Finally, after what seemed like forever, Mowbray was back doing a press conference ahead of a Sunderland game, what a relief. Here’s what he had to say pre Stoke.
BORO
“Don’t think we’ve discussed it to be honest, we had an official apology from the assessors on the referee’s performance. Listen, it’s gone, it’s in the bin as I said and my mentality has always been that we shouldn't judge our football team on that and I think we have got lots of confidence and belief that we’re a good team and we will move onto the next game, as I said, put them games in the bin and move on and that’s what we’re doing so looking forward to the next challenge.”
OFFICIAL APOLOGY MAKE YOU FEEL BETTER?
“No [laughs] I’m quite pragmatic about it, the results gone, that’s what I tried to say, you play for three points every game and those three points are gone, put them in the bin, move on, next game we have another opportunity coming. It’s not an issue, we’re looking forward now and knowing that if we play to our potential we have a chance of winning football matches.”
STOKE
“Stoke is a tough game obviously we've got Alex Neil, I was gonna call it an issue there, it's not an issue he’s a very talented football manager, he made the decision in his life what he was doing next and obviously we’ve had a poor result against them last season I think we need to put that one in the bin, move on and this is just the next challenge really, Stoke are a very intense football team and very well organised, but for us it’s about us, can we impose ourselves and our game style on the opposition who were playing, whoever were playing and that’s what we’ll try do at the weekend.”
DOES NEIL ADD TENSION TO THE GAME?
"Not to me it doesn't, but whether it does to anyone else I'm not sure, I’ve managed 20 odd years, managed many games against Alex’s teams and they’re always very well organised, very fit, very athletic and we look forward to this challenge, see if we can find the answers to the team were playing against."
DAN NEIL ABSENT
“I said to him today, looking forward to a rest? I think it’s good for him because it is a three game week, it is good for a young player sometimes to enjoy, put his feet up, watch the football and be ready for three days later when he's going to be needed so that's not an issue for us.”
ROOM FOR SOMEONE ELSE TO STEP UP
“I think it’s an area on the pitch that we’re not endowed with huge choices but we will pick a team I think can go to Stoke and give them problems and ultimately Dan not playing will be an opportunity, a space for someone to showcase their talents.”
