During the 2006–07 season, Middlesbrough participated in the Premier League.
Team kit and sponsors Middlesbrough's kits were once again produced by Errea, and sponsored by 888.com for the third season running. The club retained the white band of the previous two seasons.
Search for a new manager On 4 May 2006, Steve McClaren was chosen to take over as the manager of the England national team after the 2006 FIFA World Cup. Managers linked to take over as new Boro boss included Terry Venables, Martin O'Neill, Tony Mowbray and Alan Curbishley, with Steve Gibson expecting whoever took over to achieve a Champions League place in the near future. Venables declined the job offer citing an unwillingness to return to full-time management. Venables subsequently joined McClaren as England's assistant coach.
Gibson then looked within his own club and decided to name club captain Gareth Southgate as manager. Southgate signed a five-year contract and decided to finish his playing career, at the age of 35, to focus entirely on his new job. His appointment was controversial as he did not possess the coaching qualifications required to manage a Premier League football club. However, at a Premier League meeting on 22 November 2006, Southgate was granted a dispensation to continue in his role until the end of the season, during which time it was announced that he will study for the Uefa Pro A Licence.
Transfers
Summer transfer window Several players, including Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink and Doriva left the club at the end of the previous season, and Franck Queudrue was sold to Fulham for £3 million. Argentinian left-back Julio Arca was signed from local rivals Sunderland for a fee of £1.75m, and young Frenchman Herold Goulon was signed from Olympique Lyonnais on a three-year deal.
Southgate signed two international defenders to strengthen up his backline following the second game of the season. England international Jonathan Woodgate joined his home-town team on loan from Real Madrid, while Chelsea's German international centreback Robert Huth signed for a fee of £6 million. Charlton Athletic's Jamaican international striker Jason Euell was signed on the final day of the transfer window.
January transfer window Lee Dong-Gook arrived from Pohang Steelers in the January transfer window, while Ray Parlour, Ugo Ehiogu and Massimo Maccarone all left the club for free.
Summary
In DatePlayerPrevious clubFeeRef 12 July 2006 Herold Goulon Olympique LyonnaisUndisclosed 26 July 2006 Julio ArcaSunderland£1.75 million 30 August 2006 Robert HuthChelsea£6 million 31 August 2006 Jason EuellCharlton Athletic£300,000 31 January 2007 Lee Dong-Gook Pohang SteelersFree
Loans in DatePlayerClub fromPeriodRef 30 August 2006 Jonathan Woodgate Real MadridFull season
Out For departures of players out of contract at the end of 2005–06 see 2005–06 Middlesbrough F.C. season. DatePlayerNew clubFeeRef27 July 2006 Franck QueudrueFulham£3 million5 January 2007 Kevin BurgessDarlingtonFree25 January 2007 Ugo Ehiogu RangersFree30 January 2007 Massimo Maccarone SienaFree9 February 2007 Ray ParlourHull CityFree14 May 2007 Malcolm Christie-Out of contract15 May 2007 Abel Xavier Los Angeles GalaxyOut of contract1 June 2007 Stuart ParnabyBirmingham CityOut of contract6 June 2007 Danny GrahamCarlisle UnitedOut of contract7 June 2007 Mark VidukaNewcastleOut of contract3 July 2007 Daryl Robson Galway UnitedFree
Loans out DatePlayerClub atPeriodRef2 August 2006 Danny GrahamBlackpool1 month4 August 2006 Brad JonesSheffield Wednesday3 months25 August 2006 David KnightOldham Athletic1 month28 September 2006 David WheaterWolverhampton WanderersTo 16 November 200616 October 2006 Adam JohnsonLeeds United1 month27 October 2006 Tom Craddock Wrexham3 days3 November 2006 Jason KennedyBoston United3 months13 November 2006 Matthew BatesIpswich1 month23 November 2006 Ugo EhioguLeeds UnitedTo 2007-01-011 January 2007 Danny GrahamCarlisle UnitedTo 2007-04-228 January 2007 David WheaterDarlington3 months2 March 2007 Jason KennedyBury3 months9 March 2007 Josh WalkerAFC Bournemouth1 month
Notes Wheater's loan was initially intended to last three months, but he was returned to Middlesbrough after making only one appearance. Craddock's loan was initially intended to last one month, but he was injured in his first game and returned to Middlesbrough.
Squad
Senior squad
Appearances and goals Appearance and goalscoring records for all the players who were in the Middlesbrough F.C. first team squad during the 2006-07 season.
Discipline Disciplinary records for 2006-07 league and cup matches. Players with 1 card or more included only. No.Nat.Player Yellow cards Red cards1 Mark Schwarzer 102 Stuart Parnaby 203 Julio Arca 305 Chris Riggott 107 George Boateng 828 Jonathan Woodgate 509 Mark Viduka 2010 Fábio Rochemback 6011 Malcolm Christie 1012 Emanuel Pogatetz 12014 Robert Huth 3016 Jason Euell 3017 Abel Xavier 3019 Stewart Downing 4020 Yakubu 2023 Massimo Maccarone 2024 Andrew Davies 3025 James Morrison 0127 Lee Cattermole 12028 Adam Johnson 1033 Andrew Taylor 30
Academy squad Academy players for 2006-07 season. Nat.PositionPlayerAcademy year GK 1 DF 1 FW 1 MF 1 DF 1 DF 1 FW 1 MF 1 GK 1 DF 1 FW 2 DF 2 DF 2 DF 2 MF 2 FW 2 MF 2 FW 2 DF 3 MF 3 MF 3 DF 3 FW 3 MF 3 DF 3
Pre-season
Results
Note: Results are given with Middlesbrough score listed first.
GameDateVenueOpponentResultF–AAttendanceBoro GoalscorersReport122 July 2006A Rangers0–131,544 Report222 July 2006A Darlington0–1 Report325 July 2006A Barnsley3–13,971Yakubu (2), MaccaroneReport425 July 2006A York City1–01,342Morrison 55'Report528 July 2006A Doncaster Rovers0–23,452 Report629 July 2006A Sheffield Wednesday2–15,684Christie, YakubuReport73 August 2006N Athletic Bilbao0–1 Report83 August 2006A FC Cologne0–2 Report96 August 2006AFeyenoord0–2 Report108 August 2006A Heerenveen0–4 Report1112 August 2006H Chievo0–08,647 Report
Premier League
Southgate's managerial reign started with a 3–2 defeat at newly promoted Reading, but was followed up by a 2–1 win home victory over reigning Premier League champions Chelsea. Boro were brought crashing down to Earth straight afterwards though with a 4–0 home defeat to Portsmouth.
Overall, Middlesbrough's form in 2006–07 was indifferent. Promising results such as the surprising home victory over Chelsea were coupled with the team losing away from home to all three newly promoted Premiership sides. It took until mid-January for Boro to register their first away win of the season, at struggling Charlton Athletic, their first away win since April of the year before. They comprehensively beat Bolton Wanderers 5–1 at home in January, their biggest victory of the season.
Middlesbrough ultimately finished 12th in the table with 46 points, winning twelve, drawing ten and losing sixteen matches - slightly better than last season, but their dismal form in the early and late part of the season prevented them from attaining an even higher position and at one time put them in danger of being relegated. The fact that they were 8 points away from a UEFA Cup spot and 8 points away from getting relegated neatly summed up their season.
Results
Note: Results are given with Middlesbrough score listed first. Man of the Match is according to mfc.co.uk.
GameDateVenueOpponentResultF–AAttendanceBoro GoalscorersMan of the MatchReport119 August 2006AReading2–323,855Downing 11', Yakubu 21'VidukaReport223 August 2006HChelsea2–129,198Pogatetz 80', Viduka 90'PogatetzReport328 August 2006HPortsmouth0–424,834 DowningReport49 September 2006AArsenal1–160,007Morrison 22'WoodgateReport516 September 2006ABolton Wanderers0–021,164 PogatetzReport623 September 2006HBlackburn Rovers0–124,959 PogatetzReport730 September 2006ASheffield United1–227,483Yakubu 49'SchwarzerReport814 October 2006HEverton2–127,156Yakubu 27' (pen.), Viduka 71'HuthReport922 October 2006HNewcastle United1–030,060Yakubu 85'DowningReport1030 October 2006, 20:00AManchester City0–136,720 MaccaroneReport114 November 2006AWatford0–218,951 DowningReport1211 November 2006HWest Ham United1–025,898Maccarone 74'DowningReport1318 November 2006HLiverpool0–031,424 WoodgateReport1425 November 2006AAston Villa1–133,162Christie 43'ChristieReport152 December 2006HManchester United1–231,238Morrison 66'HuthReport165 December 2006ATottenham Hotspur1–234,154Huth 80'HuthReport179 December 2006HWigan Athletic1–123,638Yakubu 67'VidukaReport1818 December 2006AFulham1–216,891Viduka 74'YakubuReport1923 December 2006HCharlton2–032,013Yakubu 29', Arca 52'ArcaReport2026 December 2006AEverton0–038,126 WoodgateReport2130 December 2006ABlackburn Rovers1–222,653Yakubu 61' (pen.)CattermoleReport221 January 2007HSheffield United3–127,963Viduka 36', Yakubu (2) 69', 76' (pen.)YakubuReport2313 January 2007ACharlton Athletic3–126,384Cattermole 45', Arca 63', Yakubu 68'VidukaReport2420 January 2007HBolton Wanderers5–124,614Speed 6' (o.g.), Xavier 10',Viduka (2) 23', 84', Downing 43'VidukaReport2530 January 2007APortsmouth0–019,820 WoodgateReport263 February 2007HArsenal1–131,122Yakubu 63' (pen.)ArcaReport2710 February 2007AChelsea0–341,699 DaviesReport2824 February 2007HReading2–126,412Viduka 7', Yakubu 69'VidukaReport293 March 2007ANewcastle United0–052,303 WoodgateReport3017 March 2007HManchester City0–226,427 DowningReport3131 March 2007AWest Ham United0–234,977 XavierReport327 April 2007HWatford4–125,534Viduka (2) 5', 75', Boateng 27',Rochemback 79'JohnsonReport3314 April 2007HAston Villa1–326,959Rochemback 13'TaylorReport3418 April 2007ALiverpool0–241,458 PogatetzReport3521 April 2007AManchester United1–175,967Viduka 45+1'PogatetzReport3628 April 2007HTottenham Hotspur2–327,861Viduka 66', Pogatetz 89'RochembackReport375 May 2007AWigan Athletic1–021,204Viduka 29'PogatetzReport3813 May 2007HFulham3–129,556Viduka (2) 34', 47', Wheater 45+3'VidukaReport Classification
League progress This chart shows the league position of Middlesbrough F.C. over the course of the season. The green area represents the UEFA Champions League positions (positions 1 to 4), the yellow area represents what turned out to be the UEFA Cup positions (positions 5 to 7) and the red area represents the relegation places (positions 18 to 20). The lowest position in the league that Middlesbrough reached during the course of the season was 18th, prior to the home game versus Charlton Athletic on 23 December 2006 (an early kick-off result had knocked them down from 17th), and their highest placing was 9th, after the second game.
League Cup
Boro suffered an embarrassing home defeat in the League Cup to Football League Two side Notts County in the second round, losing 0–1 with a weakened team - albeit one featuring debutant Robert Huth.
Results
Note: Results are given with Middlesbrough score listed first. Man of the Match is according to mfc.co.uk.
RoundDateOpponentVenueResultF–AAttendanceGoalscorers220 September 2006Notts CountyH0–111,148
FA Cup
Middlesbrough's FA Cup run was significantly longer than their League Cup run - partly due to them being taken to a replay in every round they played. They drew 1–1 at Hull in the FA Cup, with the replay resulting in an exciting 4–3 win. A 2–2 draw with Bristol City followed, setting up another replay. It was a nerve-wrecking 2–2 draw, with Boro winning 5–4 on penalties, presenting them with a tie at the Riverside with former player Tony Mowbray's West Brom. That game also ended 2–2, and the replay resulted in a Middlesbrough victory via penalties, after a 1–1 draw in normal time. Middlesbrough were eventually knocked out by champions-elect and eventual FA Cup runners-up Manchester United at Old Trafford in the quarter finals. The 2–2 result at the Riverside set up another replay, as Middlesbrough came from behind to lead 2–1, before George Boateng conceded a penalty for handball. Cristiano Ronaldo struck from the spot to force a replay, won by Manchester United 1–0 and ending Boro's run.