Town Could Claim Christmas Top Spot Friday, 19th Dec 2014 15:33 Town go into Saturday’s home game against Middlesbrough with an outside chance of being top of the Championship on Christmas Day for the first time in a decade. The fourth-placed Blues are only a point behind Boro, who are second behind leaders Bournemouth on goal difference. In order to hit top spot the Blues would need to beat the Teessiders and hope that bottom club Blackpool take at least a point off the Cherries at Bloomfield Road and that Norwich City gain a draw or better away against third-placed Derby. Town last headed the division on Christmas Day back in 2004 when Joe Royle’s side led one-time Blues boss Paul Jewell’s Wigan by two points, while current manager Mick McCarthy’s Sunderland were a point behind the Latics in third. McCarthy says he’s been impressed with both Boro - who could also go top if they beat the Blues - and their manager Aitor Karanka this season: “They’re flying, they’ve got a good side. I think they’re a very efficient team in this league. ”I was reading some of Aitor Karanka’s comments about playing against different styles and I think he’s adapted from first coming here. “I think they’ve changed the way they play and adapted to the league and I think that’s to his credit. “He’s not come in and thought ‘I have a certain way of playing and I’ll do it’ and I think he’s far more pragmatic and he’s actually more like us than some of the other teams.” He says Karanka has now had a chance to add his own players to his squad, having taken over from ex-Town skipper and coach Tony Mowbray 13 months ago. “He’s got his team together that’s now playing so well, it does take a while,” McCarthy added. “Two years ago we were bottom of the league with seven points. Two years on we were a point off the top and we’re now fourth. It takes time to build a team. He’s done that. “They’ve spent a few quid as well on the way, let’s make no mistake about that, and they’ve got [Chelsea’s] Patrick Bamford on loan, who is one of the better players in the league, and who had a great time at Derby last year. “There’s no doubt in my mind that he has adapted to it, he has become more pragmatic and reading his quotes today he’s admitted as such. “I’ve found that quite interesting and I have to say I admire him for that; that he’s not just sat down and thought ‘This is how I play, this is how we do it, this how we do it in my country’. You always have to change, tinker, find the best way of playing. “And he seems to have done it and they’re at the top of the league with us at the minute.” While the Teessiders’ success has been built on having a solid defence, McCarthy says they’re also a threat in front of goal. “They’re strong up front as well,” he continued. “They’ve been scoring goals and if you get yourself in front it’s easier to keep that lead. “They work hard. We watched them last week against Derby and they had a really good shape, 4-4-2, and were hard to break down. “They got off to a great start, but they’re just putting a shift in. They’re at it, they’ve got them at it and they look a really efficient Championship team.” McCarthy is likely to look to match that 4-4-2 and could well stick with the same XI which drew 0-0 at Bolton last week. Bartosz Bialkowski will continue in goal wuith skipper Luke Chambers at right-back and Tommy Smith and Christophe Berra at the centre of the defence. Tyrone Mings is considered a doubt with an infected toe and if he misses out Jonny Parr will come in at left-back. In midfield, the Town boss may again opt to go with the four who started at the Macron Stadium with Stephen Hunt more likely to be on the bench having just returned to training after his virus. Jay Tabb is likely to be on the left, Paul Anderson on the right with Cole Skuse and Teddy Bishop in the centre. Daryl Murphy and David McGoldrick will continue up front. Luke Hyam is still sidelined with his achilles problem, while Noel Hunt may miss out on a place amongst the subs having taken a kick in training. Boro boss Karanka is expecting a difficult match against the Blues: “Ipswich is going to be another interesting, very tough game against a very typical Championship team. “They have a lot of quality and are strong and powerful so it’s a good test for us but when we play them we have to think about our own game. “Mick McCarthy is a successful coach here in England and everyone speaks well of him because he’s a very good manager. “Last week it was Derby, who for me are for me the best team in the league with Steve McClaren. “He is the most successful manager ever at this club and we beat them, so we have to keep going in the same way.” The Spaniard is delighted with his side’s current position and says they have to continue doing what’s got them into the top two. “It’s good for us to be at the top of the division, when you look at where we are you can be proud,” he added. “It’s not a coincidence because we’ve been working hard to be in this position but now we have to keep working hard in the same way and move on to our next game.” Boro club captain and former England international centre-half Jonathan Woodgate is back in training after a hamstring injury and could be in the squad. Long-term absentee Rhys Williams made his comeback after 11 months out with an achilles injury in the U21s earlier in the week but isn’t yet ready for first-team action. Striker Mustapha Carayol and defender Damia Abella are both out with cruciate injuries, while right-back Ryan Fredericks has a thigh problem. Striker Lee Tomlin is over a minor niggle which saw him miss the 2-0 victory over Derby last week. Former Blues skipper Grant Leadbitter joined the Teessiders on a Bosman transfer in the summer of 2012 after leaving Portman Road. The midfielder, who has scored 10 goals already this season, six from the penalty spot, recently signed a new three-and-a-half-year contract at the Riverside. Recent Town signing Sean St Ledger spent time on loan at Boro from Preston late in 2009, making 14 starts and one sub appearance, scoring twice. Town academy coach Kieron Dyer was with Middlesbrough during the second half of 2012/13. The Blues have had the better of Middlesbrough over the years, winning 29 games (27 in the league), drawing 14 (14) and losing 18 (17). While Town have lost just one in 17, Boro have lost one in their last 16 and both sides are unbeaten in their last eight. The teams last met on Teesside in March when Danny Graham’s two first-half goals saw Boro to a comfortable 2-0 victory. The on-loan Sunderland man followed up after Dean Gerken had saved Carayol’s shot in the 29th minute, then headed home a Leadbitter corner moments before half-time. In September at Portman Road, two goals from McGoldrick sandwiched a Chambers header as Town came from behind to beat Middlesbrough 3-1. Albert Adomah put the visitors in front in the 11th minute but McGoldrick lashed in a brilliant equaliser before the break, then in the second half Chambers nodded Town in front before the Blues number 10 sealed the victory in injury time. Saturday’s referee is James Linington from Newport, Isle of Wight, who has shown 52 yellow cards and six red in 20 games so far this season. Linington’s most recent Town match was the 2-2 draw at Nottingham Forest in October in which he booked only Henri Lansbury. Squad from: Bialkowski, Gerken, Chambers (c), Mings, Parr, Smith, Berra, St Ledger, Clarke, Skuse, Bishop, Bru, Anderson, Tabb, Ambrose, S Hunt, Henshall, Stewart, N Hunt, McGoldrick, Murphy, Sammon, Bajner.
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