Source: Eurosport
Taylor urges Boro to keep on playing
Middlesbrough defender Andrew Taylor does not want his side to abandon their footballing principles in their bid to stay in the Premier League.Boro face a crucial six-pointer against Hull at the Riverside Stadium on Saturday and Taylor is prepared to scrap for three points. However, he hopes his side can hang on to their top-flight place by playing football.He said: "Everybody was sick to lose at Bolton last week, but after the game we were saying that you don't have to be the best footballing team in the Premier League to stay in it."Of the bottom seven or eight teams, I would say that ourselves and West Brom are the best two footballing teams. But we are second-bottom and bottom."Teams like Bolton and Stoke, and maybe Hull as well, are very direct and they have been effective. Our mentality is to go out and try to play good football. That's how I personally want to play."Sometimes we are better at it, and we need to make sure Saturday is one of those times. Maybe sometimes we have to stand up a bit more for each other and be strong but we are not one of those teams that goes out to outmuscle the opposition."If we can put our game together all over the pitch then we can make it difficult for Hull because teams don't like playing against us when we are playing well."Boro, who are currently five points off safety, cannot even afford to draw the game against one of their main relegation rivals.Gareth Southgate, never one to exaggerate, this week called the clash a must-win game, and Taylor agrees.He said: "We have to win it. We know that we can't settle for anything less. It's a massive game. If we win then it will give everybody a lift and put us right back into it."It would be great to think that we can do it by playing good football, but if that doesn't happen then everybody will settle for a scruffy goal as long as it gives us the three points."Boro's players gave up their day off on Wednesday in order to spend the full week planning and preparing for the showdown.Taylor said: "We have been working on things as a defensive group that we think can help us tomorrow. It was important to prepare properly so that we are in the best position to beat Hull."Boro have not lost at home since Boxing Day, when Everton won 1-0 at the Riverside.Since then Boro have won one and drawn four of their five Premier League games and also recorded a memorable FA Cup replay win against West Ham.Taylor believes the home run must continue if the team is to stay up, saying: "We wanted to make the Riverside a fortress and we've definitely made it a lot harder for sides coming here."Our away form hasn't been as good and maybe we have needed to get the mix better. If we can make our home ground just as difficult for Hull when they come here and the other teams before the end of the season, then we will give ourselves a chance."Taylor is expected to return to Boro's starting line-up at left-back because skipper Emanuel Pogatetz has been ruled out for three weeks with a knee injury.Boro will miss suspended midfielder Gary O'Neil, who was their best player at Bolton last week, but could have lively winger Adam Johnson back following an ankle knock.[LNB]
