No pressure - but Boro looking good

Feb 16 2010 by Stuart Rayner, The Journal

WITH “a couple of years” to get Middlesbrough back into the Promised Land, Gordon Strachan will not rush to judge his new-look side – but the early signs are promising.

In recent weeks there have been signs that the Boro side the Scot is moulding – based around athleticism and pragmatism – is starting to take shape.

Victory at Blackpool tonight could take the Teessiders back into the Championship play-off places they had slowly drifted away from in the early part of Strachan’s reign.

Only 16 weeks into the job, and with almost an entire team injured, manager Strachan is refusing to jump to hasty conclusions.

“It takes a wee while to see how far we have progressed and I think it is too early yet to tell,” he commented.

“We have come through difficult times and the changeover but through my football career as a manager this is my worst injury crisis ever.

“We have still got nine or 10 players out injured and after the side played at Barnsley (last Tuesday) we had four injuries before the next game.

“The only one who might be back is Gary O’Neil but he is not fully fit. He is trying to get back, but the rest, they are all injured.”

Right-back Tony McMahon is one of the walking wounded, after a scan revealed he has been playing for some time with a stress fracture of the foot.

Boro’s recent resurgence – further strengthened by Saturday’s 1-0 win over Peterborough United – has brought the spotlight back onto a club who had been written off in some quarters as potential promotion contenders. The change in circumstances brings new pressures.