The Brewers are preparing for their second season in the Championship and they will be coming up against six new opponents during the 2017/18 campaign. In this series, we look at the new clubs that will be joining us in the Championship. Here we take a look at Middlesbrough.
Middlesbrough’s return to the Premier League may have only lasted one season, but new manager Garry Monk will be hoping he can restore Boro to the top-flight at the first time of asking.
Monk saw hopes of promotion snatched away from him in the final weeks of the 2016/17 season, with poor form seeing his Leeds side miss-out on the play-offs. A 2-1 loss at the Pirelli Stadium in April all-but-ended the Whites’ hopes of returning to the Premier League.
Meanwhile, Middlesbrough’s season seldom provided moments of hope. The side, managed for the most-part by Aitor Karanka and later Steve Agnew, finished as the lowest scorers in the league with just 27 goals, despite nine goals from former Manchester City striker Alvaro Negredo, who was on loan from Valencia.
Despite their poor season, two Middlesbrough players did stand out enough to be linked with big-money moves away from the club. Centre-half Ben Gibson has been linked with many of England’s top clubs and is thought to be valued at around £20 million. Former Barcelona and Aston Villa winger Adama Traore, who had one of the best dribble completion rates in Europe last season, has also been linked with a move to Premier League champions Chelsea.
Brian Clough, father of the Brewers manager Nigel, is a Middlesbrough legend having scored 197 goals in just 213 games.