Boro must be fired up to produce the fireworks at home
BORO have turned the corner on the road – now they need to produce a few fireworks at the Riverside Stadium.
It’s vital that Boro end their run of three games without a win on Teesside by extending Sunderland’s agony this afternoon.
In this respect, this eagerly awaited derby battle is the most important Tees-Wear showdown for years.
With caretaker managers Billy McKinlay and former Boro defender Robbie Stockdale battling to halt Sunderland’s miserable slide, the Black Cats desperately need a fillip to resurrect their season.
The difference between winning and losing, for both sides, is absolutely massive.
Boro, having finally shown promotion credentials at Hull City on Tuesday, must put things right at home if they are to push for a top six place.
Certainly the odds are all in Boro’s favour. But North East derbies can have an uncanny habit of favouring the underdog.
So Boro boss Garry Monk must ensure that his players are fully fired up to carry on where they left off at the KCOM Stadium.
The target for Boro is to finally begin to click as an attacking unit at the Riverside.
They have set new standards in their last three Championship games on the road, from which Boro have taken seven points.
Martin Braithwaite’s return has proven to be the over-riding key factor, plus the understanding that he has been developing with attacking partner Britt Assombalonga.
There was a belief during the summer that Braithwaite might turn out to be the best of Monk’s initial signings.
An unfortunate hamstring injury delayed his opportunity to make an early impact in the side, but now the Dane is firing on all cylinders.
He has scored three times in the last six games and has helped provide the inspiration for Boro to keep their heads despite things going wrong at the Riverside.
Assombalonga has indicated that he may need two or three good chances to put one away. But the former Nottingham Forest man has a nice habit of being in the right place at the right time.
Britt is also on fire at present, scoring in three of Boro’s last four league games. Now he needs to show that he can turn the screw in home games.
Five of his eight goals have come on the road. He has not scored at the Riverside since mid-September. Scoring in a derby game is the perfect way to get back on track at home.
Clearly the Black Cats will not be excited by the prospect of facing Braithwaite and Assombalonga in their current form.
In addition Sunderland will not be enamoured to know that the Boro midfield is also finally grinding into action.
It’s taken a long time for Johnny Howson to find his feet, but the experienced former Leeds and Norwich man is now beginning to make a massive impact in the middle of the park.
He is linking up well, too, with skipper Grant Leadbitter, who has battled him way back to regain a regular place in the side.
It means that the ever-reliable Adam Clayton has been pushed on to the sidelines and is fighting to regain his place.
When you have a situation where Clayton cannot get into the side, you know that things must be going well.
The major benefit to be gained from Boro’s consecutive away wins at Reading and Hull is that confidence is now back to an extremely high level in the dressing room.
It could lead to Boro forcing the pace from the start – which is something we have not witnessed at the Riverside for some time.
Boro have been tentative starters in many of their games on Teesside this season, but it’s hard to see them taking a backward step today.
Stockdale will be well aware of the positives and the negatives as he bids to help generate a result for the Black Cats on his Riverside return.
Boro have conceded in each of their last four home games. They will be aware that Sunderland do have an attacking threat, despite their occasionally brittle defence - which indicates that full concentration is necessary.
A shock Black Cats’ win would reignite Sunderland and put Boro back to square one.
It’s not something which the Boro fans expect to happen. But few derbies end in walkovers.
Boro must roll up their sleeves and battle through every minute of this game if they want to justify the bookies’ favouritism.