Middlesbrough agonizingly missed out on a play-off spot as they finished 7th in the Championship, one point behind Derby County.
Overview
Having spent much of the season in the top six, the North East club deteriorated in the second half of the campaign and their poor form ultimately cost them their chance of returning to the Premier League.
Highs
Boro started the season well, beating now-promoted Sheffield United 3-0. They followed up that victory with 3 more on the spin; dispatching of Birmingham City, Bristol City and West Bromwich Albion.
Results like this will give the Riverside faithful optimism for next season, proving they are more than capable of beating the league’s best sides.
With an average home crowd of over 23,000 at the Riverside Stadium, there’s no doubting the fan’s commitment as they consistently turned up week in week out to support their team.
Britt Assombalonga was the club’s top scorer, netting 16 times in the league and remaining a constant threat throughout the campaign.
Stand out performer
Middlesbrough finished the season with the joint best defensive record in the league. They conceded just 41 times and goalkeeper Darren Randolph consistently put in top performances between the sticks.
The experienced 32-year-old Irishman kept 19 clean sheets, meaning astonishingly he didn’t concede in 41% of the games he played in.
What went wrong?
Middlesbrough came into the 2018/19 season having lost a handful of key players in the summer transfer window. Striker Patrick Bamford signed for Leeds United and Adama Traore and Ben Gibson both moved to the Premier League, joining Wolverhampton Wanderers and Burnley respectively.
Losing players of such importance, and failing to find adequate replacements, undoubtably played a huge role in the club’s failure to finish in the top 6.
With just 49 goals scored all season in the Championship, finding the back of the net was an ongoing issue. This was the lowest total in the top 15 teams in the league and the joint 5th lowest overall.
Boro lost a costly 6 games in a row before eventually winning 4 of their last 5. Many fans will be quick to point out that this is where it went wrong for their side last season.
One to watch
Dael Fry solidified his place at the heart of the Middlesbrough defense last season. The England under-21 international graduated from the club’s academy and is now a firm favorite with the fans.
If he keeps progressing at such a rate, it will only be a matter of time before some of the country’s top clubs come calling.
Next season
With Tony Pulis parting company with the club, Middlesbrough will be hoping they can appoint a new manager swiftly and start building for next season. They will need to add some talent to their squad and keep hold of their star performers to ensure they don’t again miss out on a chance for promotion to the Premier League.