Ryan Tunnicliffe is expected to get a rough ride from the Middlesbrough faithful tomorrow - no thanks to the midfielder’s infamous ‘sausage boy’ tweet aimed at Patrick Bamford.
The Chelsea on-loan striker was target for Tunnicliffe disapproval after the Championship play-off final that Boro lost to Norwich.
It cost the former Manchester United player a two-game ban, around £25,000 in an FA fine and docked wages, and a flea in the ear from Fulham.
All has been forgiven with Tunnicliffe now a driving force in the Whites midfield. But the player described as ‘mardy’ (grumpy) by manager Kit Symons will use his natural bite to overcome a chorus of boos on Teesside.
“I think Ryan Tunnicliffe is the type of player who quite enjoys crowd reaction,” Symons said.
“That won’t worry him. He’ll be fully focused. He’ll expect a bit - but it’ll spur him on.”
Fulham won a close 4-3 game at Craven Cottage last time the two met in April (see gallery). But it’s 10 years since the Whites last picked up a point at the Riverside courtesy of a Brian McBride goal in a 1-1 draw, April, 2005.
Symons expects a tough afternoon.
“They’re ahead of us in their building process,” he said.
“They added a few good players - we had to totally rebuild. They don’t concede many goals at all, and we have to be creative to break them down - but we’ve got players who can do it.
“We’ve done a lot during the international break on defending. That side definitely needs to improve.”
Fulham team news for the game is here.
