‘Survival is still in our hands,’ insists Middlesbrough’s Friend

As Middlesbrough prepare to enter a crucial period in their bid to escape the relegation mire, vice-captain George Friend insists that his team are bang up for the fight.

On Saturday, second-bottom Boro make the long trip south to take on 16th-placed AFC Bournemouth and that game kicks off a period of three matches in the space of eight days, with Steve Agnew’s side then welcoming basement boys Sunderland to the Riverside next Wednesday.

Four days later, Boro roll out the red carpet for Manchester City, who they held to a shock 1-1 draw at the Etihad Stadium back in November, and while the gap to safety may currently stand at six points, full-back Friend is certain that his side’s goose is far from cooked.

“Everyone’s got something to play for,” said the 29-year-old, who came off the bench to replace the injured Fabio in Boro’s 2-1 defeat to Arsenal on Monday night.

“The boys at the top are fighting for the league title and we’re fighting for survival.

“Arsenal are competing for the Champions League and we really gave them a game.

“We go to Bournemouth with a lot of confidence, and we still have that game in hand as well.

“We always said we would be happy to finish 17th. We knew it would be tough but it’s still in our hands.”