Middlesbrough can kick-start their season tonight
Tonight just may be the night Middlesbrough fans can start looking towards the Championship summit, rather than slumming it in the relegation zone.
Tony Mowbray has now overseen two matches as manager since taking over from Gordon Strachan and things are most definitely moving in the right direction. In both games Boro have showed different qualities to make them an attractive proposition (2.74) tonight in Mowbray’s first away game in charge against Scunthorpe United. Despite not picking up a victory against Bristol City, the Teesiders seemed to be finally gelling as an attacking unit, creating seven clear goal-scoring opportunities and should have been out of sight at half-time.
In this weekend’s game at home against Crystal Palace they were less than impressive in the final third, but managed to grind out a gutsy 2-1 win after going a goal down early in the first period. If they could combine the attacking creativity with their battling qualities tonight, they should be hard for Scunthorpe, side that haven’t won at home in five matches, to stop.
Boro should be able to welcome back Gary O’Neil into the side tonight, but Stephen McManus is ruled out with ankle ligament damage.
Iron defensive duo David Mirfin (foot) and Rob Jones (broken hand) are still absent meaning Michael Raynes and Niall Canavan will continue to deputise.
League leaders QPR will probably see tonight’s trip to Fratton Park to face Portsmouth as their toughest away game of the season to date, and rightly so. Pompey have been surprisingly effective under Steve Cotterill this season, especially at home where they have won the last four and scored 14 goals. However, QPR are the only team in the Football League that remain unbeaten, and the style in which they bounced back to form against Reading at the weekend to end the run of four consecutive draws suggests they aren’t feeling the pressure. It’s easy to see both sides tonight being hugely satisfied with a point, and that’s probably the wise option at 3.75.
Portsmouth have been dealt a blow with the news that David Nugent will miss the game with a knee injury, whilst Bradley Orr will be replaced by Clint Hill following his red-card against Reading on Saturday.
Recommendations –
Back Middlesbrough to beat Scunthorpe at 2.74
Back QPR to draw with Portsmouth at 3.75