Middlesbrough have flirted with Championship play-off success in the last two seasons.
Steve Gibson has watched his Boro side struggle in their fight for promotion over the past seven years.
Middlesbrough finished second in the Championship under Aitor Karanka in 2015/16, earning a place in the Premier League.
However, the Teessiders were relegated back down to the second division after just one year in the top flight.
Since returning to the Championship, a plethora of managers including Tony Pulis, Neil Warnock, and Chris Wilder have tried and failed to win promotion with the club.
Boro finished fifth, seventh, 17th, 10th, and seventh during their first five campaign since their latest relegation.
The latest manager vying to bring Middlesbrough back to the Premier League is Michael Carrick, who moved to the Riverside in October 2020.
The North East outfit finished fourth in 2022/23 and eighth this past season, but Middlesbrough’s promotion chances are looking up this time around.
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Middlesbrough told how to reach Championship play-offs
The Reds ended 2023/24 four points outside the top six but things are expected to go much better in the 2024/25 Championship season.
Unlike 2023, Boro are yet to sell any of their key stars this summer, with Middlesbrough’s transfer stance on Emmanuel Latte Lath made clear this week after interest from around Europe.
Furthermore, the injury crisis that impacted the club last term has largely been resolved.
Boro also got most of their new signings in early in this window, giving them time to embed ahead of the new season.
Now, Sky Sports Pundit Don Goodman has explained what Middlesbrough must do to finish in the playoffs in 2024/25.
He said: “Middlesbrough were the other team I fancy for a top-six spot. They fell four points short and finished eighth last season because they were seriously inconsistent.
“They got off to a poor start, with no win in the first seven, so that could be key for Michael Carrick. They’ve done some shrewd business.
“Those are the five clubs that I expect will be challenging at the top. I’d be surprised if those five aren’t there or thereabouts come May and the end of the season.”
Why Middlesbrough can secure automatic promotion this season
Boro have finished no higher than fourth during their current spell in the Championship.
That finish came under Carrick and saw the Teessiders bested by Coventry City in the play-off semi-finals.
However, Opta’s Middlesbrough prediction has the club finishing second in the division in 2024/25 behind only Leeds United.
While you should not put too much stock in AI-generated predictions, Carrick and co. may be among the favourites to win automatic promotion this time around.
The three sides who came down from the Premier League ahead of the new campaign are all weaker than the three from the previous season.
Burnley likely have the biggest chance of winning the league but their inflated squad will cause Scott Parker problems.
As for Leeds, they probably should have gone up in 2023/24 but they have since sold a number of key first-team players, which will impact their quality this year.
Middlesbrough, meanwhile, lost just one of their last 12 Championship matches and have had an excellent summer transfer window so far.