Red alert Sep 23 2005

mstyan80 · Sep 23, 2005

Middlesbrough Evening Gazette

Emanuel Pogatetz has vowed to "stay out of the red" ahead of Sunday's big derby against Sunderland at the Riverside.

Boro's Austrian left-back has brought a robust reputation to Teesside following his summer arrival from Bayer Leverkusen.

The 22-year-old received a six-month ban after breaking Yaroslav Kharitonskiy's leg in the final game of a loan spell with Spartak Moscow.

That was later slashed to eight weeks on appeal by the Russian FA, allowing him to make his Boro debut against Charlton in August.

Pogatetz has since picked up a yellow card at Wigan and is suspended for Austria's World Cup qualifier against England next month after being booked in Azerbaijan earlier this month.

The £1.8m signing, pictured right, revealed he wants to avoid the wrath of referees as much as possible in the future, but he promises to keep giving his all for the Boro cause.

He said: "I hope I can stay out of the red. Before the ban I didn't have so many red cards, just one in two years before that.

"I got a yellow card at Wigan. It was more of a tactical foul, but with my style of football I give 100 per cent in every situation."

Pogatetz says he is settling in well at the club and in the area, although he admits it was tough at first with confusion reigning over the length of his punishment.

"When I signed for Middlesbrough I was on top of the world - four days later I got banned for six months and I was down," he said.

"It was really difficult, because when you come to a new club you want to show the coach and everyone that it was the right decision to buy you.

"The most difficult thing was that I didn't know how long the ban would be exactly.

"You didn't know what would happen the next day because there were some strange things with Russia, so it was really difficult."

Pogatetz has played in derby games in Austria and Russia but is particularly relishing the clash with the rock-bottom Black Cats.

"Sunderland is a special rivalry, I've played some derbies in Moscow and Graz but I think it will be very special here on Sunday," he said.

"In a derby, there are no favourites. When I was in Graz and Moscow you could never say which team can win because these are special games, especially on Sunday.

"They have to win now, so I think it will be a very difficult game. I'm looking forward to it and I hope that we can win it.

"I think we have turned the corner, we took some time at the beginning to find each other because there are some new players.

"But now with the arrival of Xavier and Fabio I think we will do better in future, so things are moving on and we will get there soon."

Meanwhile, Boro manager Steve McClaren wants his side to improve on their second half showing at Wigan against Mick McCarthy's strugglers.

He said: "Our passing wasn't of the calibre we are used to. If we get that consistently and play effective football, we will win more than we lose.

"It is going to be a difficult game, they say derby games are levellers. But we should have the advantage of playing at home and the atmosphere will be tremendous.

"It's the kind of game our players are used to and will relish."

Boro have been boosted by the training return of five injured players this week, including Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink.

McClaren reported that all five are looking sharp but added that Sunday could come too soon for them.
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