Yakubu double strike puts Middlesbrough’s post-European hoodoo to rest

Aston Villa 2 Middlesbrough 3

Boro had managed only one win in nine games immediately after playing a European tie in midweek - and that was a 3-0 triumph over Villa at the Riverside Stadium last season.

But Yakubu’s double enabled them to move into the top half of the Barclays Premiership at the expense of a Villa side who paid for some dreadful defending.

McClaren said: “Yakubu’s performance was fantastic. He showed today why we have put our faith in him when bringing him from Portsmouth.

“He was up there on his own, but he was such a threat for the 90 minutes and that bodes well for the future of this football club.

“He caused problems to the Villa centre-halves all afternoon. He has got great pace but can also hold the ball up and bring other players into the game.

“He was well supported by Fabio Rochemback, another young player we have brought in who showed what he can do. He was given a free role behind Yakubu and the two of them were difficult for Villa to handle.”

McClaren refuted suggestions from Villa boss David O’Leary that Boro had come to settle for a draw. He said: “We came to win the game. There is no doubt about that. What pleased me was that we achieved it after being in Europe.

“We suffered last season in terms of our results after European games whereas this season we have had games at Wigan and Villa and picked up four points.”

O’Leary pulled no punches about Villa’s performance, which keeps them in the bottom part of the table along with city rivals Birmingham and neighbours West Brom.

He said: “People point out to me that we had several players out injured but we can still do a lot better with the team I am putting out.

“I thought it was very poor. They came for a draw and we gifted them three goals. If we keep giving goals away like we have been all season, then we are going to find things very difficult. We are making life very hard for ourselves.

“The players are good enough but there was a nervousness about them. They were afraid to make a mistake and afraid to accept responsibility.

“This is our patch and it was down to us to sort things out and do the business and we just didn’t do that.

“But I thought the whole game was flat. There was no zip about it at all.”

Opta Stat: Aston Villa have one win in their last 13 league games.

Boro have scored seven away goals in the league but just two at home this term.

Aston Villa: T Sorensen, U De la Cruz (45 J Samuel) , O Mellberg, L Ridgewell, W Bouma (76 E Bakke) , J Milner, S Davis, G Barry, P Berger, J Angel, L Moore.

Middlesbrough: B Jones, A Xavier, G Southgate, C Riggott, E Pogatetz, G Mendieta (65 F Queudrue), G Doriva, G Boateng, F Rochemback, S Nemeth (69 S Parnaby), A Yakubu.

Referee: M Dean.