Fábio Rochemback

Still recall his debut against Arsenal, we won 2-1 and he looked like a real top player. Some of his passes were sublime and took the game by the scruff of the neck.

Had more good games than bad, but when he was bad, he was really bad. Bad decision to get rid and have Arca and Bates propping up the centre midfield in the relegation season. Could have been a really top player if he was more consistent, and you could say that about a lot of Boro centre midfielders over the years gone by.
 
Every Thursday - It looked like it was impacting on his game.
I should make it clear I am talking about Afonso Alves here, not Fabio Rochemback.
 
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Brilliant player, he should have been used as a deep-lying playmaker, that's where he was at his first club when Barcelona paid €15M for him at 19, he was the heir to Pep Guardiola at that stage - he played the same role whilst on loan at Sporting when he very much took the eye V Boro.

he was also about a stone and a half lighter at Sporting Lisbon.
 
Looking back, I think he could have formed an interesting partnership with Digard - think they would have complimented eachother well and been on the same wavelength.

He was inconsistent. He'd have games where he'd misplace passes, and blast the ball into row z, but really you want a playmaker who is prepared to take risks to try and make something happen, and he did.

We definitely would have gotten more out of Alves if Rochemback had have stayed.
 
I know a Portuguese bloke who got to know Rochemback in Dalian (China). He was out most nights living it up by then.
 
I didn’t know about his off pitch activities but without doubt he was quality in the matches, maybe a little inconsistent, but flair players are often like that which is probably why you see less and less of them around.
 
Biggest problem here was that we brought him in as a no. 10 and tried to play him in that role when he was really a deep lying midfielder, a no. 6. That's where he played his best football, deep in midfield in those european games when we were fighting back.
 
Biggest problem here was that we brought him in as a no. 10 and tried to play him in that role when he was really a deep lying midfielder, a no. 6. That's where he played his best football, deep in midfield in those european games when we were fighting back.
Yes agree with that,he looked great as a deep lying midfielder.
Another criticism I have of him is I'd say his goalscoring record was quite pitiful. Should of at least hit double figures while he was with us but he only managed 5 league goals in 3 years.
 
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