Young - We must show character

Boro full-back also wants chance to zonal marking system

Last updated: 30th April 2008

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Young: Time to show character

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Luke Young has urged Middlesbrough to show character in the battle to stay up and admits Gareth Southgate may need to abandon the team's zonal marking system.

Boro have yet to secure their Premier League status for next season and are four points outside the relegation zone following last weekend's 3-2 defeat at Sunderland.

The final two matches of the season see Boro face FA Cup finalists Portsmouth and out-of-sorts Manchester City at the Riverside.

Young concedes there is pressure on the Boro team, but is hoping the players can bounce back from the derby defeat at Sunderland.

Added pressure

"We're looking over our shoulders now," Young told the Evening Gazette. "We have two home games and we have to make sure we do a professional job and get the points we need.

"The added pressure of the situation will make it a bit more difficult, but we have to show character.

"We have had to do that a number of times this season and when we have had a bad result we've bounced back. Now we have to do that again."

The full-back also believes a change in the way the team defend set-pieces is needed following the goals conceded in the recent defeats to Bolton and Sunderland.

Causing trouble

He added: "Twice in two weeks we've been done from a corner in almost exactly the same way and maybe that's something we need to look into.

"We mark zonal and teams are getting clever and are starting to putting people in positions that cause you trouble.

"They have obviously looked at what we are doing and are hurting us, so it is something we will have to look at. We have to work on it and decide whether to continue with zonal or start going man to man."