Chris Wilder's Middlesbrough side narrowly missed out on the Championship playoffs last season, but how will they fare in 2022/23?
What happened last year?
Middlesbrough arguably shot themselves in the foot with some poor results in the final six games of the season. Chris Wilder’s side had been chasing a spot in the playoffs for quite some time but seemed to falter when they approached the finish line as they managed to win just twice across their final six games. They also lost two in that period which included a 4-1 thumping away to Preston North End. The poor run of results ultimately saw them finish five points adrift of a place in the promotion playoffs.
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Key signings?
Darragh Lenihan
You would think Middlesbrough are not entirely done in the transfer market yet; it would be somewhat alarming if they didn’t try to bring in some fresh faces to try and go one step better than last season.
They have seen two centre-backs leave the club and so it’s no surprise that they’ve dipped into the transfer market to bring in Darragh Lenihan from fellow Championship outfit Blackburn Rovers.
No player made more appearances for Blackburn last season, and he was arguably one of the most important players for the blue and whites in the previous campaign. He’ll be an excellent addition and it’s a typical Wilder signing. He’ll work wonders in terms of shoring up the Boro backline.
And who’s out?
Andraz Sporar
Where to begin! Boro have seen as many as 11 players depart the club and onto pastures new. However, there are a few big departures and one of those is attacker Andraz Sporar. The Slovenian forward played his part last season as he scored eight goals and two assists in 28 appearances.
Sporar was only on loan and leaves Teesside to return to his parent club Sporting Lisbon. But this is one to key an eye on as rumours of Sporting looking to sell him continue to do the rounds. He is priced up at 33/1 to be the Championship’s top goalscorer.
Sol Bamba
This man has been a colossus at the back for several Championship outfits, but now the 37-year-old defender will leave Middlesbrough. He won’t be retiring and is adamant that he wants to continue playing before going into management. He made an average of 3.1 clearances per match last campaign, and he still leads by example so a continuance of his playing career would not be a surprise.
Lee Peltier
Another familiar face to be leaving the Riverside is defensive midfielder Lee Peltier who has been released. The 35-year-old featured frequently for Chris Wilders’ outfit last season, but they have decided he has no future at the club.
He’s a tenacious player who, despite maybe not having the finesse of other players, has a presence and thoroughly enjoys getting stuck into a challenge. However, it’s this play style that saw him carded on an average of every 163 minutes - it’ll be interesting to see if another club decides to bring him in.
Who is their star man?
Matt Crooks
The Englishman finished the last campaign as the club’s top goalscorer and he also topped the charts for most yellow cards, receiving 16 yellow cards in total. When you think of old-fashioned physical players in forward positions, Crooks fits the bill. A player who can occupy a spot in either the midfield or further forward and has proven his value time and time again.
He loves the physicality and he’s particularly dangerous in the air. He can get a bit overzealous at times and his style of play sees him commit many fouls. But on his day, he will cause plenty of defences a host of problems.
What can we expect from them in 2022/23?
A lot will depend on who Wilder can bring into the club between now and the end of the transfer window as they need to reinforce their squad with quality additions.
Boro have lost several players and will no doubt look to the loan market to bolster their side. However, if they can bring in a couple more defenders to shore up the back line, add another winger and a forward who can chip in with goals themselves, another push for the playoffs will not be beyond reach for Wilder and his team.
Where do the odds project them to finish?
Many bookmakers have Middlesbrough being as likely to finish in the top six (best price 6/5) as the likes of West Bromwich Albion (11/10). Wilder’s side are also more favoured than Burnley which I find a bit surprising, despite the likely transitional season for the Clarets under Vincent Kompany.
Overall, the markets would suggest that Middlesbrough will once again be battling it out for a spot in the playoffs (they are fourth favourites to win the title at best price 11/1) and that seems about right.
Any recommended bets?
I want to wait and see what acquisitions Middlesbrough make in terms of player personnel before confidently stating what I like the look of. At this early stage, there isn’t enough juice in the prices to make me want to get on anything right now. I liked Middlesbrough to finish in the top six, but the price is hovering around evens which is a little short for me.
