Middlesbrough are set to face off with Coventry City in a Championship clash on Saturday afternoon.
Middlesbrough drew 3-3 with Norwich City in their last Championship fixture, blowing a 3-1 lead with less than 20 minutes of normal time to play.
It was the first time Boro had scored three goals in a league tie this season, with their defence, somewhat surprisingly, the one thing that let them down against the Canaries.
Michael Carrick’s men are now aiming to bounce back when they welcome a Coventry City side who sit 18th in the Championship table ahead of the weekend to the Riverside Stadium.
Coventry beat the North East outfit in the Championship play-offs during Carrick’s first season at the helm.
And the former Manchester United player does not have a great record against the Sky Blues during his time as a manager.
Coventry have beaten Middlesbrough three times and drawn twice during Carrick’s time in the dugout, with Boro’s overall record against them pretty worrying.
The Teessiders have secured just one win in their last eight meetings in all competitions against Coventry – a record that really needs to change this weekend.
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Sam Parkins makes Middlesbrough vs Coventry City score prediction
Middlesbrough head into the game ninth in the table and only outside the play-off places by one point.
However, if they once again fail to pick up a win in a match they are favourites for, it will be a big blow to their automatic promotion hopes.
But when speaking on the Championship Check-In podcast this week, EFL pundit Sam Parkin has backed Boro to come away with the win but also questioned if Carrick and co. will ‘misfire’ once more.
He said: “It feels like it’s too early to say that Coventry have turned a corner despite how impressed I was with them and they must be feeling better after four points in two games albeit it was pretty scrappy at QPR.
“I just don’t think it’s going turn around overnight. I think Middlesbrough are probably a better team right now. I think I’ll back Boro here. Are they going to misfire again?
“I’m going to go for 3-2 Boro. I was going to go 1-0 but I just think there’s more goals in it than that.”
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What Michael Carrick must avoid doing during Middlesbrough vs Coventry City
Middlesbrough played some superb football in the first 45 against Norwich this past Sunday.
The game should have been killed off when Tommy Conway stepped up to the penalty spot but his miss and a Carrick change allowed the home side a way back into the game.
Ben Doak has excelled for Boro this term but Carrick continues to sub the Liverpool loanee off in place of Isaiah Jones.
This decision always makes Middlesbrough much weaker at the end of games and allows teams to pile the pressure on.
It is clear Doak will start against Coventry but if he does come off, it simply cannot be for Jones.