In-form stopper Dimi Konstantopoulos believes a capacity Riverside crowd will hand Boro the edge during Boxing Day’s festive showdown with Nottingham Forest.
The Teessiders suffered a rare blip on Saturday but a chance for redemption comes in the shape of Stuart Pearce’s under-achieving Forest on Friday.
Boro could launch themselves back into the top two with victory, and with the biggest home crowd of the season set to come through the turnstiles, Dimi can’t wait for the game to get underway.
“It will be fantastic,” Dimi told the club’s website.
“It’s every footballer’s wish to play in front of a full stadium, especially when it’s at home, and that buzz you get from your home fans cheering gives you the extra edge to go and win the game.
“It’s been a good year for me personally. I’ve done it a couple of times having to regain the (starting) spot but it’s never bothered me.
“I never doubted my ability and I always go in to play games.
“That’s what you have to do as a footballer. If you stop wanting to improve and stop wanting to play games then you should stop playing football.
“Overall it’s been a good year for me. I’ve played a lot of games for a very big club, for a great club and I’ll give 100 per cent to continue that.”
Action Images 
The Greek stopper is almost certain to retain his starting place, but elsewhere Aitor Karanka has plenty of options and will consider if he wants to freshen the team up following the Portman Road defeat.
Ben Gibson could return in defence after Kenneth Omeruo’s disappointing display, while the biggest dilemma the Spaniard faces is up front.
Patrick Bamford could once again be deployed on the right flank, a position he excelled in against Watford, with Lee Tomlin and Kike Garcia both itching for a return to the starting eleven.
Reports suggest the game is nearing a sell-out, with more than 30,000 tickets already sold for the fixture.
No comments:
Post a Comment