Damning Middlesbrough FC reveal shows where 25/26 improvement is needed - with or without Michael Carrick | OneFootball

One key aspect of Middlesbrough's season really let Boro and head coach Michael Carrick down - something that must be fixed next term.

The 2024/25 season will go down as one of the most frustrating and underwhelming in recent times for many Middlesbrough supporters.

Despite finishing eighth and missing out on the play-offs in 2023/24, Boro were able to retain the vast majority of their key players, such as Hayden Hackney, Rav van den Berg and Emmanuel Latte Lath through the summer transfer window.

On top of that, the Teessiders were able to add further quality to their squad with the signings of Delano Burgzorg, Aidan Morris, Tommy Conway, and exceptional Liverpool loanee, Ben Doak.

As such, optimism was rife around the Riverside Stadium that Michael Carrick's side would be mounting a serious promotion push this season, but as it turned out, a campaign laden with mistakes, self-inflicted wounds, tactical shortcomings and a poor winter transfer window saw the club finish 10th, and four points short of the top six by the time the curtain fell.

As a result, Football League World understands that the Boro boss is facing the threat of being sacked this summer.

Damming Middlesbrough statistic highlights how far short Boro potentially are of contending for promotion

It's difficult to point towards one sole reason as to why Middlesbrough fell significantly short of their targets this season.

In truth, it's a mixture of many of the aforementioned issues they've faced this season, whilst injuries and the selling of important players mid-season have also played their part.

However, one specific piece of data highlights just how far away Carrick's side was from being a top team in the Championship this season.

Out of a possible 36 points, Middlesbrough took just five points from their games against the Championship's top six this season.

Leeds United, Sunderland, Coventry City and Bristol City all completed a league double over Boro, with the five points being collected from a 1-0 win over Sheffield United, and two draws against Burnley respectively.

Middlesbrough must be more competitive against top sides if they want to win promotion next season

A significant amount of Middlesbrough fan criticism this season has been centered around their team's perceived lack of bite, character, and ability to step up to the task when the lights shine brightest.

Seeing those numbers against the top six certainly provides hard evidence to suggest that was indeed the case this season, which if Boro are to finally end their Premier League exile next season, is something that simply can't be carried into the new campaign.

When you think back to Aitor Karanka's automatic promotion-winning side of 2015/16, his squad had all of those key traits in abundance.

A safe pair of hands in Dimi Konstantopoulos, a no-nonsense defense made up of the likes of Ben Gibson, Daniel Ayala and George Friend, an industrious and combative engine room comprised of Grant Leadbitter and Adam Clayton, creative and daring flair players such as Gaston Ramirez and Albert Adomah, and some clinical forwards in the shape of Jordan Rhodes, David Nugent and Cristhian Stuani.

Boro conceded just 31 goals that season, with their cult hero-laden squad becoming one of the hardest, nastiest and uncharitable teams to play against. Middlesbrough must become that team once more.

There was a distinct lack of bodies being put on the line, thunderous tackles flying in and hoofed clearances this season. Instead, Carrick's side so often played themselves into trouble at the back, and were carved open through the middle of the pitch too easily on too many occasions.

Therefore, with or without Carrick in the dugout next season, Middlesbrough have to find a way to be far more competitive against the best sides in the division next term, and if they can't compete financially with them, then they must conduct some shrewd transfer business in order to close that gap.