Source: SKY_Sports
Taylor backing Boro to prevail
Andrew Taylor believes Middlesbrough are capable of launching a late bid for Premier League survival. Boro currently sit five points adrift of safety with seven games of the season remaining.Time is running out in their efforts to secure their top-flight status, with last weekend's 4-1 humbling at Bolton putting a severe dent in the Teessiders' confidence.However, Taylor is adamant that Gareth Southgate has enough quality at his disposal to beat the drop and is targeting three points from a weekend encounter with fellow strugglers Hull City."Everybody was sick to lose at Bolton last week, but after the game we were saying that you don't have to be the best footballing team in the Premier League to stay in it," said the defender."Of the bottom seven or eight teams, I would say that ourselves and West Brom are the best two footballing teams. But we are second-bottom and bottom.Mentality"Teams like Bolton and Stoke, and maybe Hull as well, are very direct and they have been effective. Our mentality is to go out and try to play good football. That's how I personally want to play."Sometimes we are better at it, and we need to make sure tomorrow (Saturday) is one of those times. Maybe sometimes we have to stand up a bit more for each other and be strong but we are not one of those teams that goes out to outmuscle the opposition."If we can put our game together all over the pitch then we can make it difficult for Hull because teams don't like playing against us when we are playing well."Taylor is also aware that Boro's form on home soil could prove to be the difference between success and failure this season."We wanted to make the Riverside a fortress and we've definitely made it a lot harder for sides coming here," he said."Our away form hasn't been as good and maybe we have needed to get the mix better. If we can make our home ground just as difficult for Hull when they come here and the other teams before the end of the season, then we will give ourselves a chance."