Cup Clash Is Bigger For Boro
TONIGHT'S CUP clash is a far bigger game for Boro than for West Brom. The Baggies still have promotion to aim at if it all goes Lee Dong for them at the Hawthorns but if Boro slip up we are looking at a hard slog up a very steep slope towards a far from certain seventh spot.
The FA Cup can keep Gareth Southgate's debut season crackling with hope and nurture infant hopes of a quick-fire dream return to Europe. If we can polish off West Brom then we are just 180 minutes away from Wembley. Sorry, this is Boro, 240 minutes. Plus pennas.
But Boro can take no chances. We can't afford to take the complacent approach we did against Notts County, Hull and Bristol City and rest key players because of big league games on the horizon. We must go in all guns blazing and with a ruthless desire to win the game.
Tomy Mowbray has already swung the game mentally Boro's way. He has made the honest and hard-nosed assessment that for West Brom the greatest chance of glory lies in a full strength team beating resurgent Sunderland in the Championship on Saturday. To that end he will rest some of the players who have featured in 15 games in the past eight weeks. He said:
"I think Saturday has got to come into play. We would love to win the FA Cup but I bet we are pretty long odds with the bookies to win it. It's only right we have one eye on Saturday's game against Sunderland because it's a big, big game against a team that is just on our shirt tails."We are mindful of two big games this week both of which we would like to win. But the three points on Saturday would be the much more welcome result than beating Middlesbrough."It's about utilising the squad. We might keep the likes of Cater, Gera and Ellington for Saturday and wring out the last bits of energy from the others tonight."You've got to be realistic about what chances you have got of winning the FA Cup. I can't see a time again when the likes of Coventry and Wimbledon could do it. I don't know what odds we are - I'm sure they would be long."I'm sure the fans around the world would rather see us back in the Premier League rather than missing out and talking about a great cup run to the semi-finals.That seems to me that he has mentally prepared his players to go out there tonight with subliminal message that the game is the least important one they will play this week, that victory will bring with it a futile fixture headache and a distraction that can undermine their over-riding objective of a return to the Premiership. Good work agent Mowbray.
But we must take advantage of the slight edge that may give us. We can't put out a reshuffled team and resting trump cards like Viduka and Woodgate because we have one eye on Newcastle. This is a massive game, let's get it won and then take players off if needed.
It will be better to go to Newcastle with our potential match-winners slightly below peak but absolutely buzzing because they are up for the cup than make that trip fully fit but on a downer because of a midweek exit that has signalled the end of the season.
COME ON BORO!
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Anthony Vickers
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Whole heartedly agree, I am not a lover of rotation and if you gave the players a choice of having the game off and training or playing in a cup tie I guess I know the answer.
With the number of games we have there are enough injuries, niggles and suspensions to provide opportunities to rest without wholesale changes.
Even last year when we had a huge number of matches and rested the 1st team for europe we were hopeless, slow and lacklustre in many matches when they played. Steau and Basle were flukes, marvellous but flukes non the less. Our first team were not at the races for most of both legs in each case.
As I am not a professional footballer I can only guess what they think but I suspect they will want to play tonight.
more than likely 1 of the big 3 will be in the final. just hope its not manutd. most teams are now just happy with reachign the fa cup final because it means a place in europe even if you lose because the winner comes from one of the champions league team.
mowbray is contradicting himself by saying he may rest players but then complaining about the big teams not playing full strength teams. I think its a bit of kidology to take the pressure off his own players.
they will be fired up as they will feel confident of beating us on their own ground when they look at our away record. then man utd waits for them which is an attraction
AV
After last weeks blog on Mogga and his winning mentality, I am suprised that you even think that the Baggies will not be up for tonights match.
It does not matter though as Boro will win 2 - 0 and then beat the Skunks 2 - 1 at the weekend.
C'Mon Boro!
One of my pet hates about steve mac was his rotation of the strikers. Any striker will tell you that he wont want to be rested for a mid week game if he scored on the saturday
Strikers can hit a run of form like scoring 8 goals in 10 games, but if you keep resting them it disrupts it. A striker will want to know why he has been 'rested' when he just scored.
If a manager constantly talks about players being jaded then the players start to believe it.
Dave
Last years reward for Yak being able to play upfront on his own was consignment to the scrapyard of playing with the second string and gradually being played out of form and losing confidence.
Dont be surprised if Arsenal's reward for having two separate teams is zilch. It breaks up the rythm of the first team no matter the quality of the footballers and the one thing you cannot argue against is how good the Gunners are on the eye when playing well.
The last point you made was all too evident last year.
Well that was hard work watching, Goodness knows when long distance fans got home to Teesside or Reading.
Lessons:
as the cliche goes football is a game of two halves or in our case four and penalties.
Yet again the team bus was late but at least the call of 'boro have left the building' was not heard.
When we upped the tempo we looked much better, WBA look likely to grace the premiership, the only caveat is the way we play. When asked before the match by friends would we win I replied if we trun up and play for 90 minutes we would.
A weakened Baggies gave us plenty of trouble in the first half and the debate on Schwarzer received a timely reminder of his qualities. At least he gets his body there for the ball to slip under. John, Phil and I couldnt believe our eyes and we had to look at the big screen to check for the deflection that must be there but wasnt.
Our Korean import looked good when he came on, I just hope he doesnt keep hotting the post and keepers.
The challenge by Ellington was shocking and it was disappointing to hear the crowd boo Riley for making the only decision he could. Camara's behaviour before Boats penalty was a disgrace, he looks a bit like Henry and his petulance would not be misplaced at the Gunners.
ManU next but first for the Toon. Some tricky decisions for Gate but as we dont play next midweek and ManU do that takes some pressure off.
One bit of praise, we were sat in a mixed group of fans and they noted the improvement when Parnaby and Morrison came on. Davies and Cat are wholehearted but Morrison and Parnaby do give more balance and we looked better for them coming on.
It cant be any coicidence that when Mozza came on Downing seemed to spark the revival with several efforts. Arca also picked up many plaudits.
oh and listened to Coppell saying he sent Reading out to keep it tight and have a go in the second half. Is it only us who understand the importance of starting on time?