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Middlesbrough host Manchester City on Saturday at The Riverside Stadium as the 3rd Round Proper of the FA Cup gets underway with the Championship and Premier League teams now entering the fray.Both Middlesbrough and Manchester City have undergone recent changes in management.
Middlesbrough gave Gareth Southgate his walking papers in October and replaced him a week later with former Celtic boss Gordon Strachan. Mired mid-table in the Championship, Middlesbrough's desire to shake the squad up may have been understandable.
Less so Manchester City's dismissal of Mark Hughes, whose management of his club's fortunes had planted them inside the top eight in the Premier League. However, an abundance of draws were more than the owners could apparently stomach, and despite a 4-3 victory over Sunderland, Hughes was sacked amid rumors of premeditated and unseemly succession planning with incoming manager Roberto Mancini behind Hughes back.
Middlesbrough’s strikers take their balls and go home
Several key players, on-loan from elsewhere, have recently returned to their clubs of origin,…among them strikers Marcus Bent and Dave Kitson who have returned to Birmingham and Stoke respectively within the past week, while Jeremie Aladiere is suffering with an ankle injury and Isaiah Osbourne, on loan from Aston Villa through February, is injured and ineligible for the City match in any case due to the conditions of his loan.
Gordon Strachan's attacking options are few
Striker Leroy Lita, who was sent off against Scunthorpe on Boxing Day, is suspended.
This leaves Strachan with a teenage strike force of 16 year-old Luke Williams and 19 year-old Jonathan Franks.
Marvin Emnes is also available. But Strachan sees Emnes as more winger than striker, and the young Dutchman’s goalscoring record of one goal in 13 appearances would tend to confirm Strachan’s assessment.
Said Strachan, “We do not have a single striker at the club. Jeremie Aladiere is a footballer, Luke Williams is a footballer, Marvin Emness is a winger, Jonathan Franks isn’t a striker. Not one of them is a striker, as their goal scoring records tell you.”
City’s defense weak
Manchester City's defensive issues may provide a poetic balance to Middlesbrough’s lack of offense.
Joleon Lescott, Nedum Onuoha and Wayne Bridge are all injured, and Kolo Toure is on International duty for Ivory Coast at the African Cup of Nations.
Mancini’s attacking options are limited too. Like Toure, Adebayor is also away in Africa, representing Togo. Shawn Wright-Phillips is doubtful due to an ankle injury, as is Roque Santa Cruz due to a calf strain. Meanwhile midfielder Stephen Ireland, whose control and ball distribution have been impressive in his recent outings, suffered a hamstring injury in the 0-3 win against Wolves on Monday.
Mancini still has Carlos Tevez and Craig Bellamy available. Both men have been in sparkling form. Robinho is available too, but he failed to impress against Stoke City, Mancini’s first game in charge. The manager will undoubtedly try to coax the petulant Brazilian into a better frame of mind over the coming days.
Post-Hughes mutiny exaggerated?
All the speculation about dressing room unrest following the surprising dismissal of Mark Hughes just over a week ago has either been smoothed over, or may never have been an issue.
Supposed mutineer Craig Bellamy happy with Mancini
Craig Bellamy's name was most prominently featured in the reports of potential mutineers but the Welshman now claims that he wants to stay a part of City's success this season.
“Nothing surprises you in this game,” said Bellamy. “That is what makes it so great. I have a great affection for Mark Hughes but you have to carry on. I want to be part of City for as long as I can.”
Two Clubs Leagues Apart
Cup ties are always unpredictable but there’s no mystery about the form of these two clubs.
Middlesbrough sit in 11th place in the Championship League table, and they have only two wins in ten matches since Strachan took over the club in the last week of October; more importantly they’ve suffered six losses in that period. With few striking options available to him Strachan is likely to play Aladiere if the Frenchman’s ankle strain is anything less severe than actually broken come Saturday.
Sitting fifth in the Premier League table and with visions of a top four finish at the end of the season, Manchester City’s fortunes have taken a decidedly positive tone in the past two weeks. Under new manager Roberto Mancini they have two wins in two games and they’ve scored five goals and kept two clean sheets. In their last six matches they’ve won four, and had one draw and a loss.
With a new manager and three consecutive wins, Manchester City appears to be developing an atmosphere of optimism that contrasts starkly with Middlesbrough’s current outlook.
