Julio Arca believes Boro can reach play-offs

Nov 14 2010 by Steve Brown, Sunday Sun

EVEN after a decade in these parts, Julio Arca struggles to get his head round the ever-altering North East elements.

Times have changed at Middlesbrough too, since the Argentinian swapped a Wearside in the throes of relegation for a Teesside still basking in its club’s appearance – albeit an unsuccessful one – in the UEFA Cup final.

But what remains constant at Boro is Arca’s belief – shared throughout the Riverside – that, even in spite of the wretched start they have made to the season and their current standing in the Championship, a return to the promised land of the Premier League is not yet lost.

The Teessiders remain a “massive club”, he insists, and should be in the top flight.

Such sentiments seemed certifiable whilst Gordon Strachan was going about making Gareth Southgate look good.

But after an opening defeat to Bristol City, extending Boro’s winless run to seven, Tony Mowbray has conjured successive league victories over Crystal Palace and Scunthorpe United – the latter their first on the road for seven months – and hauled the club out of the relegation zone and up to sixth bottom.

He has, Arca says, made a “big impression”, and looked to encourage the brand of football the Argentine was made for.

Its sternest test thus far comes today, at third-placed Swansea City.

But asked if he thought Boro could still make the play-offs, Arca said: “Yeah, we have to be realistic that the position we’re in at the moment is not where we want to be and it wasn’t the start to the season we wanted.

“But we’re not far off the play-off places points-wise and that tells you how funny the league is.