Riverside will be a different place under a new boss: Pallister
ENGLAND defender Gary Pallister reckons that Steve Agnew’s shacklefree Boro have the ability to rattle mighty Manchester United this afternoon.
Pallister, who played for both clubs during an illustrious career which earned him 22 England caps and numerous trophies, believes that the departure of Aitor Karanka will create the opportunity for a fresh Boro approach.
He told the Sunday Sun: “I think it will be a completely different Riverside this afternoon.
“You see it time and time again. When one manager leaves, the players usually respond to the new man in charge.
“Steve Agnew knows the lads, they have respect for him and the mood in the dressing room will be much different. It will probably give them a shot in the arm.
“We’ve all heard stories of the unrest on the training ground and player bust-ups. This should all be brought to an end now.
“Everyone starts afresh. The players are likely to run that extra yard for Aggers.
“We’ve seen a similar reaction at Leicester under Craig Shakespeare. They look a different team now, and the same can happen here.”
He added: “Don’t make any mistake, this is a tough, tough game for everybody concerned. But the fans will really be up for it. Hopefully we will see the same reaction from the players.
“It will be interesting to see Aggers’ team selection. A gung-ho approach is out of the question, but he will realise the importance of creating more chances and hopefully scoring some goals.”
Pallister was not surprised to see Karanka’s three-and-a- half-year reign come to an end on Thursday.
He said: “I can’t think that many people will be surprised. You couldn’t see him changing the playing style, but it wasn’t bringing results.
“The stories of the bust-ups have been going on for some time. Then we hear of fans booing Aitor after away defeats. Really his departure could have happened a couple of weeks ago.
“Then there was the broadside at local players. It doesn’t benefit anybody.
“I still suspect that Steve Gibson was very loathe to do it. Aitor got the club back into the Premier League and did a lot of good things, but at the end of the day we could see it wasn’t working any more.”
Karanka’s departure means that the Spaniard has been denied the opportunity to take on his good pal Jose Mourinho this afternoon.
There was never a chance of a managerial old pals’ act on the day, but even so Pallister believes this might not be the worst time to be facing Mourinho’s side.
Pally was at Old Trafford on Thursday to watch United’s Europa League victory against FC Rostov and, said: “United have got suspensions and now they will be missing Paul Pogba through injury as well.
“Herrera and Ibrahimovic are suspended. They have been two of United’s better players this season.
“Ibrahimovic is a major loss because his goals have been very important for United while he has a big influence on the pitch because he is not just a target man but he is a leader.
“However you under-estimate any United side at your peril.
“This is an important game for United. They need to keep picking up points in the Premier League if they are to finish top four.
“They are playing catch-up at the moment. I think that Chelsea, Man City and Tottenham will be top three, while it’s between Liverpool, Arsenal and United for the fourth spot.
“Mourinho has slowly got them back on the rails. They have lost so many points against lower opposition that it’s been hard to believe.
“But there’s a big tradition at that club and you can see that they are starting to get back to the style of foot- ball that they are all about.
“There’s a lot more positive feel around United than there was earlier in the season.”
While United will miss Ibrahimovic, Pallister believes there is an opportunity for Boro’s target man Alvaro Negredo to be a big player.
He said: “It’s very difficult to work the front line all by yourself but Negredo has done his best.
“You’re always looking for Negredo to pull something out of the bag. It would be superb if he could do it against United.
“It’s not been easy for any of the players really but Ben Gibson deserves a mention for what he has achieved this season.
“It’s a big step up from the Championship to the Premier League but Ben got to grips with it from the start.
“He’s looked very comfortable in the games I have seen. In fact he’s been Boro’s shining star this season.
“I like the way he tries to be a leader on the pitch. You can see why other clubs are looking at him and why he is being talked about as an England player.
“Another who has impressed me is Fabio. He’s got a great attitude and the fans have warmed to him.
“But it’s not so much about individuals today. It’s about the team. Everybody must raise their game.”
He added: “Aggers now has the chance to take it through to the end of the season. He will need everybody pulling together because the team must start picking up points.
“In the games coming up against teams like Swansea and Hull, he will know that Boro need to show more intent in front of goal.
“The main thing today is that Boro try to impress and you never know, they might pull something out of the bag.”