What Middlesbrough boss Jonathan Woodgate thinks of Cardiff City ahead of Championship meeting

Since Woodgate’s appointment as Boro’s new head coach, the former defender has spoken about trying to play an attacking brand of football, yet his two wins so far have both been gritty 1-0 victories.

Woodgate believes that is the nature of the Championship, though, and there are times when his team will have to grind out results.

“I want to try and play in a certain way,” said the Boro boss ahead of the game at the Cardiff City Stadium. “I want to try and play the way I said I want to play but at times in this league you've got to dig in.”

“The games are not always going to be pretty. It is going to be ugly at times and you have to learn to win ugly.

“In a perfect world you'd go out there and play really well and hammer teams but football isn't a perfect world and it isn't always going to be like that.”

Woodgate will come up against experienced Cardiff boss Neil Warnock at 3pm and the Boro head coach was full of praise for the 70-year-old earlier this week.

“Tough place to go. Really tough,” said Woodgate when asked about the trip to Wales.

“We will need to roll our sleeves up and really dig in, show determination to really want to defend, and not just the back four. Defend from the front, press from the front and midfield and that should make it easier for the back four.”

Boro will also come up against German striker Robert Glatzel who scored a hat-trick against the Teessiders for FC Heidenheim in pre-season, before his move to Cardiff.

“I've watched loads of their games,” added Woodgate. “Glatzel has only scored a penalty for them this year but he scored a hat-trick against us in pre-season and he was a really good player.

“But they have got a few we need to look out for, they have lots of Premier League players, most of their team bar Gavin White are top flight players.”