Chris Wilder sends warning to his Middlesbrough players ahead of Manchester United clash

Chris Wilder doesn’t want his Middlesbrough players to swap shirts with anyone from Manchester United on the pitch tomorrow night as he insists they can’t be star-struck by the opposition.

Despite their disappointing season, the Red Devils remain one of the biggest clubs on the planet and they boast plenty of world renowned talent, notably Cristiano Ronaldo.

Therefore, Boro will make the trip to Manchester as outsiders but Wilder told the Mirror that his players must believe they can progress.

“Their team sheet will come in the dressing room and it’ll be De Gea, Varane, Harry Maguire… let’s not crumble in that process! But it is not sight-seeing for our players. It is not a shirt-swapping situation.

“I don’t want people going to Old Trafford to enjoy the visit. If they want a shirt, do it in the changing rooms after. We don’t want to be looking at them all fuzzy-eyed. They are up against a competitor.”

The Teesside outfit will be backed by an away following of around 9,000 as they look to make it to the fifth round.

The verdict

This is a great attitude from Wilder and you can be sure that his players will be ready to try and pull of a shock by the time kick-off comes around.

In fairness, most of his squad have played at a high level in the past, so it’s not going to be as daunting for them, and there are experienced players in the group that will help the youngsters out.

So, there shouldn’t be too many concerns about this but Wilder’s message is showing that he’s totally focused on getting through this tie.

Thoughts? Let us know in the comments below.

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