Middlesbrough boss Rob Edwards says his side will be prepared for one “different” atmosphere when his side face Sheffield Wednesday.
Middlesbrough are second in the Championship and have lost just one game away from home this season. Despite this, Boro boss Rob Edwards acknowledges that Wednesday night’s trip to Hillsborough presents a different challenge.
There are plans for a fan boycott of the match as Sheffield Wednesday fans continue to protest against the club’s ownership.
In the Owls’ most recent match against Coventry City, a small number of supporters took to the pitch in protest against Dejphon Chansiri.
Speak with BBC Radio T-shirtsEdwards stated that he had informed his side in the event of this possibility:
“A lot of the lads who are here or know the league might know a little bit about what’s going on at Sheffield Wednesday..
“It might have been a bit surprising to one or two of the new guys when I talked about it yesterday.
“We talked about it because we don’t want anything to come as a surprise and we can then concentrate on what is most important: football.”
With more than 3,600 Boro fans expected to make the trip to South Yorkshire, Edwards wants nothing to stand in the way of his side continuing their winning momentum. The Middlesbrough boss believes his side can handle the expected atmosphere.
“External things will happen that we have no control over, and we cannot allow this to disrupt and affect us..
“We expect a little bit of a different atmosphere. We just have to take care of ourselves and what we do. That’s all we can do and the guys know that.”
Middlesbrough are chasing back-to-back wins
Edwards’ side bounced back from their first defeat of the season against Portsmouth to beat Ipswich Town 2–1 as Morgan Whittaker scored the winner.
The three points kept Boro within touching distance of top spot in the Championship, just one point behind Coventry City. However, the Sky Blues won against Portsmouth on Tuesday and temporarily extended their lead to four points.
This match provides the perfect opportunity for Middlesbrough to continue their push for first place.
Wednesday are bottom in the league after being beaten 2-1 by Charlton Athletic in their last match.
This week the team from South Yorkshire had to win Joe Lumley with an emergency loan from Bristol City to have a senior goalkeeper in their squad for this match.
Middlesbrough’s defensive stronghold
Much of Middlesbrough’s success so far this season has been down to the team’s defence.
Edwards’ side have built from the back and have made a name for themselves by keeping the ball out of the net.
So far, Boro have kept four clean sheets, the second most in the Championship. They conceded 0.7 goals per game, also second in the league, and also averaged 17.3 tackles per game, sixth in the division.
If Boro can improve their productivity at the top end of the pitch, they will be in contention on the right side of the pitch this season.
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