Middlesbrough 3 Ipswich 1

Middlesbrough winger Stewart Downing faces months on the sidelines as his home-town club attempt to stage an unlikely escape from relegation.

Middlesbrough 1 Aston Villa 1

THE platitudes from Ryan Giggs must have been somewhat embarrassing for Middlesbrough, who after succumbing meekly to Arsenal and Manchester United in the space of six days can safely consign their reputation as top four assassins to the past.

Middlesbrough 0 Manchester United 1

SAT high in the stands of the Emirates, Alex Ferguson will now be acutely aware that his relations with Arsene Wenger, having thawed over recent seasons, are set to freeze over once again.

Arsenal 2 Middlesbrough 0

Arsenal welcomed back goalkeeper Manuel Almunia from an ankle injury for today’s Barclays Premier League clash with relegation-battlers Middlesbrough at Emirates Stadium.

Middlesbrough 0 Fulham 0

A quick straw poll of footballing opinion would doubtless reveal split opinions of Marlon King: those that dislike him and those that dislike him even more.

Middlesbrough will be without suspended midfielder Matthew Bates for tomorrow’s Barclays Premier League trip to Stoke.

Middlesbrough 1 Portsmouth 1

Middlesbrough manager Gareth Southgate has named an unchanged squad for tomorrow night’s Barclays Premier League clash at Tottenham Hotspur.

Middlesbrough 2 Liverpool 0

Gareth Southgate has Marlon King available as the Middlesbrough manager bids to end a run of 14 Barclays Premier League games without a win against Liverpool tomorrow.

STEWART DOWNING turned in an inspired display as Middlesbrough shook off their relegation fears to book their place in the FA Cup quarter-finals for the fourth successive year.

Middlesbrough 0 Wigan 0

Middlesbrough boss Gareth Southgate is boosted by the return of midfielders Didier Digard and Gary O’Neil for tomorrow’s Premier League trip to Manchester City.

Striker Marlon King is poised to make his home Middlesbrough debut in tomorrow’s crucial Barclays Premier League basement battle with Blackburn.

Middlesbrough boss Gareth Southgate is hoping for better news on the fitness front as he prepares to put a patched-up side together for tomorrow’s FA Cup fourth round trip to Wolves.

Stewart Downing is expected to be included in the Middlesbrough squad to face derby rivals Sunderland in the Barclays Premier League after having his transfer request refused.

Middlesbrough goalkeeper Brad Jones has signed a new three-and-a-half-year contract.

Middlesbrough 2 Barrow 1

Fulham 3 Middlesbrough 0

Blackburn boss Paul Ince insists he will not give up the fight despite seeing his side slip to a sixth straight Barclays Premier League defeat on Saturday.

THE words were familiar, the speaker less so. “We have a young team and we do lack a bit of experience sometimes. We just have to stay strong at crucial moments.”

Arsene Wenger insists his side will return to the Emirates Stadium to face Barclays Premier League pace-setters Liverpool next week with a strong chance of forcing their way back into the title race.

Middlesbrough 1 Arsenal 1

PHIL BROWN may insist he has no interest in taking charge at Sunderland, but nobody would dare accuse English football’s most in-demand young manager of lacking ambition.

Hull 2 Middlesbrough 1

IT is always best to expect the unexpected at Newcastle United, so perhaps the notion of the club being hauled onto an even keel by Joe Kinnear — frozen out of football for four years, with question marks over his health and whose methods appeared to belong in football’s stone age — is not so surprising.

Middlesbrough 0 Newcastle 0

Emanuel Pogatetz and Mido have both been passed fit for Middlesbrough’s Barclays Premier League clash with Bolton at the Riverside tomorrow.

Everton 1 Middlesbrough 1

Everton, aiming for their fourth successive Premier League victory, had Ayegbeni Yakubu back following a heel injury against his old club today.

Aston Villa missed out on the chance to climb into a Champions League spot as two-goal Tuncay earned Middlesbrough victory at Villa Park.

AFONSO ALVES proved the scourge of Manchester City once again as his 53rd-minute penalty helped Middlesbrough to victory.

Middlesbrough 2 Manchester City 0

PAUL INCE is looking forward to the return of a fully fit and firing Benni McCarthy after the South Africa striker finally showed flashes of his old form.

Blackburn 1 Middlesbrough 1

Wigan 0 Middlesbrough 1

Top scorer Mido is expected miss tomorrow night's Carling Cup third round tie at Manchester United after pulling out of Middlesbrough's 2-0 derby defeat at Sunderland with a groin strain.

MICHAEL CHOPRA dedicated his comeback goals to his baby son after coming off the bench to fire Sunderland to a 2-0 victory over derby rivals Middlesbrough.

Portsmouth 2 Middlesbrough 1