LEO Percovich has delivered a message of unity to the Middlesbrough fanbase following the sacking of Chris Wilder as he prepares to take interim charge for their Championship game against Birmingham City tomorrow night.
The Uruguayan has been taking first-team training alongside Craig Liddle, Mark Tinkler and Lee Cattermole ahead of the visit of the Blues to the Riverside Stadium and will be guiding the players through the following games while the club’s hierarchy goes through the process of appointing a new manager.
Boro have won just one of their last five games in the league and currently sit in the bottom three. “It is a situation that happened and we have to be ready for this” said Percovich. “We really say that we love the club and love the city that we are ready for this. We need to stand up now in this moment.
“It is a difficult moment but we have the knowledge, the experience and the passion to do the right thing.
“The next game is the most important. The players and us all know that we have to be better. For the quality, the squad and for who we are as a club, we have to be better. We are ready for that and tomorrow, we are going to show that we are.
“We are all here for tomorrow. It is in our blood, it’s a red passion, it’s a red love, it’s Boro and Teessiders. All the staff that are coming with me tomorrow, we are all ready and committed to trying to do our best because above all of us is the club and above the club is our fans. Because without them, we don’t exist.”
Percovich has been a popular figurehead within the club since his initial arrival in 2013 and has worked under a number of different managers. First as a goalkeeping coach before being employed as a first-team coach under Jonathan Woodgate.
Birmingham head into the game on an unbeaten run of four games having struck recent form. But with Boro devoid of confidence, he has been attempting to instil passion back into the players.
“For sure. We expect Birmingham. They have experience, the good moment they are living now and the football they are playing. But we need to stand up strong and show that why we are here. Why we select all of these players and why we represent Middlesbrough.
“Tomorrow, we are going to make everyone proud and we are here for a good reason.
Delivering a personal message to the fans, Percovich added: “It’s something that make us from Middlesbrough unique. It’s something that makes us different to every other club around the world. No matter what kind of situation when things are going wrong, when things are undoubtful, nobody cracks, nobody crumbles and we stick together.
“We are a forged in steel and iron. That’s why wherever we go, everybody knows we are Middlesbrough.”
