TONY MOWBRAY said it – and Town need to get back to it.
After Tuesday’s 3-0 win at the Riverside, the Middlesbrough manager highlighted Town’s work ethic as a major part of their make-up.
He also remarked of Simon Grayson’s side “they will ask questions of you” – and they certainly need to do that against Leeds United at the John Smith’s Stadium on Saturday lunchtime.
The derby will be no place for faint hearts and if anyone in the Town camp doesn’t fancy it, then I suggest they knock on Simon Grayson’s door today and tell him.
There will be no room for passengers on Saturday, and no room to let down the fans.
Grayson – whose 10-man side battled manfully to earn a 1-1 draw at Charlton, showing bags of character after the sending-off of Southern – needs everyone to front up and produce their best.
And every area of the pitch will be key.
Town suffered on Tuesday without suspended duo Adam Clayton and Keith Southern in midfield, while Oliver Norwood seems to have been struggling for form since he helped Northern Ireland achieve a memorable draw in Portugal.
Will the real Oliver Norwood – the one who started the season in exceptional style – please step forward?
Clayton will be back and it would be a massive help to Grayson and his side if Jermaine Beckford can be nursed back to fitness to lead the line against his old club.
Beckford hasn’t played since scoring the winner at Barnsley and Town have missed his workrate and his threat, especially with James Vaughan sidelined long-term.
It would be totally unrealistic to expect Vaughan to be fit as he hasn’t kicked a ball in anger since the defeat at Peterborough on October 23, so the return of paceman Sean Scannell after injury would be a boon, with Lee Novak and Simon Church offering options up front and out wide.
Fans in some quarters believe midfield is where the game will be dictated and possibly decided, and the prospect of an ‘enforcer’ being employed by Grayson has been mooted.
Defender Anthony Gerrard has been suggested as a man who could give backbone to the midfield in Southern’s absence if Grayson decides to continue with centre-back pairing Joel Lynch and skipper Peter Clarke. Paul Dixon could also play in midfield.
Chris Atkinson’s return provides back-up too, along with Scott Arfield and Anton Robinson who both featured in the starting line-up at Boro, while Town need much more from whichever widemen are used – Scannell, Danny Ward or loanee Adam Hammill.
Crowd favourite Alan Lee could also come strongly into contention for a first start of the season up front, adding muscle if Beckford fails to make the cut.
Referee Mike Riley needs to be sensible, too, if the entertainment isn’t to be ruined.
