A trip to the JJB Stadium is this weeks highlight for us Boro fans. We will be hoping that our team can fair better against Wigan than against Sunderland and West Brom in recent weeks.
Gareth Southgate has some important decisions to make ahead of the game. Who will he play up top? And who will he play in the midfield?
The Boro boss has got plenty of options if he feels the need to freshen up the team. He has Mido, Alves, Aliadiere and Emnes to choose from to construct some sort of strike pairing.
Mido and Alves have only been given a couple of games to find their feet together so I would think Southgate will go with the same front pairing that started against West Brom last Saturday.
I feel the problem of not scoring lies in midfield. Ok, of course, if our strikers don’t put away chances, then we are obviously going to struggle. I think if one or two of our midfielder’s started to find the net then a whole load of pressure will be lifted from the entire team.
At the moment we are relying too much on our strikers to do the business when our midfielder’s are missing good opportunities themselves.
Southgate will have the task of choosing the right midfield to cope with likes of Valencia and Cattermole on Saturday.
We will need a bit of bite in there to stop our little orphan and also a bit of quality on the ball. Looking at the last couple of games we have not been too bad in midfield so I would stick with O’Neill because I think this will be the sort of game you need him for his experience and running.
The bit of ‘quality’, well that would be Didier Digard if I was choosing the side. He has shown he can pass a ball through the eye of a needle and is a good competitor in the centre of the park. We have been lacking someone like him for a while now and if he can last a good 75 minutes on the pitch, then I’m sure Southgate can rely on him.
The defence and goalkeeper picks itself. The same back-four and keeper as last week. Concentration is key this weekend for the guys at the back. Mido’s Egyptian friend, Zaki, will be lively.
Prediction: Wigan 1 Boro 2
We need 3 points before the two week International break.
Share this article
MIDO and Zaki are best friends they came frmo same club and same area but That will make the Match On Fire each of them wanna prove he is the better player in premier league and mido will fight till death bec he is older in euro football so it will be a BIg battle … Hope we win from this battle and see a great game
Mido to get a couple of goals in this game. He suits playing against teams like Wigan.
You forget our defence is top notch. Whatever you say about Bramble when he’s on form he’s almost unstoppable, add to that Boyce, Scharner etc. That said, I have a respect for Middlesbrough and I do think the need for points and Wigan’s good form of late will merit a draw from this game.
WIGAN 1 BORO 1 – ZAKI TO SCORE, MIDO TO SCORE
Honours even at the JJB. Suit everyone that would. A point isn’t a bad thing at home. Boro are a very good side. Good luck for the rest of the season, boro fans and team alike.
if we’d put away half our chances against the baggies we’d have won 3-1. more of the same but this time lets start hitting the onion bag lads.
you say the back 4 picks itself, but Tayls is looking dodgy and Groundsy might replace him
and Huth is looking dodgy with his ankle
we forget about bramble because hes as much use as a choclate fireguard!!!!! 3 points on sat a good downing goal and well win the league!!
Wigan to win, your in a relegation battle already
Of course we are. Relegation battle with Spurs and Newcastle yeah? None of us will be in the bottom half of the league come the end of the season!
Boro to stay up but underestimate Titus at your peril. Wigan to stay up, too. (Hopefully).
if it will be a draw and mido & zaki score i ll be so happy draw or win is cool , and remeber guyz it will be a very strong game more fun than manchester united vs chelsea game u ll see a war bet wigan and boro
I think we will probably make a bright start and go 1 up then we will crumble under pressure in the second half wigan to win 3 – 1.
don’t forget Wigan have a pretty good team and they are playing well in every department. if you go player against player then Boro would walk it, but when Zaki is top scorer in the league and Heskey is one of the most important players for england you have to be woried – we haven’t won this year away from home!
you are going to lose because wigan are good
Boro are bad apparently?!
close game both will probably over estimate each other no goals or 1-0 to the more fortunate team
Blackpoolgas, even if we lose, wigan still arent good. As for relegation talk, it’s far too early for that. I’ve just read the MFC site, big nose is sayin the international break is the cause of our poor form… maybe he should have got a few more players in when he could? SMD southgate!
if boror play as liverpool match we will win forsure
boro*
1-0 to the boro……. good result. It is almost a reverse of the wba game. but 3 points none the less. its pointless talking about relegation as both these teams will be in the premier league for quite some time.