Andrea Orlandi insists that the weekend trip to the Riverside is not about revenge

The Swansea City midfielder will travel with his team mates to the North East on the weekend for the return fixture with Middlesbrough - just under six months after their hosts left the Liberty with a comprehensive victory.

A play off spot looked a long way away that day in August as the Swans lost their second league game from two having never really been able to compete on the day with their opponents.

But the Swans now head to the Riverside ahead of their hosts for the day and Orlandi dismisses talk of revenge but insists that the team always look to prove that they are better than some results suggest they are.

“It’s not about revenge,” Orlandi told the Western Mail. “I don’t like that word and it’s not the mentality we have here.

“It’s more that we want to show we didn’t play as well as we can in that first game. We just want to make sure every team in this league knows how good we are and, similar to when Newcastle come to the Liberty next month, if we let ourselves down in the first game, we want to make up for it.

“It’s just a shame we played them so early in the season

“We had a lot of injuries and they still had a lot of big name players like Tuncay and Robert Huth in their team.

“Everyone knew those players were going to leave and it’s just unlucky that we played them before it happened. They are a very different team now, with a new manager and new players.

“In the same way, we always knew that we would get better when our injured players came back. So it’s a shame we played them before that happened.

“When I say we knew we would turn it around, I don’t think any of us believed we would be in fourth by January. We are probably overachieving now.

“We are good enough to stay up there though. We just have to maintain our standards, starting with Boro this weekend.

“Having worked so hard to get in the starting XI, any time away from it is frustrating,” he said. “I know there are other quality players here who will come in and do a great job so I don’t want to miss any games.

“That’s why I pushed so hard to be involved at Leicester. But, if I’m not 100%, I have to be honest because I won’t do myself justice otherwise.

“Hopefully I will be back for Middlesbrough. I just have to show the gaffer in training that I am ready.”

SOURCE: http://www.walesonline.co.uk/footballnation/swansea-city-fc/2010/01/19/orlandi-s-swans-not-on-a-revenge-mission-91466-25629925/?

Photo: Action Images

Swansea City Polls