Kicking off the season against Middlesbrough on a Friday night infront of the Sky Television cameras is the ‘perfect situation,’ says Luton’s Ryan Tunnicliffe.
Tomorrow evening will be Town’s first game in the Championship for 12 years and they’ll be thrown straight into the spotlight with the campaign curtain-raiser.
Despite winning the League One title last term to secure back-to-back promotions, they will be firm underdogs against Boro, but Tunnicliffe is relishing the challenge.
He said: “Friday night under the lights is probably the perfect situation for us.
“(Against) a good team coming down, Middlesbrough, we’ll give it our all to try to get three points and kick-start the season.”
The former Millwall midfielder joined Town in the summer but his home debut ended in a disappointing 5-1 pre-season defeat to Premier League-bound Norwich on Saturday.
So, the former Manchester United youth player is under no illusions of how tough it will be against Teesside team that regularly challenge for the Championship play-offs and promotion.
“It will be [a baptism of fire],” said Tunnicliffe, adding: “I can’t remember but probably for the last four of five years they’ve been in and around the play-offs and got in the play-offs quite a few times.”
Both teams will be led by manager in their first competitive games in charge.
Hometown Boro boss Jonathan Woodgate has promised to play a more attacking brand of football that his Riverside predecessor Tony Pulis and Tunnicliffe said: “They’ll be a good team, tough team, obviously with a new manager as well, so probably a new style of play to what we’re used to seeing Middlesbrough teams play.
“They’ll come down here on Friday night, we’ll give it our best and hopefully try to get the result for the fans.”
