We've got a great spirit and a great belief

Last updated : 14 September 2010 By Tony Scholes
Strachan met John Lydon recently, and the former Sex Pistol has provided him with the inspiration as Boro look to get back to winning ways. Strachan said: "Frustrating and disappointing. We're not happy. I hope we're angry. Anger is an energy. We're angry with nobody but ourselves."

He continued: "But it's all about actions. Our actions so far aren't good enough. I can sit here and talk about it but the truth is that doesn't matter. I can't tell you that anger will manifest itself in a magnificent victory on Tuesday night, although I hope it does.

"Throughout my career I've always prepared for any scenario though, be it successful, mediocre or otherwise, so you've just got to handle it.

"You have to go away and think about what we're doing as a manager and as a coach. It's nearly impossible to say, this is what I think because I don't think that's the right way to manage, to tell people what your problems are and how you'll solve them.

"I remember there was a time when I was in charge at Coventry when there was what I would call a grey area when I didn't know what to do to improve the team. If you know what to do to make them better then that's easier. I know what this team needs because experience has taught me that."

Brian Laws returns to Middlesbrough, and will manage a team at the Riverside for the first time against his old club, and he's taking the positives from that late comeback against Preston just three days ago.

"If there was any doubt or any problems within this football club or within that dressing room we wouldn't have recovered in that manner on Saturday," he said. "What it shows is that we've got a great spirit and a great belief.

"Many teams might have folded and given up when they got that third goal, which was against the run of play. With ten minutes to go you would have thought it was all over, but great credit to the players. I thought their response was magnificent.

"It gives us a huge lift going to Middlesbrough knowing that we can score goals and change things if necessary. We will take the positives from the Preston game but we also bring the players back down to earth because we are now playing the bookies favourites, and that's rightly so because, on paper, Middlesbrough have a fantastic side.

"Their expectations are as high as ours. They want to get back into the Premier League. They will be very disappointed because they are certainly under achieving at the moment, but you can also see that in time they will gel and will be a very good side. At the moment it might be a good time for us to go and play them.

"I think the key is about how we start the game and whether we can use the forces around the stadium because their supporters are disappointed. Can we heap the pressure on them and allow the crowd to do our work a little bit?

"I haven't managed a team at the new stadium, so it will be an interesting one for me and one I'm going to look forward to."