Middlesbrough are facing their third consecutive season in the Championship.
After narrowly missing out on the play-offs last time out, the squad must pick themselves up and attempt to challenge for promotion once again.
New boss, Jonathan Woodgate, has promised to entertain the fans with exciting football, but will it be enough to see his side compete with the top teams in the division?
Middlesbrough missed out on the play-off places by just a single point last season.
Having spent the majority of the season in the top six, the team’s form took a turn for the worse and they ended up finishing in 7th place.
The club then parted ways with manager Tony Pulis following the disappointment of missing out on a play-off spot.
Former Middlesbrough defender, Jonathan Woodgate, has been tasked with trying to guide the club back to the Premier League.
This is the 39-year-old's first ever job in management and many have viewed the decision to appoint him as a huge risk.
The squad has lost a number of key players the summer transfer window. Aden Flint, Stewart Downing and John Obi Mikel have all left without any notable replacements being brought in.
Middlesbrough are in desperate need of another striker. Britt Assombalonga scored nearly a third of his side’s league goals last season and needs help up front.
The team boasted the joint-best defensive record in the league last season, but it is at the other end of the pitch where Middlesbrough must improve.
They managed just 49 league goals all season; the lowest total of any team in the top 15 and the joint-fifth lowest overall.
Woodgate must find the right balance between keeping his team resolute at the back, while also finding more goals in attack.
If he can achieve this, then Middlesbrough will be in with a shout of reaching the play-offs.
View this post on Instagram Beautiful feeling putting the shirt on for the first time. Great shift from the boys and more minutes in the tank💪🏽 can’t wait for the season to start! Thank you for your support ❤️🔴⚪️ #UTB A post shared by Marcus Browne (@marcusbrowne10) on Jul 28, 2019 at 10:18am PDT
Beautiful feeling putting the shirt on for the first time. Great shift from the boys and more minutes in the tank💪🏽 can’t wait for the season to start! Thank you for your support ❤️🔴⚪️ #UTB
A post shared by Marcus Browne (@marcusbrowne10) on Jul 28, 2019 at 10:18am PDT
The predicted league finish for Middlesbrough is 7th. This will be a transitional season for the club which may see them just miss out on the play-offs once again.