Middlesbrough’s play-off challenge hanging in the balance

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Daniel Wales and Charles Hague-Jones discuss whether Middlesbrough will make the play-offs.

Transcript

00:00Dan, looking at Middlesbrough and their sort of situation,

00:06obviously they've had an indifferent season.

00:10They've slowly dropped out away from the playoffs,

00:13but the battle there is so tight, obviously, we've mentioned.

00:17I mean, in terms of where they've been this season,

00:19they've had some terrible runs.

00:21If you look at the likes of the end of January,

00:24they go sort of five league losses.

00:27I mean, inconsistency has clearly been a bit of a shape of their season.

00:32Do you feel that could be the main thing that might prevent them

00:35actually reaching the playoffs this season?

00:37And how do they go about improving that in the future?

00:40Certainly, there have been far too many defensive errors,

00:43defensive lapses this season that have cost them dearly

00:45on a number of occasions.

00:49Unforgivable in some circumstances is what they've been.

00:53And yet, Middlesbrough are also a side who, when they're on it,

00:56can score freely and have a lot of good attacking players

00:59and can put teams to the sword quite easily under Michael Carrick.

01:03And yet, they have these moments where they just seem to fall apart

01:07and you just don't know where it's coming from.

01:09Because obviously, you can't say, well, that's been coached.

01:11Because of course, it hasn't.

01:13It's just individual or a couple of people's errors.

01:16But that will, if anything, will cost them if they aren't to miss out

01:22on the playoffs or even if they're to get in the playoffs

01:23and then not go up as well.

01:26I mean, the way it's looking, I think they'll probably just miss out.

01:30Certainly, the likes of Bristol City and Coventry City,

01:32even Millwall, who they've just been beaten by,

01:35perhaps stand a better chance than they do.

01:38But I mean, not all hope is lost.

01:40They still have games where they can rectify the situation

01:42and perhaps just sneak in right at the end.

01:44But certainly, the way it's going and the way they're playing at the moment,

01:49they're just too inconsistent.

01:51And they can't seem to string enough results together

01:53that they could really challenge those above them.

01:56So it's going to be a real shame.

01:58And then you have to worry about what will happen next season.

02:00Because will Michael Carrick stay?

02:02This is his second or third full season at the club.

02:05So you think, well, what is next?

02:09Because he's tried a lot of things

02:11and he's had different players come in and out of the club.

02:14And it's perhaps coming to a stage now

02:15where we don't know where they could go from here.

02:18Players might get frustrated.

02:21And I don't want to sort of put too much fear into those on Teesside.

02:24But these are real concerns.

02:26So I just wonder what the future is in the Middlesbrough

02:28if they aren't getting the playoffs this season,

02:30what the championship will provide to them

02:31and what their ambitions actually are as a club.

02:34Because certainly they've spent a lot of money on some Geese players,

02:37but some of them also haven't worked out.

02:39And you have to think, well,

02:40how much more money can Steve Gibson put into the club

02:43without it being unsustainable for him as a businessman?

02:46So I think it's perhaps at the moment this season

02:49a bust for Michael Carrick.

02:51But obviously that's just speculation.

02:54But it's an important end of the season to come,

02:57even if they don't get in, just to finish it on a high.

03:00Over 10, over 15 losses in a season

03:03where you are hoping for success.

03:04It's just too many losses, you feel.

03:06And that could really be the downfall

03:08when it comes to just being in and around the playoffs

03:11and instead of drawing only nine draws,

03:15not enough has been either winning or drawing.

03:18They've just been losing these games

03:19that have been so important to them.

03:22Yeah, they have.

03:24Their inconsistencies being the downfall.

03:25And it was last season as well.

03:27They started the season really poorly last season.

03:30And then they started to hit the stride

03:31towards the two-thirds mark of the campaign.

03:34But by that point, it was too little, too late.

03:36And they just weren't able to get into it.

03:38And this season, perhaps they didn't start as badly.

03:41But they've been up and down, too many peaks and troughs.

03:43So, I think when it evens itself out,

03:46they'll probably just miss out.

03:47And as I say, really, really frustrating for those on T side.

03:52Because as I say, they do have some good players.

03:54And at times this season, they've looked really, really good.

03:57And they've put a lot of teams to the saw.

03:59They've had some really heavy wins.

04:01But too many times, they've just made silly, silly errors

04:05that have cost them in games.

04:06And it looks like it's going to come back to bite them at the moment.

04:10And as I mentioned before,

04:12it's now what happens with the club going forward.

04:14And how do they rebuild for next season

04:16if they aren't to get in the playoffs and go up?

04:19So, there's a lot of questions on T side at the moment going forward.

04:23And only they can be answered by Michael Carrick, his players.

04:27And, of course, there was above them at the club

04:29the likes of Leona and Chairman Steve Gibson.

04:31So, perhaps concerning times for Borough.

04:35But certainly their fans will stick by them.

04:38And they'll support them into whatever comes next.

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