Source: Northern_Echo
Mowbray optimistic despite smaller squad
HE may have had to plot his way through a summer of readjustment at the Riverside Stadium, but Tony Mowbray will not be wishing he was somewhere else when Middlesbrough begin a third season in the Championship this afternoon.[LNB] When Portsmouth arrive on Teesside for today's opener there will be a familiar feel about Mowbray's squad. Malaury Martin is the only permanent summer signing likely to be involved in the match-day squad.[LNB] Frenchman Martin arrived as a free agent following his release from Blackpool, while the last few months have been more about moving players on than bringing new faces in.[LNB] Andrew Taylor, Kris Boyd, Willo Flood, Didier Digard and Leroy Lita have all left, while Julio Arca cleared his locker after failing to agree terms over the severity of the drop in wages he was asked to take.[LNB] Even if Middlesbrough return with a proposal that Arca, who effectively walked away from the club on Thursday, finds impossible to resist and re-signs, Mowbray is the first to admit he has not been as fortunate as many of his rivals this summer.[LNB] Sven-Goran Eriksson has been given a huge budget to turn Leicester City into automatic promotion contenders, while Steve McClaren and Sam Allardyce have been handed the cash to splash to lead Nottingham Forest and West Ham back to the top-flight.[LNB] But there has also been enormous ambition shown by the likes of Cardiff City, Ipswich Town and newcomers Brighton - to name just six realistic contenders for a top-two spot.[LNB] Mowbray has never made any secret of the fact he has had to work to tighter guidelines from above, but he is optimistic he still has a small squad capable of challenging for a high finish.[LNB] "Every manager in this league is envious of Sven and what he has been able to do there," said Mowbray. "Every manager would express the same feelings as me about Leicester because good players win you games.[LNB] "You can get the right tactics, the right adrenaline levels in to your players, but over 46 games, and cup games, the better players you have, the more chance you have of promotion.[LNB] "Leicester have added nine players and spent a lot of money on them. Let's wait and see. They have to gel together of course, not create a dressing room of factions. The players who are on the periphery could become a problem for them, but they are a strong team looking in from outside."[LNB] Middlesbrough remain among the contenders for promotion in the bookmakers' eyes, but having started last season as the favourites to win the Championship title there is no way Mowbray will be taking any notice of the odds.[LNB] "They get it wrong. They got it wrong last season with this club," said Mowbray. "I'm sure West Ham's expectation is promotion if the rumours of the salaries coming out of that club are to be believed. Birmingham could be ... the interesting ones are Brighton, Southampton because they have a momentum of winning matches from last season and they both have expectations.[LNB] "The two ex-England managers are not just at Forest and Leicester to tick along. They are there to get back to the PL as quickly as they can."[LNB] Yet Mowbray, who starts the season without injured duo Kevin Thomson and Jason Steele, is not writing off Middlesbrough's own chances. Instead, knowing he is on the look out for a couple of additions, he thinks he has a tight group of players capable of delivering.[LNB] He said: "I'd like to think that over the last few months our fans' expectations have been watered down slightly. We finished last season well but we have lost 13 players from last season because we have had to readjust our finances.[LNB] "Expectations should be that we might suffer if we have one or two injuries. We lost at Carlisle and Darlington in pre-season with diluted squads. If we have injuries, that is what could happen.[LNB] "As long as we don't collect a list of injuries I think we will be competitive. The lesser budgeted salary teams start on zero points with everyone.[LNB] "We hope to have a good season as well. Promotion is not a word we have to talk about, we just have to be competitive and see where it takes us."[LNB] Mowbray did not consider Portsmouth to be in the mix, but in Steve Cotterill - the former Cheltenham boss who was once assistant boss at Sunderland - there have been small steps of progress at Fratton Park.[LNB] Portsmouth might not be able to fill the bench today, even though the number of allowed substitutes has been cut from seven to five.[LNB] And Mowbray said: "Any game in the Championship will be a tough game. It will be ultra competitive. The opening day of the season, whether it is bookies favourites for relegation or promotion, is a tough game.[LNB] "There will be a lot of strange results because of the intensity in players' minds. It is what it is and we will be up and running over the first hurdle in a Grand National field."[LNB]
