IT is often claimed that Steve Gibson is the most popular man in Middlesbrough but, when Portsmouth visit the Riverside this afternoon, he may well find another chairman running him close.

Most Boro fans would struggle to pick Milan Mandaric out from a crowd but, this afternoon, they will continue to benefit from one of his most controversial actions.

Last November, the Pompey chief hastened the departure of manager Harry Redknapp by appointing former Yugoslav international Velimir Zajec as his club's new executive director.

With Redknapp gone, the harmony and happiness he had cultivated in the Portsmouth dressing room quickly disappeared. Some of the club's leading stars began to become restless, with one in particular abandoning faith amid the uncertainty that was left in Redknapp's wake.

Feeling unwanted, leading scorer Aiyegbeni Yakubu turned his attention to Middlesbrough and embraced a courtship that eventually ended in his £7.5m move to Teesside this summer.

That Zajec did not even attempt to win him back merely adds to the determination coursing through the Nigerian as he faces his former employers for the first time.

Yakubu does not believe in revenge but, after taking his tally for the season to four with a brace in Boro's 3-2 win at Aston Villa two weeks ago, another goal today would have added resonance.

"When Harry was there, everyone was happy," said the 22-year-old, who scored 43 goals in 92 appearances on the south coast. "But we lost our manager, another manager came in, and it took him quite a bit of time to get settled. He had a different opinion of what he wanted to do.

"When Harry left, I heard that Middlesbrough wanted me and I knew it was the right decision straight away.

"I wanted to move on and play at a bigger club. The Portsmouth manager didn't try to persuade me to stay - he just said nothing.

"It's not more special because we're playing against Portsmouth, but of course I will celebrate if I score.

"I was at Portsmouth for two-and-a-half-years but that has gone now. I have to move on and help my new team achieve something special."

That something special could yet be an appearance in the Champions League, despite a mixed start to the season that has seen Boro combine an eye-catching win over Arsenal with bitterly disappointing home defeats to Sunderland and Charlton.

Inconsistency has been the only consistent factor in Middlesbrough's play so far, with a succession of injuries hardly helping Steve McClaren's attempts to cut out his side's fluctuating form.

The club's home form has been a particular cause for concern but, after outlining Boro's Champions League credentials at the start of the season, Yakubu has seen nothing to make him lower his expectations.

"Middlesbrough want to be in Europe every year," he explained. "Playing in the UEFA Cup and possibly the Champions League.

"I have played in the Champions League before with Maccabi, so I know what it takes. I think Middlesbrough can get into the Champions League. With the players we have, that is what we should be aiming for.

"We have good players - people like Jimmy-Floyd Hasselbaink, Mark Viduka, Gareth Southgate and Gaizka Mendieta who have played at the very highest level.

"They are all experienced players and, with these players, I think the Champions League is a realistic target. It is something that is still possible this season."

Yakubu's form could yet make or break Middlesbrough's assault on both the top four of the Premiership and the latter stages of the UEFA Cup.

Thierry Henry is the only player to have scored more Premiership goals than the African in the last two seasons, but with that success has come an inevitable increase in expectation.

Boro's fans expect an instant impact from their multi-million pound man, while opposition defenders are being instructed to give the striker more and more attention.

"People are sticking much closer to me now," explained Yakubu, who is still in regular contact with former team-mate Lomana Lua Lua, a player currently recovering from a bout of malaria. "They know exactly what I am capable of. That makes it more difficult for me.

"Nobody wants to give me space now, because they know I am a good player.

"The only way to beat that is to keep working hard. The very best players work out a way of dealing with defenders who stay very close to them, and that is what I am trying to do."

Portsmouth's defenders will certainly be well aware of the threat they will face this afternoon.

And, while neither Mandaric nor Zajec stepped in to prevent Yakubu leaving Fratton Park, it is difficult to believe that either will be relishing running into him again later today.

Read more about Middlesbrough here.