MIDDLESBROUGH v WATFORD Venue: Riverside Stadium Date: Saturday, 25 October Kick-off: 15:00 BST Latest Team News: Middlesbrough. Middlesbrough midfielder Grant Leadbitter is suspended after picking up his fifth booking. Adam Clayton who picked up a knock will have a late fitness test. Watford. Defender Sebastien Bassong is uncertain to play, Almen Abdi is out with a shoulder injury. Craig Cathcart, Keith Andrews and Lewis McGugan are all fit again and available. Middlesbrough ⢠Middlesbrough lost 2-0 at Wolves on Tuesday - their first defeat in eight league games. ⢠Middlesbrough have won two of their last three home games, drawing one. Their last defeat at the Riverside Stadium was 1-0 against Reading on 30 August. Watford ⢠Watford are unbeaten in their last seven games, winning three. Their last defeat was 1-0 at Charlton on 13 September. ⢠Watford have won two of their last three away games, drawing the other one. Current Top Six: 1 Derby 13 13 26 2 Watford 13 11 25 3 M'boro 13 7 23 4 Wolves 13 5 23 5 Norwich 13 10 22 6 Nottm F 13 9 22 So still very tight at the top and what will this look like at 5.00 pm tomorrow,
Cheers OFH - I was just on ESPN and about to put up a botch job, this one is much better! Grim up North. We need a convincing win to 1) let people get behind the Joka and 2) let the league know we mean business. I hope we win 0-2, would be a great scoreline that.
Thanks M. Frenchie, excellent as always. I'm glad they're missing their key player, hopefully we will get our best ran out again but please Joka, no Murray! Just getting ready for the long drive, I kinda like Middlesbrough away, good old fashioned ground . Blinking long way though! Lol. 1-3 of course!
Since Boro moved to the Riverside, we've only won there twice in 8 games. H, I'm not sure that Leadbitter has been as great an influence under Karanka as he was under other managers, at least not in an attacking sense.
First time I will miss this fixture for a while - apparently Hills go 11/4 against a Watford win - bit surprised as I think we are improving and should get something out of this game.
Watford v Boro: Gomes; Paredes, Ekstrand, Bassong, Pudil; Tozser, Munari; Anya, Vydra, Forestieri; Ighalo. Subs: : Bond (GK), Doyley, Hoban, Andrews, Murray, Dyer, Deeney
Boro : Dimi, Fredericks, Ayala, Gibson, Friend, Adomah, Clayton, Whitehead, Tomlin, Bamford, Kike. Subs: Mejias (GK), Husband, Nsue, Veljkovic, Omeruo, Vossen, Reach.
So Anya in for Abdi. I hope he can show the form he does for Scotland. Pleased to see Bassong is fit.
The ref today is James Adcock who is not slow to issue cards. He has the reputation of being rather poor.
