A Sky Sports pundit has shared his view on Middlesbrough’s chances of securing promotion to the Premier League in 2024/25.
Middlesbrough have not seen Premier League action since the 2016/17 campaign when they finished 19th and were relegated to the Championship.
In a bid to return his club to England’s premier division, owner Steve Gibson has spent plenty of money, including close to £50m in 2017, and hired a number of managers.
However, tacticians like Neil Warnock, Garry Monk, and Chris Wilder failed to deliver on the promotion front.
Michael Carrick was brought to the Riverside Stadium in October 2022, with Gibson seemingly looking to repeat the success of the last manager to get Boro promoted, Aitor Karanka.
Karanka had no experience in management before joining the Teessiders but previously worked as an assistant to Jose Mourinho at Real Madrid.
The Spaniard took three seasons to earn promotion with Middlesbrough and the previously inexperienced Carrick is on course to follow a similar trajectory.
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Sky Sports pundit offers verdict on Middlesbrough promotion chances
Carrick has guided Middlesbrough to fourth and eighth-place finishes so far, with expectations high ahead of 2024/25.
The recently relegated sides and Leeds United are expected to prove Boro’s biggest rivals in the coming campaign.
But the North East outfit have been smart in their recruitment this summer and have, so far, kept hold of all their key players from 2023/24.
Now, Sky Sports pundit Don Goodman has shared his thoughts on Middlesbrough’s chances of securing promotion in 2024/25, as per Teesside Live.
He said: “Consistency is key for Middlesbrough. Look at the way they finished last season, winning seven, drawing four and losing one, which was that incredible home game against Leeds. 25 points from 12 games is promotion-winning form.
“To highlight inconsistency though, in the 12 games before that they only won four, drawing six and losing two.
“With every passing season, Michael Carrick’s experience becomes more valuable.
“He knows this league now, having only played and coached at the top before joining Boro, and the Championship will no longer be a culture shock to him, he’ll know what it takes to win promotion.”
Failure to win promotion could prove detrimental to Middlesbrough
While most Boro fans likely back their team to get promoted in 2024/25, failure to do so could cost the club massively.
The likes of Emmanuel Latte Lath and Rav van den Berg have shone in the Championship and if Boro do not go up next season, it would not be surprising to see them move on next summer.
The latter is still only 20 years old but has already been backed to play Champions League football in the future.
There is also the question of what Carrick will do if the Teessiders are still in the Championship come 2025/26.
The Englishman clearly has a bright future in management and likely wants to take the step up to the Premier League at some point.
If Middlesbrough cannot offer him that chance, a struggling side in the top flight could well do so.