Mowbray will have to balance books with new recruits in January
Published:Tony Mowbray will need to find a way of balancing the books if he wishes to bring some new faces to Middlesbrough in the January transfer window in order to boost their chances of securing promotion to the Premier League.
Middlesbrough currently find themselves just outside of the relegation places in the Championship on goal difference, but their recent win over title challengers Cardiff should provide the confidence to spark a change in fortunes.
Although it may be a big ask to defy betting odds of 100/1 to make up 20 points on current leaders QPR and win the Championship, there is no reason to believe that they cannot launch an assault on the play-off places in the second half of the campaign.
Some new recruits in January could help with this, but Mowbray is under new illusions that some of his current squad may need to move on to keep the club’s spending in check.
He told BBC Tees: “We can’t keep piling players on top. We have a very high wage bill for this league, and we have to address that.
“There will have to be some exits. We need to find an equilibrium between salaries. Until we know who might be leaving and what funds will be available, it’s very difficult to say ‘We’d like to buy him for X amount of pounds’.”
Middlesbrough travel to Doncaster next in the Championship, who are opposition they did the double over last season and have beaten in their last six showdowns.
Championship betting odds of 9/4 are available that Middlesbrough beat Doncaster, while a repeat of the 4-1 win at the Keepmoat Stadium in January is priced at 80/1.
Doncaster have lost just one of their nine home games in the division this season, but are on a three-game winless streak.
They are 5/4 to beat Middlesbrough, which would be their first victory over the opposition since 1957.
A £10 bet on Middlesbrough beating Doncaster 2-0 could result in a payout of £110. New Ladbrokes customers can sign up here for a free £10 bet.
