The Riverside has been jumping almost all season as Middlesbrough took early command over the Championship but recently started to slip. They sit at second in the championship but they may be growing increasingly concerned that playoffs may be their fate compared to automatic promotion. Fans are hoping this could be Boro’s long-awaited return to the Premier League but many have seen this story before, to varying degrees of success. This is a history of Middlesbrough’s late season promotion battles and how the team finished them.
2023: Carrick’s first year almost brought glory.
Coming into the 2023 season, Boro didn’t necessarily expect to be in a promotion battle to start the season. There was definitely excitement around the team, coming off a deep FA Cup run the previous year, beating Premier League sides Man United and Tottenham but Chris Wilder’s side never stood out in the Championship. That was until Michael Carrick took over in October. Carrick took the Championship by storm, collecting points in nine of his first 11 league games at Boro. Carrick’s red and white army got themselves firmly in the promotion conversation, even briefly competing with Sheffield United for that second automatic spot (before United quickly pulled away). Unfortunately, the magic faded towards the end of the season, winning only two of their last five games before then falling to Coventry in the first round of the championship play-offs.
2018: Boro narrowly missed out on bounce back season.
Middlesbrough were coming down from a poor performance in the Premier League however hopes were still high for the Teessiders to rebound and make a quick return to the top flight. Unfortunately, that was not to be. Neither Garry Monk or the man to replace him Tony Pulis were able to find much stability for the team. Middlesbrough finished the season in fifth place narrowly finishing over sixth place Derby. Ultimately it didn’t help Middlesbrough as they still ended up falling to Aston Villa in the first round of the play-offs. This would be Middlesbrough’s final real chance at returning to Premier League football until the mid season turnaround in 2022-23.
2015: Playoff heartbreak at Wembley.
The 2016 promotion season will forever live in the hearts of Boro fans however in remembering that season, Boro fans tend to forget the year that preceded that. Boro started the season off somewhat slowly in August however a strong September, highlighted by a 4-0 hammering of Brentford. Middlesbrough kept adding points on as the season progressed, only losing two games between September and February. Middlesbrough did start to sputter a bit through February and March which ultimately cost them a chance at automatic promotion and in the end, overall promotion as they fell to Norwich in the play-offs. Going into the next year, Boro fans were optimistic but knew if they wanted to return to the Premier League, they’d probably have to get automatic promotion.
2016: Glory for Middlesbrough.
The 2015/16 season will live in Boro fans’ memories for a long time coming. The year didn’t start off too exciting with only one win in their first four matches. However, they immediately turned it around, starting their first five game win streak (one of three). The Boro collected points in bunches this year, only recording nine losses all season. The Teessider’s were top of the league heading into the final five matches however four straight draws to end the season saw them fall out of first, only barely clinging onto the second automatic spot by a +2 goal differential over Brighton.
2026: TBD.
Middlesbrough took an early lead in the Championship in the 2025 summer. Under Rob Edwards, the team started hot out the gates, winning five of their first seven matches. The team kept collecting close wins until Edwards left for Wolves in November which then ushered in a new era under Kim Hellberg. Under Hellberg, Boro seemed to improve even more, scoring eleven goals in their first four games. Unfortunately, this was followed by four ugly games where the club were held goalless. An explosion of six straight wins helped the Swede’s club keep up with the flying Coventry but fans have noticed a few concerning trends under the new manager. The team is very streaky, rattling off multiple wins followed by multiple losses. The team also struggles significantly to break down low block defences.
While an explosion of goals in early December helped Boro keep up in the promotion race, this gave the team a reputation that may have cost them glory. To revisit the Premier League and fend off the looming Millwall and Ipswich, Boro are going to have to find a way to break down opposing teams’ defence- heavy strategies.
