Championship boss compares Middlesbrough and Leeds - and brands Boro as 'favourties'

Norwich City boss Daniel Farke has lavished praise on Middlesbrough as the two sides prepare to meet tomorrow afternoon.
Daniel Farke has been full of praise for MiddlesbroughDaniel Farke has been full of praise for Middlesbrough
Daniel Farke has been full of praise for Middlesbrough

Tony Pulis' side remain unbeaten in the Championship this season after a solid start to the campaign, in which Boro have drawn plenty of plaudits for their effective defensive displays,

A 0-0 draw with free-flowing Leeds United meant the two sides stayed level at the top of the second tier, but the Canaries boss is backing Boro for promotion having claimed that they are 'one of the favourites' to reach the Premier League.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

MORE: Tony Pulis praises 'exceptional' Martin Braithwaite as striker set for returnSuch comments may come as a surprise given that Norwich were comprehensively beaten by Leeds earlier in the campaign, but Farke's admiration for Pulis' style of play and experienced squad is entirely evident.

It's a style he knows is a polar opposite to that of Leeds, but equally effective.

"Middlesbrough are totally different to Leeds, said the German.

"They are much more focused on defending and focus more on counter-actions and set-pieces.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

"Boro choose this and it's important that you are good at what you choose. They have been successful in that so far.

READ: New boy backs Boro for promotion after international exploits"They have had five clean sheets and are joint top of the league. Our fixtures have been tough so far and we know it's a difficult situation. They are so good at defending.

"They are very tall as well, they'd be good at basketball!"

Farke believes his side are underdogs when the pair meet at Carrow Road tomorrow - having heavily praised Boro's promotion credentials - but is backing his side to cause an upset.

"Middlesbrough are one of the favourites for promotion," he added.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

"They have many experienced players. They know how to win games and get promoted. They have an unbelievably experienced coach.

"We will be brave and we proved in many situations, especially against favourites, that we can deliver and be competitive.

MORE: These are the FIFA 19 ratings for every Middlesbrough player"We know that we aren't favourites tomorrow but we want to win some points.

"It will be difficult to create such a big amount of chances tomorrow but it's important we play with our style.

"We want to control the ball and press high. We don't want to copy a side like Middlesbrough because we don't have the players to do this."