Source: Northern_Echo
Arca still confident Boro can lift title
JULIO ARCA has insisted that Middlesbrough can still win the Championship title this season despite their crushing defeat to West Brom on Saturday.
The Argentinian revealed that following their 5-0 humiliation the Boro players returned to the Riverside dressing room in stunned silence after enduring their biggest defeat since Chelsea inflicted a similar scoreline last October.
The defeat to the Blues last season damaged Boro’s early season confidence and Arca admitted they must secure a result at Coventry City this weekend to reassert their position as title challengers.
“We have lost to West Brom and they are top at the moment but I still think we can win this league,” said Arca.
“The mood in the dressing room afterwards was very low, there was not much talking among the players which is always a bad sign. We seemed a bit stunned to be honest.
“But there are 38 games to go and this is not the end of the world. It hurts to be beaten in our home stadium in front of our fans and I feel bad for them but everyone has a bad day from time to time.
“West Brom and Newcastle will have their bad days as well. We must not get depressed about one result. West Brom are only four points ahead but we must make sure that a gap doesn’t develop and a win at Coventry will put us on track. Now is the start of a new season.”
Against the Baggies, Arca picked up his fourth yellow card of the season and was withdrawn by Gareth Southgate who feared the midfielder might have earned himself a red card.
Arca acknowledged he must avoid the referee’s attention at the Ricoh Arena or risk suspension.
“I was upset to be substituted because I want to play.
But I have to keep out of trouble and avoid a ban. There is a lot of competition in the team and if you lose your place you could struggle to win it back,”
said Arca, who was speaking after he presented prizes at a photography competition held as part of Middlesbrough’s ‘Clean Becks’ campaign run by the Environment Agency.
“I meet up with Jonas (Gutierrez) and Fabricio (Coloccini) every once in a while. We go out together and we wind each other up about who will be promoted. But they have told me that they are finding it hard to adapt this season because it is so physical and you don’t get time on the ball.
“Newcastle have also had a good start but the boys tell me that they are worried about the size of their squad. I believe that it is going to be a good contest with them all season.”
Boro chairman Steve Gibson, meanwhile, has reaffirmed both his commitment to remain at the helm and his support for Southgate.
“We set private targets and we think one of the reasons we stuck with Gareth is because we believe in him, we believe he has the ability to get us back up,” said Gibson.
“Being in the Premier League isn’t a right, it has to be earned. It’s got to be earned by me as a chairman, by the manager, by the players, by the fans, by the town; it needs us all to be pulling together.
What we can’t afford is any splits in that relationship.”
