Boro supporters must be ecstatic with the way the season is going.
They are flying high in the Championship, have already been to Liverpool and Manchester City in the cups, and next up is Arsenal.
I don’t think it gets any better than that.
Today, Boro come up against a massive club fighting at the top of the Premier League and I’m sure our terrific away support will be out en masse again.
The Emirates Stadium is a magnificent ground and the FA Cup clash should be an amazing spectacle.
I think, especially after the win over Man City, people are more aware of Boro this time around.
That’s what happens when you beat the Premier League champions, as well as go top of the Championship after the Blackpool win.
I’ve clicked on the radio and hear national stations talking about Boro, and it’s clear the team are no longer under the radar.
There’s no pressure on Boro today.
If both teams play well then Arsenal will win, because they have the better players, but I’m sure they’ll go there and fancy their chances of another upset.
Whenever you play against a top team then you need a little bit of luck.
Boro got that in the last round with Tomas Mejias making a number of good saves in the first half, and tomorrow won’t be easy.
But with 5,500 Boro fans roaring the team on, it should be a great occasion.
It’s another chance for Aitor Karanka and the players to pit their wits against the best in the Premier League - it’s the kind of game I’d love to be playing in.
I know Boro had to play on Blackpool’s pitch on Tuesday and picked up a couple of knocks. I used to go to Bloomfield Road with Boro and the pitch was always bad, but it depended what month the game fell on.
But Boro came away with the win which was the most important thing, and the club is still sailing on air. They’re enjoying a great league run and enjoying their football.
I was delighted to see Jonathan Woodgate start and score for Boro at Blackpool. He has had a difficult year with injuries and I read that he came close to retiring.
Karanka talked him out of that, and I’m sure those thoughts stemmed from his frustration at not being able to get fit.
I was glad he took his chance at Blackpool and came up with a very important goal. Woody is great to have around, he’s a terrific guy and I’m sure he’s delighted to be playing again.
I was always told by the senior pros I played alongside that you should try to keep playing on for as long as possible.
I suppose I was different to Woody in the sense that I didn’t have the injury impact that he’s had to battle against, but at the end of the day, it’s a great profession to be involved in.
I know he’s also doing his coaching badges so it wouldn’t surprise me if he took a look at the end of the season and made a decision then.
I’m sure Boro would have a role for Woody, should that happen.
He is probably the most high profile defender Boro have ever had. He loves the club and the local area, he offers so much, so what football club wouldn’t want to make a role for someone like Jonathan Woodgate?
Whether he is involved at Arsenal on Sunday is a different matter. It would be great if he did get the nod.
I’m a massive fan of Arsenal and the way they play, and how Arsene Wenger still gets so much criticism is beyond me. I guess that’s the nature of the game.
I love Wenger’s philosophy and I take my hat off to him.
He came under a bit of pressure on Tuesday even though they beat Leicester, but I don’t think that concerns Wenger anymore.
He’s been there a long time and has seen it all. You only see his feathers ruffled on the touchline a couple of times and he’s had some altercations with other managers, but overall he’s pretty calm.
I remember watching the great Arsenal teams back in the day with Charlie George, George Graham and Pat Rice. Those massive names just run off the tongue.
As a player I was always fond of playing at Highbury - it was the only stadium that had underfloor heating. It was underneath a marble floor and I always remember it - it was a bit of a novelty.
There’ll be more than 60,000 people at the Emirates tomorrow and it will be full of colour. One of my boys is going down and he’s really excited, so let’s hope Boro can pull off the impossible again.
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