[themaclad]

Middlesbrough
Deepdale 25/1/2025 15.00hrs

https://www.mfc.co.uk/

MANAGER



LAST TIME OUT





FORM GUIDE

PNE 11 BORO 10

Boro have been better away from home although lost at Pompey last time on the road

HOT SHOTS



The Fitness Test

Brad Potts has returned to full training and will be in contention to make a return from injury this weekend.

Midfielder Ben Whiteman will also be back available after serving his two-match suspension in the games against Luton Town and Watford.

There's a clean bill of health otherwise, with manager Paul Heckingbottom having a wealth of options at his disposal.

Boro



In their third term under Michael Carrick, Middlesbrough are enjoying a positive campaign so far, currently sitting fifth in the Championship table.

Boasting the second-best attack in the league, Boro have enjoyed some big victories this season, including a remarkable three-game run which saw them win 4-1, 5-1 and 6-2 in November.

Carrick’s side have also proven difficult to beat, having lost just twice in their previous 11 Championship outings, with both of those coming away from home.

The Officials

Referee: John Busby
Assistant Referees: Graham Kane and Darren Williams
Fourth Official: Sunny Singh Gill

John Busby will take charge of his third PNE match of the season on Saturday.

The previous occasions were the away defeat to Portsmouth and the home draw against Leeds United.

So far this term, Busby has shown 63 yellow cards and two reds in the 19 matches he’s officiated.


HECKY

Paul Heckingbottom feels his squad is the strongest it’s been since he arrived, in terms of the numbers and quality he’s now able to choose from.

With Brad Potts back in training and making his way towards fitness, there’s an empty treatment room at Euxton at the moment.

That means the manager has the luxury of picking from a large pool of players who he feels are really competing for their place at this moment in time, not just in the starting XI but the matchday squad.

Speaking about Tuesday’s win over Watford, Hecky said: “It's the strongest bench we've had. In the last two games, it’s allowed us to make changes. We want that. We need that. It’s where I want to be.

“I think I said earlier in the season that we sort of had 15 or 16 players who you felt you were picking from and then bit by bit as we've got people back, as people have come into form, as people have shown what they can do in the team [that number has got bigger].

“The bench was really, really strong. That's what we're going to need between now and the end of the season.”

It’ll therefore be interesting to see what the gaffer chooses to do this weekend when Middlesbrough are the visitors to Deepdale.

The two sides played out a 1-1 draw at the Riverside earlier in the season, which was one of the few occasions where Hecky was really pleased to be leaving with a point given how the hosts played that day.



After taking four points on the road in the last few days, Hecky’s side will be looking to cap off the week with another three points against Boro, who occupy a Play-Off spot.

Hecky said: “That's the aim, but it’s a totally different opponent and problem in front of us.

“I think I've said before how good I think Boro are in terms of when they get forward. When they get it right, they’re probably one of the teams who create the most chances through the specific way that they play.

“I'm expecting it to be a really good, entertaining, hard, hard game. We've got to get a lot of things right with and without the ball.

“It's a game I'm looking forward to, the players are, and I'm sure the fans are as well.”

With a red card on Tuesday night meaning Paul Heckingbottom was unable to speak post-match in Watford, the manager shared that he was delighted with what he considered to be a “really good team performance”.


Jayden Meghoma was one of three changes made for that victory, coming in for his North End debut following his arrival on loan from Brentford.

Hecky said: “His minutes on the pitch the other day are exactly what I hoped it would be because as much as you do your homework on the player, you know in your mind what type of personality you want as well as a footballer and we were really pleased to get him. Then he's come in the door and it’s like, yeah, that's what we hoped we were signing.

“I said to him before he came, we'll guarantee minutes and then however many minutes he gets is down to him and how he performs. That's the type of challenge he wanted.

“He’s an 18-year-old with a big, big future ahead of him but just like everyone else, we're not putting pressure on him. He's here to just enjoy himself and help contribute to some wins hopefully and then we'll send him back to Brentford in a better place.”

Carrick



MACS VIEW

After two long back to back journeys just a casual 40 mile round trip tomorrow, the Boro a side who have over the time I've been watching us tend to have won more than they have lost, tough team to play and again are up theer in the top reachhes of the league. We got a point up there one of our better away performances.
Whiteman and Potts both available, suspect he will make changes and have somme one do a man to man on Azaz as we did in the first match, only 8 points from the play off zone, reachable, maybe!