swansea themselves repeatedly indicating their desperation to take the Dutchman to the Liberty Stadium.
Emnes’ slow start at Middlesbrough only serves to highlight the naïve and disposable nature of modern football, where so many are cast adrift without being given the sort of time that, in many other professions, employees would be allowed to flourish. The nature of the managerial merry go round is quickly rubbing off on the players, and Boro are now reaping the rewards of sticking by a player who, despite obvious potential, struggled to perform in his opening seasons in British football.
Following their bright start to the 2011/12 season, Middlesbrough sit second in the table with 17 points from just 7 games and Emnes will be doubly happy as he nears the top of the scoring charts with an impressive 5 goals to his name.
The true brilliance of Marvin Emnes however, is not just the statistics that show his assault on the goal scoring charts, but in the unpredictability and versatility that he brings. Southgate was right in 2008, Emnes is a player of true pace, craft and excitement, and his ability to play on the left, right or spearheading the attack is a wonderful trait to have.
This season’s nPower Championship is marked in it’s powerful and industrious sides, with the Premier division know how, strength and guile of West Ham and Birmingham, but in Middlesbrough we could find ourselves witnessing the most exciting shock of the season; a young and vibrant side, with talented players of great potential taking on the big boys, and showing that success can still be had at this level with a good man in Mowbray at the helm, and a committed group of individuals providing the platform for players like Emnes.
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