Malcolm Christie

[Badonde]

Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps	(Gls)
1997–1998	Nuneaton Borough
1998–2003	Derby County	116	(30)
2003–2007	Middlesbrough	43	(7)
2008–2009	Leeds United	4	(1)
Total		182	(50)

Completely random reminiscence.
But did he really only play 43 games for us?
Over four years too!
Blimey we can't half pick a striker.

 

[Alzi]

Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps	(Gls)
1997–1998	Nuneaton Borough
1998–2003	Derby County	116	(30)
2003–2007	Middlesbrough	43	(7)
2008–2009	Leeds United	4	(1)
Total		182	(50)

Completely random reminiscence.
But did he really only play 43 games for us?
Over four years too!
Blimey we can't half pick a striker.

He was a good player in fairness just very unlucky with injuries. A class above the current shower.

Also got us through our first game on route to Cardiff

 

[Erimus74]

He was a good striker for us, if youre looking a strikers who turned out duds he's not one of em

 

[futureboy]

49 games in total (I think your source above only includes league games) but your point still stands, of course. He had a lot of unfortunate injuries. Scored 9 Boro goals in all competitions.

 

[zorro_mfc]

He was always injured

 

[Randy]

Didn't he also do his cruciate in whilst he was with us? That's 9 months straight away.

 

[Badonde]

Fair do's Erimus - but 43 appearances over 4 years
Not trying to make any point really. I was searching for something else and it led me to his Wikipedia page.
Thought he'd played more games than that to be honest?

 

[Erimus74]

Fair do's Erimus - but 43 appearances over 4 years
Not trying to make any point really. I was searching for something else and it led me to his Wikipedia page.
Thought he'd played more games than that to be honest?

I did actually Badonde

 

[coluka]

I liked Christie, he was a good player, as said above, his injuries were the issue

 

[junos_boots]

We signed him and Riggott from Derby on same day. Very good players but they both had injury issues throughout their time at Boro

 

[Badonde]

My first 'boro hero' was Bernie Slaven.
I started going to the matches in 1980.
During that Rioch era we seemed to have a few players who could 'do a job' up front . Archie Stephens, Iain Baird.....then onto Paul Wilkinson etc.
They all seemed to bring something to the table - even if it was just being good in the air like Archie.
Maybe I'm just getting old but excluding the 'ageing superstars' of the Hasselbaink/Viduka era our forwards have been a bit 'meh' in general.
I suppose this is the hardest part of the team to get right.

I also feel like back in the day (jumpers for goalposts ) it seems there was a bit of a faustian pact amongst teams. Both play roughly 4-4-2 and go hell for leather. I was a bit young to see the great Jack Charlton team which I read could be quite defensive at times (as well as brilliant)?
This perhaps gave forwards more opportunity to shine???

I remember getting tickets for Euro 1996.
Romania vs Bulgaria at St James Park. It was a bit of a culture shock.
Couldn't believe how pedestrian the players were - but then they'd burst into action with players like Stoichkov on the pitch.

I feel that this 'continental approach' has become fully entrenched in english football.
It's a bit like playing pool - go for your shots or 'cover the pockets'.
The cagey approach tends to win.....but bloomin' eck it can be boring

 

[Otto42]

Seem to remember us bringing him back after he broke his leg, him scoring and then being out again with the same injury. Very unlucky player with us.

 

[Centralscrutinizer]

He was a good player in fairness just very unlucky with injuries. A class above the current shower.

Also got us through our first game on route to Cardiff

Was that run when he scored with a back heeler in front of the North stand ? Can't remember who it was against but I remember the goal vividly.

 

[Alzi]

Was that the match he scored with a back heeler in front of the North stand ?

Yea extra time, I was in the north stand that night. Clever finish!

Crap game mind.

 

[Otto42]

Was that run when he scored with a back heeler in front of the North stand ? Can't remember who it was against but I remember the goal vividly.

Think it was against Brighton.....who were third or fourth division at the time

 

[rbmfc1985]

He was a really good player. When we signed him I had high hopes, I remember him scoring a brace against Man Utd for Derby and looking like an exciting prospect. I think injuries stopped him reaching his potential and he would have contributed more if he wasn't so unlucky.

He definitely wasn't an example of a bad signing though, no-one could have predicted the problems he would have with injuries. I'm pretty sure we signed him and Riggot in the same deal too - and between them I think we got our moneys worth.

 

[S7DiscoDown]

I always thought he was decent enough.... When fit.

I'd say the signings of him and Riggott were a good double deal.

 

[Norman_Conquest]

I was also going to mention his leg break, he was never the same player and like most players who break a leg, he lost half a yard in speed.

The lad was a good player, just unlucky.

 

[wilkos_perm]

I was surprised how good he was prior to his leg break. Worked really hard and held the ball up well for his size. Not prolific but a good finisher when chances presented themselves

 

[LowMoorBoro]

I was surprised how few games he played in his career overall, but was terribly unlucky with injuries.
Plus the strikers we had during his time at the club are some of the best I’ve ever seen for us.