Pressure is on, warns McClaren

Middlesbrough manager Steve McClaren admits the pressure is on as his side heads into tonight’s must-win FA Cup third-round replay against non-league Nuneaton Borough.

Boro are without a win in six attempts in all competitions, a run which culminated in Saturday’s 7-0 Barclays Premiership drubbing at Arsenal on the back of an embarrassing 1-1 draw with the Conference North side seven days earlier.

Injuries have decimated McClaren’s squad as a season which promised so much has turned rapidly to dust, and he knows continuing indifferent form could result in the pressure being heaped upon him and his players.

“Everybody will say and everybody will speculate that every game now is a significant part of the season, because it is,” he said.

“We have to win tonight. We want a good cup run and we have to make sure we win this game, and then we move on to Wigan. It’s a big period for us at this football club.”