Source: Daily_Mail
Middlesbrough in £1m play-off gamble over Gary O'Neil
Middlesbrough will risk their Premier League promotion hopes by refusing to play key midfielder Gary O'Neil over a payment dispute with cash-strapped Portsmouth.[LNB]Gamble: Boro will not risk playing midfielder O'Neil[LNB]The relegated Premier League club are in line to receive a £1million windfall should former star O'Neil make his 100th appearance for Boro, with his next game triggering an expensive clause from his £5m move from Fratton Park in 2007.[LNB]Funds are vital to ensuring the south coast club's future and the club's administrators have reportedly refused to accept Boro's reduced offering of £500,000.[LNB]Just four points adrift of the Championship play-off zone with three games left, Boro face a must-win visit to promotion hopefuls West Brom this weekend - without O'Neil, despite saying last week they would honour all payments for the player.[LNB]Boss Gordon Strachan condedes it would be a major loss for his side but is confident a deal can be struck to play the £4m Stoke City target at The Hawthorns as Pompey hold firm on the initial agreement between the two clubs.[LNB] 'It's frustrating because Gary's one of the best players in this league and he's desperate to play,' said Strachan.[LNB]'We're still talking to Portsmouth and hope to play him at West Brom on Saturday. We've won a couple of games without him, but we're better when he's in the team.'[LNB] Middlesbrough promise to cough up £1m to Portsmouth for Gary O'NeilWigan 0 Portsmouth 0: Lowly Latics fail to see off Grant's patched-up PompeyPORTSMOUTH FC
