Football News: Are Middlesbrough Truly Contenders This Season?

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Steve Gibson has backed Middlesbrough manager Aitor Karanka heavily in the transfer market this summer, in the hope of turning last year's pretenders into contenders this season. Right now, after 7 games of the season have been played, Boro do look like real title contenders, despite being 5 points behind leaders Brighton & Hove Albion already. Following last season's nosedive, when they looked almost certain to get automatic promotion, nothing can be taken for granted when it comes to Boro and the Championship.

New signing, Uruguayan striker Christian Stuani, is top scorer with 7 goals already this season, and is looking like he has replaced last season's loan star, Chelsea's Patrick Bamford, effectively. If anything, he looks a step up, though it is early days and Championship defenders are still trying to figure him out at the moment. Karanka does have options to come in if his form does dip though, whereas last season, when form dipped, he had little in the way of options to change things.

With Kike and Fabbrini also there to add goals, Boro are in a strong position this season, as last night's 3-1 win over Brentford at the Riverside showed. Karanka certainly has something to point at from last season to keep his players going, if they look like backing off. Last season's failure should be a great motivational tool for the club to push them on to earn that promotion back to the Premier League that it craves.

With some of the best facilities, both in terms of training and stadium, in England, it is certainly a club geared up for the Prem, though it does struggle to draw in the fans to watch the team, even during good times. That is the main problem facing Boro, they need long term Premier League football to raise their profile and bring in some fans, but they needs the fans to bring in the money to get and stay there in the first place. They might well make it up this season, but there is no way on earth that the midfield is strong enough to keep them there.

Adam Clayton and Grant Leadbitter are not good enough for the Prem and Stewart Downing is in the tail end of his career, he can not be expected to carry the team on his own. Once again, come what may this season, the summer will see Boro once again leaning on the generosity of Steve Gibson to compete in the following season. Without the excitement of promotion, will he want to once again put his hand in his pocket to keep the club competitive?

Written by Tris Burke September 16 2015 07:28:50