WITH Tottenham having made giant strides forward this season, Ugo Ehiogu has admitted Middlesbrough need to beat the Champions League hopefuls tomorrow to prove they have not gone backwards.

Last season, Boro edged out Spurs in the battle for the final UEFA Cup spot, with May's 1-0 win at the Riverside proving crucial in the final reckoning.

George Boateng's winner ensured the Teessiders would enjoy successive European campaigns while Tottenham suffered yet more continental exile but, in the last few months, the tables have turned.

While Boro have swept all before them in Europe, their domestic form has left a lot to be desired and, at present, Champions League qualification remains little more than a distant dream.

Tottenham, on the other hand, currently occupy the final Champions League spot and Ehiogu is honest enough to admit that a Boro defeat tomorrow would confirm the Londoners' superior status.

"In many ways, this is a test of how far the two teams have come since the end of last season," said the experienced centre-half.

"We finished above Tottenham last year. They came to our place in the last few weeks and I thought we beat them quite comfortably.

"Since then, though, they seem to have improved immensely. They've certainly toughened up and I think this will be a lot closer game than the one we saw earlier in the year.

"Last season, we were neck and neck with Spurs all the way through but, in the last few weeks, they seem to have stolen a bit of a march on us."

That march will turn into something of a sprint if Boro suffer a third Premiership home defeat tomorrow. Steve McClaren's men currently trail Tottenham by 11 points after winning just one of their last five league games.

Spurs' form is much more impressive - the North London side have lost just twice in the Premiership all season - and Martin Jol is assembling an impressive array of young English talent.

The likes of Paul Robinson, Jermain Defoe, Jermaine Jenas and Michael Carrick are all pressing their claims for an England World Cup spot, while Edgar Davids has added some much-needed bite to the heart of midfield.

Despite spending most of his footballing career in the West Midlands, Ehiogu was born in Hackney and raised as a Spurs fan. He retains a fondness for White Hart Lane and, given the club's reputation for style over substance, has been impressed by Tottenham's new-found resolve.

"I'm a Hackney boy and was a Tottenham fan growing up," said Ehiogu. "I lived just down the road from White Hart Lane and I suppose it was the place where I learned about football.

"Like a lot of kids, I started with my hometown team and then switched allegiances once someone else won the league.

"But Spurs were always the first team I looked for and I still have family that live about 20 minutes from the ground. It's a shame really that I never quite got the chance to play for Tottenham.

"They've always been seen purely as a footballing team but, this season, they seem to have added some steel.

"They're hard to beat now and have a steely determination that's probably been missing from their game in the past.

"They've brought in some talented young British players and have kicked on a lot from where they were a year or so ago.

"They've spent a lot of money to do that and a lot of people would expect them to be where they are.

"This will be a huge, huge test for us. We need the points and we need to show we are hungrier than they are to get them."

Ehiogu's hunger is hardly in doubt given his lack of first-team opportunities this season.

The former England international has spent time on the sidelines because of a groin problem, and suffered from the fine form of both Gareth Southgate and Chris Riggott.

Even Franck Queudrue has been preferred as part of a five-man backline, but Ehiogu is certain to feature tomorrow as Riggott serves a one-game suspension following his dismissal at Liverpool.

The lack of matches has obviously been frustrating but, with 18 months of his contract still to run, the 33-year-old is ready to take any opportunity that comes his way.

"I feel like I'm getting to somewhere near my best," said Ehiogu, who has only made one Premiership start since September 25.

"But I need games to show that. Unfortunately, I can't seem to get those at the moment.

"When they come along, it seems to be one here and one there. I'll get another chance this weekend with Chris being suspended, and I know I have to take it.

"As much as it's frustrating, I have to concentrate on playing well whenever an opportunity comes along.

"I'm an experienced player, but that doesn't make something like this any easier to bear.

"Whatever age you are, you want to be playing.

"It's probably a little bit easier to handle when you're younger. I want to play as many games as possible and, when I'm not doing that, I'm simply not happy."

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