We have two tricky games left, away games Boro and Burnley. Drew at Boro last season, Burnley game best forgotten. Will be happy with anything above 2 points but must aim for 6. Then the transfer window opens and hopefully some early dealing, lining up for 3 winnable home matches in January. Bring it on.
Boro will be a tough one, happy with a point, and as you say a point at Burnley would also not be a bad result. However Burnley have a one or two indifferent results at home, they seem to be better away at the moment, maybe be a chink of light that we might just scrap a win.
boro will be tough, i think we can win at burnley..millwall where a bogey team until yesterday hadnt won in 8 against them, saw that off and i think wel do the same to burnley...be more then happy to earn a point at boro.
Burnley are a good team but not a team we can't beat. Take Rodriguez, Austin and Treacy out of their side and they'd be relegation candidates. Middlesbrough on the other hand I feel have overachieved so far this season. They have a solid team all round but don't really possess any players of real quality. I can't help but feel we can roll them over too. We should be aiming for 6 points if we're serious about pushing for automatic promotion.
If we get 6 pts out of them then it will prove we are serious contenders for promotion maybe even autos
Arca is past his peak I feel and is not the player he was. In no way am I saying he's a bad player, just not a player of quality in this division such as Nolan, Lambert, Kenny Miller and etc.
I'd take a point from Middlesborough on Boxing Day but with our form a win isn't impossible. Burnley away is winnable, and by christ we need to get one over on them!
He is nearly 31 hardly old. Played superbly against us last season. Played a fantastic ball for their third yesterday. Got a great left foot,cant see what you are basing past it on.
I think we can play well against Boro as they like to play a bit of pass and move and so will let us do so too. I think it's a tough call, either team is capable of doing damage to the other and taking all 3 points. But if I have to call it I'll sit on the fence (!!)...... 2-2 maybe. The Burnley game is winnable if don't self destruct like we did at The Circle. For me we can do Burnley 2-0 or 2-1 at worst.
I'm basing it on the fact that I haven't seen or heard of Arca playing great for Middlesbrough this season and if you look around the internet Boro fans aren't glorifying or even praising him on a wide scale. He's a good player, not a great player. EDIT: He couldn't even get into the team at the start of the season - “It has been a fantastic start to the season for everyone at the club but as a player, you are disappointed and frustrated not to play,” Arca tells the Sunday Sun. “Hopefully I will get my chance soon. I signed a contract to play a lot of games, as I did last season, and of course I would like to play every week. “But when the team is doing so well and at the top of the league I can’t really complain and ask why I’m not in the team. It is because results are good. “I think it is normal for a player to be frustrated when they’re not playing but I will keep working hard. In fact, I’m working harder than I have ever worked because I have to if I’m going to get a chance in this team. “In the five years I have been at the club I think it is harder than ever to get in the team because we have so many good players, and good young players coming through who can play a part too. It is a good position for the manager.” Source - http://www.sundaysun.co.uk/sport/mi...the-key-for-boro-s-julio-arca-79310-29563542/
I think Bates, Arca and Emnes(possibly a couple of others) would walk into most teams in this league.
He missed Saturday's game with a hamstring injury, there's no news yet on whether he'll be back in time to face us.
Looking at the table Boro seem to draw a lot at home, drawn 6, won 4 and lost only 1. Nothing to be scared of, we can get something from this game if we keep playing as we are. The last time we played this well in December we got promoted....
