George Boateng is struggling to tie his colours to the mast as his former clubs Coventry City and Middlesbrough prepare to do battle for a coveted place in the Championship play-offs.
The former Sky Blues favourite has had two spells at City, first as an outstanding midfielder during the club’s latter Premier League years and then, more recently, returning as a coach last summer, albeit his stay limited to just a few months until a change in management in November.
The Dutchman’s playing career saw him switch to Boro after a spell at Aston Villa where he went on to play over 180 top flight games for the Teessiders.
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And with allegiances to both camps ahead of the biggest game of the season for both sides at the CBS Arena, the 49-year-old is finding it hard to pick a winner from what could prove to be an all-or-nothing shoot-out in the race to make the play-offs. Coventry will be guaranteed a play-off spot if they win, and could still get in if it ends in a draw. Boro, meanwhile, not only have to win but are also relying on results elsewhere going their way.
The two sides are no strangers to meeting each other in these kinds of high-pressure matches, and Boateng was present when they met in the play-offs two years ago. The Sky Blues came out on top on that occasion, and, indeed, Boro have failed to win any of the last seven meetings.
Asked about the game during a recent appearance on the Footy Accumulators No Tippy Tappy Football podcast, Boateng said: “May the best team win! It happened two seasons ago, I went to the semi-final where it was a draw and then Middlesbrough lost 1-0 in the second leg, but for me, it’s may the best team win.
“Both teams have a good squad, they both have good managers in Frank (Lampard) and Michael Carrick, I’ve played for both clubs and they both haven’t been in the Premier League in an awful long time.
“For me, it’s whether the club is ready for the Premier League, is the manager ready? Frank has managed Chelsea and Everton in the Premier League, but also Coventry has now developed a very good training ground, they’ve refurbished the place, and I’m happy there’s more stability at the club, but may the best team win!”
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