Big-time Charlie may have the last say

Paul Ince, in Alex Ferguson's phrase, could start a fight in an empty house. It simply requires the installation of a mirror. There is so much uncontrollable desire within Ince that people should throw sticks for him to chase. This is a man who once said "Tackling is better than sex", presumably in that just-been-sucking-helium kind of way of his.

Well, if that is really how he feels, Ince must have left the Riverside on Saturday feeling like Warren Beatty. Tackle after tackle he made, interrupted by the standard pillow talk at the referee. Ince almost scored, ahem, twice as well, and against former partners. It was a small monument of an individual performance.

Gareth Southgate's 89th minute header was not greeted as a consolation by the Boro faithful and there is a feeling of a corner turned. Next Saturday may act as a reality check: it is Manchester United away.

Ince will also be going back. Liverpool and United in consecutive weeks: for Ince, at 34, it is an intense reminder of times past. He won two titles at United, the breakthrough ones of '93 and '94. Those were the days when Ferguson's opinion of Ince was: "He would give his life for you. He would give you everything. He wouldn't ask why." Later Ferguson would bury Ince by describing him as "a big-time Charlie".

Ince has been to Internazionale and Liverpool since leaving Old Trafford in 1995, and is in his third season at Boro, but he referred to the Charlie remark on Saturday. He was talking about the destination of the title and which of his former clubs he would like to see win it.

Ince mentioned that he has friends at Liverpool still, that it would be good to see someone different lift it and that he continues to be received badly at Old Trafford. "I gave six years of my sweat, blood and guts for United," he said. "It's sad. I was part of the team that won it after 26 years."

Ince also felt that winning the title for Liverpool might not mean as much to the foreign brigade. However, John Arne Riise scored the winner here, Nicolas Anelka was a constant threat and created the opener for Emile Heskey via Dietmar Hamann, Sami Hyypia and Jerzy Dudek were again rocks. Norway, France, Germany, Finland, Poland, and England. They played without fear.

Liverpool have become such a counter-attacking side - Heskey's goal came from a Boro corner - that they have forgotten the art of pressing at Anfield. They will have to rediscover it to further their claim on the title.

Phil Thompson was in no doubt. "It's time to produce at home," he said. "We're going for the title." Fighting talk. Ince would be proud.

MIDDLESBROUGH: Schwarzer, Festa, Southgate, Stockdale (Marinelli 81), Queudrue, Mustoe (Gavin 72), Ince, Wilkshire (Nemeth 72), Greening, Boksic, Carbone. Subs not used: Windass, Crossley. Goals: Southgate 89.

LIVERPOOL: Dudek, Henchoz, Xavier, Hyypia, Carragher, Smicer (Gerrard 70), Murphy, Hamann, Riise, Heskey, Anelka. Subs not used: Arphexad, Barmby, McAllister, Litmanen. Booked: Henchoz, Hamann. Goals: Heskey 33, Riise 84.

Referee: A D'Urso (Billericay).