Head coach heaps praise on Randolph
DARREN Randolph keeps getting better and better insists Jonathan Woodgate.
The Boro keeper made several super saves to ensure his team claimed three points against Reading at the weekend.
Randolph is widely regarded as the best keeper in the Championship and his man of the match performance against the Royals justified that opinion.
As a top class centre-back, Woodgate played in front of some hugely experienced goalies at club and international level including England’s David Seaman, Real Madrid No1 Iker Casillas, Shay Given at Newcastle, Leeds stopper Nigel Martin and Mark Schwarzer at Boro.
The Middlesbrough head coach didn’t fall into the trap of making comparisons but he clearly rates Randolph.
“It is impossible to put him in any bracket and compare him because I played with some really top keepers but Darren is the best keeper in this league and he is a really, really top keeper,” said Woodgate.
“He is the best keeper in the league, he did that many times last season and he continues to do it. He made one save in particular that was outstanding.
“That is why he is there and why he earns his money.
“You need a keeper like Darren but it is not just his saves, he is a calming influence within the squad as one of the elder statesmen, that is why he is a top keeper and why he is Ireland’s No1.”
Boro may not have landed all their transfer targets in the summer but one crucial piece of business was keeping hold of Randolph.
The 32-year-old joined Middlesbrough from West Ham in a £5m move in July 2017 and plenty of clubs had cast envious eyes in Boro’s direction. Randolph’s turned out to be a hugely successful acquisition making a big impression both on the pitch and off it.
Woodgate says his goalie is proving to be a mentor to the club’s young keepers.
He said: “At this football club we’ve got a lot of really good keepers and Darren is right up there and we have Tomas Mejias and Aynsley Pears pushing him.
“Darren is not only the best keeper but an example to the younger lads, Brad James, Sol Brynn and Zach Hemming and the goalkeeper coach Danny Coyle is only going to make them better.”
Randolph is arguably approaching his peak years and Woodgate thinks he’s got plenty of campaigns remaining in the tank.
“Keepers can play until they are 40,” he added.
“He could keep going for another 10 years.
“He was top drawer last season and the year before.
“When you look at a goalkeeper what do you look for? Can he make big saves? Yes. Is he consistent? Yes. They are the two biggest things in a goalie.
“If he can play with his feet it’s a bonus, he commands his area and he talks a lot more to his team and he is just getting better.
“I am really pleased with him.” Woodgate praised his players for the way they ground out a vital win over Reading and insisted his team
was denied a blatant goal.
Marvin Johnson scored the only goal of the game in the 60th minute with a free-kick.
However, Boro had the ball in the net shortly after the halftime break when Britt Assombalonga converted a Dael Fry pass from close-range.
“It was onside blatantly,” said Woodgate after the match.
“I’ve seen it (on video) but that’s how it is at the minute.”
On the game, he added: “I thought we deserved to win it, I thought towards the end of the game they piled the pressure on but we stood strong.
“Like I said in the week, we needed to find that inner steel, that belief and I thought we did that.
“I thought we deserved to win the game, I thought we looked very dangerous on the counterattack at times and could have been a couple of goals up It was well deserved and I was so pleased for the lads, they gave me everything.”
Middlesbrough have now gone four games in the Championship without losing, taking eight points from a possible 12.
So does Woodgate believe his team is heading in the right direction?
“I’d like to think so,” he said. “We’re four unbeaten now and it’s hard to go four unbeaten in this league and we’ve done that.
“We look forward to the next game now against Cardiff, there’s momentum with the team at the minute and we’ll keep on working and doing what we’re doing every day on the training pitch.”