Venus hails Burley influence

Mark Venus will go head-to-head with one of the best managers he played under as Middlesbrough attempt to turn their season around this weekend.Boro's new assistant manager will be in the home dug-out when Crystal Palace come calling on Saturday with former Ipswich boss George Burley at the helm.Venus told the club's official website: "He likes to play football on the ground, he's level-headed and he doesn't get too up or too down."I thoroughly enjoyed working with him. He deserves to be a manager in the top flight in English football, his record says that."He was probably the best manager I have played under when I was at Ipswich. We got promoted through the play-offs and then he took us to fifth in the league."He's taken on a very difficult job but I'm very sure over a period of time they will improve. But it's another game at home and another game where we want to pick the points up."