Bates - Boro can survive

06 May 2009 15:03
Matthew Bates has labelled Middlesbrough's meeting with Newcastle on Monday as one of the biggest games in the club's history.[LNB] With three games remaining in their Premier League season, 19th-placed Boro are three points from safety and are fighting to save their top-flight skins.[LNB]Gareth Southgate's flailing side travel to fellow strugglers and North-East rivals Newcastle at the start of next week with points a priority for both sides.[LNB]But Bates is confident Boro can stun their Tyne-Tees derby rivals at St James' Park and boost their hopes of avoiding a fall into the Championship. [LNB]"Newcastle is probably one of the biggest games in the club's history, it's that big I think," the 22-year-old told the Evening Gazette.[LNB]Dog-eat-dog"The players know it and the manager knows it and we will go there to try and get the three points.[LNB]"The loser of the game might possibly go down. I'm not sure if mathematically it will mean that but it could mean that.[LNB]"At the minute everything is going against us and it has become difficult. But we've got to keep ourselves going and keep working hard.[LNB]"There are three games to go and we maybe need six or seven points out of them but it's obtainable and that's what we've got to look at.[LNB]"It's a dog-eat-dog war and we've got to get the three points as much as they want them.[LNB]"It's a case of who wants it more and who can produce more quality on the night."[LNB]

Source: SKY_Sports