Mowbray not afraid of pragmatic Sunderland (From The Northern Echo)

Mowbray not afraid of pragmatic Sunderland

8:00am Wednesday 8th February 2012 in Sport By Paul Fraser, Chief Football Writer

TONY MOWBRAY has warmed up for tonight's Tees-Wear derby by telling Middlesbrough's players they have nothing to fear when the Premier League's form team arrives at the Riverside Stadium.

Sunderland have been transformed from relegation fodder to outside contenders for a European spot since Martin O'Neill took over at the beginning of December.

But after carefully examining a number of the Black Cats' performances under O'Neill, Mowbray is satisfied their outstanding record can be blighted when they head down the A19 to Teesside tonight.

Mowbray, a great believer in a free-flowing passing style of football which he has long term aims of delivering to Boro, thinks Sunderland are extremely effective without being overly exciting.

And, having came within half an hour of a place in the FA Cup fifth round at the expense of their top-flight neighbours ten days ago, the Middlesbrough boss will be reiterating his beliefs to his depleted squad for the replay tonight.

"I think our squad can cope with this, a big game," said Mowbray, who fears striker Scott McDonald could miss the rest of the season with medial knee ligament damage.

"The message is this: I have total respect for Sunderland and the way that they play under Martin O'Neill but they are not Arsenal or Barcelona. They are pragmatic and they get the job done.

"They are a hard working, efficient football team. My message to my team last week was 'you can compete against them'. There is no Cesc Fabregas, who can weave some magic. Stephane Sessegnon can do bits and pieces of course, but there is no Cristiano Ronaldo or Lionel Messsi.

"They are a very honest, hard working efficient football team and if you don't concentrate they will get in your box, smash it in your net, then run back to the halfway line, ready to go again. The message was to stand up against them and compete and on the back of that we played well and created some good chances."

Mowbray is a huge admirer of the way Barcelona way and he went on to suggest that Sunderland are "not an Arsenal who can string 50 passes together."

He is also aware of the local rivalry surrounding the fixture. The passion in the stands could be hugely influential given that there will be 4,200 Sunderland fans in a Riverside that could boast an attendance of more than 28,000 for the first time this season.

But Mowbray is also familiar with the managerial nous O'Neill possesses to deliver results; highlighted by the way Sunderland now sit eighth in the Premier League after winning seven of his first ten league matches in charge.

"Martin O'Neill is just a good man. He is a proper football man and what his ingredient is, I don't know but he obviously has something," said Mowbray. "I listen to him on the radio and TV and I don't think anyone really knows what his ingredient is, but it could be his one-on-ones with players.

"He doesn't see them for part of the week then turns up, a la (Brian) Clough. Does that have an impact? I don't know. I wouldn't try to copy it but it works for him. If he is getting results it works. He had three top six finishes in three seasons at Aston Villa which is a great record."

During Mowbray's time in charge at West Brom and Celtic, he did look in to the possibility of signing Stephane Sessegnon when he was with Le Mans and then Paris St Germain.

He quickly realised he did not have the necessary funds to pull off a deal, so he is acutely aware Sunderland have a real gem on their hands in the Benin international.

"We know how Sessegnon plays and where he plays and we have got to say, he isn't going to get a kick. That is called the tactics of football," said Mowbray. "At West Brom we put together a scouting system which covered the world and Sessegnon was a player a lot of clubs were aware of.

"Before he went to Paris, whilst I could ask questions about him, I could not afford him. The £10m players were beyond us as the most I could spend was £2m. There were lots of players in France like that, players who you could ask about but were just too expensive."

If Mowbray is to bring an end to O'Neill's good run then Middlesbrough are going to have do it with further changes tonight.

Faris Haroun and Marvin Emnes face late fitness tests from the hamstring problems they went off with during Saturday's goalless draw with Crystal Palace. If there are any doubts, they will not be risked because a promotion push is deemed more important ahead of Saturday's trip to Ipswich.

Nigerian striker Bartholomew Ogbeche has been training after a lay-off so he could figure, although Mowbray spoke at length about the possibility of youngsters Curtis Main, Cameron Park and Richie Smallwood having a chance to shine.