Arsenal V Boro four times in January
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Arsenal V Boro four times in January
Boro draw short straw
The New Year is traditionally seen as a time for change, but try telling Arsenal and Middlesbrough that.
Pulled out of the FA Cup hat together, the teams will now play each other an incredible four times in January, including three games on the trot.
"Should old acquaintance be forgot..." - not much chance of that.
The Highbury faithful, not to mention their French contingent, will get a distinct sense of deja vu with the teams running out in north London for three of the four meetings.
Following a league clash on 10 January, the sides have a two-legged Carling Cup semi-final sandwiching their FA Cup fourth round match.
For Boro boss Steve McClaren it is hardly the ideal start to the year.
A crumb of comfort for McClaren is that it was his charges who arguably came closest to breaking that run in a 1-0 semi-final defeat in 2002.
On the down-side he has yet to see Boro beat the Gunners in six matches since he took over at the Riverside.
In that time they have scored only one goal, more than two years and 500 minutes of football ago, and conceded 15 - including four earlier in the season.
If the current trend continues, Boro will have let in another 10 against the Gunners by the end of the month.
Never mind, lads. Soon be Christmas.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/funny_o ... 369583.stm
The New Year is traditionally seen as a time for change, but try telling Arsenal and Middlesbrough that.
Pulled out of the FA Cup hat together, the teams will now play each other an incredible four times in January, including three games on the trot.
"Should old acquaintance be forgot..." - not much chance of that.
The Highbury faithful, not to mention their French contingent, will get a distinct sense of deja vu with the teams running out in north London for three of the four meetings.
Following a league clash on 10 January, the sides have a two-legged Carling Cup semi-final sandwiching their FA Cup fourth round match.
For Boro boss Steve McClaren it is hardly the ideal start to the year.
Arsenal have yet to lose a domestic game this season and after their 4-1 victory over Leeds are unbeaten in 13 consecutive FA Cup ties.HEAD-TO-HEADS
10 Jan: Arsenal v Boro (PL)
20 Jan: Arsenal v Boro (CC)
24/25 Jan: Arsenal v Boro (FA)
28 Jan: Boro v Arsenal (CC)
A crumb of comfort for McClaren is that it was his charges who arguably came closest to breaking that run in a 1-0 semi-final defeat in 2002.
On the down-side he has yet to see Boro beat the Gunners in six matches since he took over at the Riverside.
In that time they have scored only one goal, more than two years and 500 minutes of football ago, and conceded 15 - including four earlier in the season.
If the current trend continues, Boro will have let in another 10 against the Gunners by the end of the month.
Never mind, lads. Soon be Christmas.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/funny_o ... 369583.stm