Inept for an hour, fantastic for five minutes In short, Mark Viduka was Middlesbrough in microcosm. Even by the standards of a club that has taught Messrs Jekyll and Hyde a thing or two about inconsistency this season, the Australian produced a performance of wild vicissitudes. Another embarrassing attendance showed supporters cannot even be bothered to be apathetic about the Uefa Cup, and up until the first of his two goals shortly after half-time, it appeared Viduka was treating it with similar contempt.
But he is long enough in the tooth to realise that forwards are forgiven most things in return for goals. So his glaring anonymity prior to scoring twice in five minutes was not an issue among the 12,953 hardy souls in attendance to see their team top Group D and edge within a point of progressing to the last 32.Viduka said: “We forced the tie in the second half, and it was nice to get on the score-sheet.

Eriksson has first-choice Paul Robinson and Robert Green to choose from, and is understood to have hopes for Liverpool’s Scott Carson, but has definitely not shut the door on a return for James.Yesterday, the Manchester City manager, Stuart Pearce, said that he believed James’ form merited a recall. “If we are talking about who are the best three goalkeepers in England, David James is one of them.”He has been sensational for us since he was left out of the England team. His mentality, his desire to work and achieve, and the frustration in his face when he concedes a goal are something to behold.”If he didn’t believe he could get back into the World Cup squad, his form would suffer. David has not been overworked but it looks like he wants to prove people wrong.”* Nicolas Anelka yesterday earned a surprise recall to the French squad for their friendlies against Costa Rica on 9 November in Martinique and Germany three days later at the Stade de France. James’ comeback, however, would be much more controversial following his mistake against Austria in September last year in the first World Cup qualifying game that caused Eriksson to drop him from the squad.
However, with Chris Kirkland injured and James in form for Manchester City, the 35-year-old has pushed himself back into the reckoning. He won the last of his five caps in the friendly against Sweden in March last year and finds himself ranked at least fifth among Eriksson’s centre-halves.

Woodgate, 25, has signalled his form after finally making his Real Madrid debut last month following 17 months out with a ruptured thigh muscle in his left leg. Sven Goran Eriksson is prepared to give the goalkeeper David James a chance to resurrect his international career, as well as call up Jonathan Woodgate, by including both players in the England squad to face Argentina in the friendly on 12 November. There are hundreds of coaches who are disciplinarians and physical fitness fanatics and they are pale imitations of him. Where Ferguson has beaten most of them is in the brains department.. Sir Alex Ferguson has been a winner because he has been smarter than most of his competition, because he is an unyielding perfectionist and because he has imposed his will on his players with the sheer force of his personality. Presumably because it would be bad for his image, Ferguson is not as esteemed as highly for his intellectual qualities as for his growling temper and demanding standards.