TOO MANY MISTAKES IN ‘CRAZY’ DIVISION!
BORO STRIKER BRAITHWAITE WANTS BETTER CONSISTENCY, STARTING AT BRISTOL CITY TONIGHT
Martin Braithwaite wants Middlesbrough to show more consistency in a ‘crazy’ Championship.
Boro travel to highflying Bristol City tonight in the division’s evening clash (5.30pm) on the back of a poor 3-0 defeat against Derby County in their last outing.
The Teessiders remain just outside of the play-offs, five points behind fifth-placed City after losing two of their last three games. Braithwaite believes individual errors are costing the side, and wants a positive reaction at Ashton Gate. “I don’t really know how to express how much of a disappointment it was,” Braithwaite said of the Derby defeat. “It’s a crazy division but it’s about being consistent. “We have to look at why it happened – we made too many individual mistakes and it shouldn’t happen again. “But it has happened and we have to look forward and put things right on Saturday.”
Boro will be backed by a good away following again, and Braithwaite has praised the support from the club’s fans.
“The fans we have, I don’t think they’ll ever turn their back on us,” he added.
“They are always there as the 12th man. We always feel, home and away, that they are lifting us.
“We keep going together with the fans and looking forward, keeping that belief in what we want to achieve this season.”
Meanwhile, boss Garry Monk is weighing up whether to include striker Rudy Gestede in his plans for the game against the Robins.
Gestede played for the Under-23s in midweek after a lengthy injury absence.
“It’s especially good to have Rudy back because of the way he was playing before he got injured,” said Monk. “He was playing very well and contributing really well to the team. He got a really unfortunate injury, and it’s been a long period for him getting back, but he’s come back determined.
“We’ve been assessing him every day and having a good look at him, then we’ll make the decision of what squad we go with.”