Middlesbrough will hope they are not completely out of the race for the Championship play-offs just yet.
With 12 games of the regular season to go, they are currently 13th in the table, 11 points adrift of the top six.
While it may not be impossible for them to overhaul that deficit, it may be a tricky ask for them to do so.
As a result, three points away at Stoke City on Saturday afternoon, feel like they could be vital for Middlesbrough.
Even so, it seems planning is already underway at The Riverside Stadium, for the upcoming summer transfer window.
Michael Carrick drops transfer hint
Last summer was certainly a busy one for Middlesbrough in the transfer market.
In total, the club signed no fewer than 12 new senior players before the window closed at the start of September.
Meanwhile, 15 more would also leave the club in that period. However, it seems manager Michael Carrick is hoping for a quieter period in the market this time around.
The 42-year-old instead seems keen to build on the foundations he has laid within his squad during the current campaign.
Speaking about his hopes for this summer’s window, the Middlesbrough boss told Teesside Live:
“In an ideal world, consistency and stability is what we need to build on for success. The players need to understand where we’re going and have those connections with each other. It’s not a case where you can chop and change so many numbers so often.
“Sometimes circumstances will dictate that has to happen, like last summer. It’s not always fully under our control because there are other situations going on. But certainly, consistency and stability of a squad and group of players helps you improve and helps you improve together in order to achieve success.”
A sensible approach from Middlesbrough
Carrick and the club do seem to be making the right sort of plans for the summer window judging by these comments.
If the squad undergoes yet another overhaul in the summer, there will be a significant reset needed, as new individuals adapt to each other, and the setup at Middlesbrough.
That in turn would then make next season another transitional year, rather than one where they can build on what has been set up during the current campaign.
As a result, it does feel as though a quiet few months in the market may be more important for Carrick and the club.
Indeed, we have seen this season that there is the potential within this squad to mount a push for the top six at least.
With that in mind, you feel that is something the club need to build on with minor alterations, rather than changing it commpletely.
Should that happen, than an even stronger push for promotion – if needed – could be made next time around.
So while this summer may not be the most exciting for Middlesbrough fans in terms of the quantity of signings, it could still turn out to be what is best for the club.