Steve Agnew says Boro deserve to be handed the FA Cup straight after the game if they manage to pull off another mighty shock at Arsenal this weekend.
But the assistant manager says buzzing Boro will head to the Emirates with confidence and belief and are capable of springing another surprise.
Agnew has fond memories of the FA Cup having made it all the way to the final with Hull City last season before the Tigers surrendered a two-goal lead to Arsenal.
Boro’s second in command comes up against the Gunners again on Sunday and although he admits he was a little disappointed with the fifth round draw, he says the trip to the Emirates is another experience for the players to cherish.
“The players are all focused on the job this season - a return to the Premier League is the most important thing on all our minds,” said Agnew.
“But a cup game is a chance to take a break from the league.
“With the likes of Ramsay, Alexis Sanchez, Olivier Giroud, Theo Walcott and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, Arsenal have got class all over the pitch.
“To see Boro drawn against them was a little disappointing, as we might have preferred a home draw against a lower league team.
“But let’s enjoy it and go there with some confidence and belief, especially after what we did at Manchester City.
“You need a bit of luck when you go somewhere like the Emirates but with the players we’ve got we’re capable of winning.”
Boro will be backed by more than 5,000 fans in north London on Sunday after the allocation of away tickets sold out in less than 48 hours.
It’s nothing new this season with travelling Teessiders backing the team in force up and down the country, something Agnew was aware of even before he replaced Craig Hignett as Aitor Karanka’s number two.
“Boro supporters seem to have really got the feeling for going away and supporting the team,” said Agnew in his blog on the Ramsdens website.
“When I was at Hull City earlier this season, we had a Monday night game against West Ham. We finished training on Saturday morning so in the afternoon I took the opportunity to go to Boro’s game at Huddersfield Town.
“I was in the directors’ box at 2.55pm and I saw every seat in the away end full with nearly 4,000 travelling Boro fans. I thought ‘wow, this smacks of a really good feel about the way the club’s going’.
“I could tell, even back then, that the fans believed that this season could be the one.”
“Shortly after I rejoined the club we took 7,000 fans to Blackburn and we also had big support for the FA Cup third round game at Barnsley a few weeks later.“
At City the fans were fantastic again and once we scored the first goal they almost sucked the ball in for the second to finish the game off.”
Meanwhile, January addition Adam Forshaw made his first start for Boro at Blackpool on Tuesday night, putting in an impressive display in the middle of the park, and Agnew believes the midfielder will play a big part in Boro’s promotion run-in.
“Adam always took the eye when I saw him play for Brentford,” admitted Agnew.
“I’ve seen him play twice more this season and he’s a terrific technical footballer, much like the other players we’ve got in that central area, such as Adam Clayton, Grant Leadbitter and Dean Whitehead.
“Hopefully Adam can help push us on towards promotion, which is what we’re all focused on.”
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