Boro's FA Cup quarterfinal at Man City summons Premier League reality

With Swansea and Leicester giving themselves a little breathing room, the FC crew discuss if the bottom three are now set.Middlesbrough have had a week to lick their wounds after a hugely disappointing performance away at Stoke and a period of great misgiving between the fans, players and head coach Aitor Karanka.

The boss is spinning the line that Saturday's FA Cup quarterfinal game, where Boro host Manchester City, is a chance for the team to take a metaphorical break from their Premier League relegation battle and aim to regain lost confidence. Pessimists would say that the opposite is more likely, with Boro dropping out of the Cup to be left with only the bare-faced reality of relegation…