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Tony Pulis, Middlesbrough FC Manager  Following a disappointing result at the Riverside on Tuesday night, Boro now face a visit from an in-form Derby County side.
The bore draw against Rotherham meant that Boro failed to extend their gap at the top of the table and instead slipped to second place after all of the midweek results.
Frank Lampardâs Rams on the other hand will look to continue their impressive run after beating high-flyers Sheffield United and West Brom within just a few days.
Derby will be hoping to overtake Boro in the table, meanwhile Boro will be desperate for a win after their lacklustre performance against the Millers.
Despite sitting in second place, Boro have scored just 16 goals this season, but they boast the best defensive record in the English Football Leagues having just conceded seven.
Tony Pulis will be without ex-Derby defender Ryan Shotton, as heâs picked up a knee injury and will be out for a few weeks at least.
In his press conference, Pulis stated that he âhas faith in Paddy McNairâ to fill the spot left by Shotton, despite him playing in an unfamiliar position to his usual midfield role.
Pulis also stated that he âhopes Frank Lampard is a successful manager, but not at the Riverside on Saturdayâ.
Lampard has also had kind words to describe Tony Pulis and stated that he âhas much respectâ for the Welshman.
Derby striker Jack Marriott has contributed to five goals in his last three matches, with three goals and two assists.
Middlesbrough have won nine of the previous eleven at the Riverside against Derby, but last time a Matej Vydra hat-trick saw Derby as 3-0 victors.
Thereâs been 144 meetings in total between the two clubs, with Boro winning 64, Derby winning 49, and 31 draws between the two.
None of Pulisâ 13 matches against the Rams have ended in a draw (seven wins, six defeats).
Boro have kept ten clean sheets at home in 2018, more than any other team in the Championship.
The game kicks off at 12:30pm (Live on Sky Sports)
Written by Cameron Calvert and Daniel Ragusa
ABOUT ME
Hello, my name is Olly Burdett and I am a Multimedia Journalist in the final year of my degree at Teesside University.
Course
Sport Journalism, BA (Hons)
Biography
Having written passionately about football before my time at Teesside University, I decided to make the move from Hull to Middlesbrough to expand my journalistic skills and capabilities. During the last three years, my interests in journalism have changed significantly. After experiencing the high levels of homelessness in the town and discovering the shocking statistics around male suicide in the North East, I decided I wanted to move away from sport slightly and instead report on issues that I believe really mattered. Additionally, politics has dominated our day-to-day lives recently and despite finding it difficult to keep track of it all, I have become incredibly interested in what is happening in both our country and the world. I haven’t completely lost my passion for sport though. A lot of my recent content now looks at the relationship between sport and mental health.
Software & Hardware Proficiencies
I am an Adobe Certified Associate in Visual Design using Adobe Photoshop. I am also skilled in other Adobe software such as Audition and Premiere Pro. I am equipped at using video cameras such as the AC-90.
Employment, Work Experience & Volunteering
I have experience of producing work for both Sky News and BBC Tees. I have also carried out work for Middlesbrough Football Club, Middlesbrough Football Club Foundation and Tees Valley Sport. I voluntarily worked as a Social Media Manager for Stockton-based charity A Way Out as part of their 2018 Christmas campaign.
Interests
Despite studying on a Sport Journalism course, I have a huge interest in a different number of topics.
During my time at Teesside University, I have created content around current affairs and politics, as well as mental health.
One thing that I believe really shows in my content is that I love learning about new topics and issues to increase both my knowledge and flexibility. Who knows what I will post about next?
