Boro boss Gordon Strachan unwinds with X-Factor
Sep 25 2010 by Luke Edwards, The Journal
GORDON Strachan will cope with the stress and strain of Middlesbrough’s promotion push by ridiculing contestants on the X Factor after revealing a hidden side to his character.
Boro travel to Watford today after back-to-back home wins over Reading and Burnley went someway to repairing the damage from a poor start to the campaign.
Strachan’s side are just three points off third place in the Championship and their manager, under pressure just a fortnight ago, was in a relaxed and jovial mood ahead of the journey to Vicarage Road.
Having experienced the full gamut of emotions this season, Strachan admitted it was one of the constants in his life which helped him deal with the fallout from a matchday.
He said: “There was no celebration after two wins in a week. When you win you do get a kind of glow and when you lose you feel down, simple as that. The glow does not last for more than a while, then I jump on the sofa and watch X Factor all night. That is my way of relaxing. I am convinced none of the people on it have friends.
“They cannot have any mates telling them not to do it. I watched it twice last weekend on Saturday and Sunday and thought, what is all this about?”
Warming to the theme, Strachan continued: “Regardless of the result against Watford I will be there on Saturday night watching the X Factor. If I have lost I just watch it in silence. If we have won I enjoy it and go through all motions, the whooping and hollering everyone else does.
“You feel for the people who have done badly and think, what are they doing on that stage? Why do it? Somebody tell them to get off.”
Given the pressure on him to get Boro back into the top flight with his new look side, Strachan is also in danger of being booted out of the Riverside this season if they cannot build on their encouraging home performances.
However, for now, the Scot is on a roll as he turned his attention to the callers who ring in to criticise footballers and managers on radio and television phone-in shows.
He added: “The same people who go on X Factor ring up football phone-ins on the radio. I am convinced they go on X Factor, then say I have to go and ring a phone-in now. It is the same people. If my son said to me ‘I am going on a phone-in now dad’, I would say ‘no way’. Don’t even think about it. You and I can speak about it, you do not have to ring up a phone-in and listen to all that nonsense.’ It is the same people. They have no mates.”
Meanwhile, Boro midfielder Nicky Bailey will be desperate to impress on his return to the south-east today as he will have plenty of family and friends in the crowd.
He said: “There is an extra incentive for me to show my friends I can play well for Middlesbrough so Watford is the next game for me to look to. I was disappointed, like we all were, at QPR. You want to play well when you are down there.
“If you are a strong person you do not let things like that affect you. I am like that. Nothing really affects me. I am sure it does affect others more than others.
“I have plenty more to offer, of course I do. As a team we have to gel together more. We need to look more like a team when we go out there.”
