Boss: Stability Is What Mido Needs Now

TOP gun Mido can be part of something special if he lays down roots with Boro, says boss Gareth Southgate.
Although he is still just 25, the Egyptian striker has played for eight clubs in seven different countries since making his debut in his homeland in the 1999/2000 season.
After an injury-ravaged first season on Teesside he has started the current campaign in blistering form, with the help of a tough summer training regime, and he currently sits joint top of the scoring charts alongside Villa's Gabriel Agbonlahor.
And despite reports that he is unhappy with a lack of first team starts, Southgate believes stability is what Mido needs more than yet another move.

"It's time he had a more settled period in his career and was at a club for a bit longer and if that period takes us where I think it can, I think he will enjoy it," he said.

"His attitude to not starting at the moment has been first class. He's had a big impact for us from the bench and he's pushing hard to be in the starting line-up.
"I've said to him, I want him to be part of this football club. I understand that he wants to play and he will be causing me headaches in terms of selection."
So many Boro players are performing well at the moment that it's hard for Southgate to leave anyone out, but the manager says that's far better than having a team that picks itself.
"At the start of the season it was easy because Mido hadn't played pre-season matches," he explained. "But I don't want it to be easy - we had that last season. "If we want to be competitive as a team, not just this month but in November, December and January, we need that strength in depth. He knows how I feel about him and what I want from him.

"He enjoys it here but he wants to play regularly. I work with him and all the players and I think the reason he joined us is because he believes in what we're trying to do and he can play a big part in that. "He's a big crowd favourite, despite all the problems he had last season, because he's a good footballer."
Mido has had spells with Zamalek, Gent, Ajax, Celta Vigo, Marseille and Roma but his style has proved ideally suited for the Premier League and he played more games during a successful loan spell at Spurs than for any of his previous clubs.
His tally of three goals from three games in a week-and-a-half has already equalled his total during the whole of last season.Asked whether Mido owes Southgate a debt after making just eight starts and four substitute appearances during that first season, the manager said: "It's not a case of doing it for me, players owe it to themselves. "He has a talent and we want all our players to fulfil the talent they have and I think he can do that with us."

But with Afonso Alves (above), Tuncay and Jeremie Aliadiere also looking highly impressive, nobody is guaranteed a starting place - including Mido. "We know what he's got and all the forward players we've got have different attributes and assets," said Southgate."During the game on Saturday Mido showed he has physical power and the ability to win headers, which is something our other strikers don't have. "We've got the four strikers from last season plus Marvin, who can play up front, and the way we're playing now we could also put Adam Johnson or Stewart Downing into that area.
"It gives us options to pick the team according to who we're playing against."