Chasing its third English FA Cup final in five seasons, Manchester City could be excused for already looking beyond Sunday’s fourth round tie at home to Middlesbrough.
The second-tier side from England’s Northeast hasn’t played in the Premier League since 2008-09 and has only a fraction of the resources of the cashed-up English champion.
But history will remind Manchester City that Middlesbrough is not a team to be taken lightly in Cup competitions.
In February 1997, Middlesbrough recorded a famous 1-0 victory over City in the FA Cup fifth round during a season in which it made it to the final before losing to Chelsea.
In fact, between 1983 and 2007, the Citizens enjoyed just one victory against the Teessiders in 20 meetings in all competitions.
Former Middlesbrough captain George Boateng, who now coaches Kelantan FA in the Malaysian Super League, warned City not to take his old club lightly.
“I think the game at Etihad Stadium will be an even one and tough for Man City,” he said. “Boro have been giant-killers before in Cup competitions, including when we won the 2004 English League Cup.”
Dream runBoateng played in central-midfield under Steve McLaren during his team’s famous League Cup run 11 years ago when it beat Arsenal over two legs in the semifinals after earlier wins on penalties over Everton and Tottenham Hotspur, the latter away from home.
Middlesbrough defeated Bolton 2-1 in the final. Juninho, Gareth Southgate, Danny Mills, Gaizka Mendieta and Mark Schwarzer were among his teammates.
“We had a team that was resilient and had a never-say-die attitude as we found ourselves dealing with one storm after the other,” Boateng said. “In the first leg of the semifinal we beat Arsenal away and survived the return leg when they played most of their senior players, including Patrick Vieira.”
This season, Middlesbrough is on course for automatic promotion, sitting in second spot on the English Championship table. City is looking vulnerable after failing to win its last two league games, including a 2-0 home defeat to Arsenal, to fall five points behind Chelsea at the top of the table. Just a month ago, it could only draw 2-2 at the Etihad Stadium with struggling Burnley, who sit just one spot outside the Premier League drop zone.
The Sky Blues won the 2011 FA Cup final but slipped up two years later when it lost to a Wigan side which would soon be relegated from the Premier League, in the Wembley showpiece.
Even so, Boateng predicts a home win: “In the end I think Man City will be too strong for my old team, even though Boro are having a fantastic season.”
(Jason Dasey is Senior Editor of ESPN FC and the former host of SportsCenter India and Sportsline)
