Middlesbrough head into the weekend hoping to bounce back from a defeat last time out, after previously enjoying a fast rise up the division thanks to an eye-catching upturn in form.
Michael Carrick took over at the Riverside Stadium in late October, with Boro fighting at the bottom end of the division on just 17 points from their opening 16 league outings, and they have quickly turned their form around under the new boss, winning eight of his first 12 matches at the helm and adding 25 points to their tally.
Following a defeat to Preston North End at the beginning of his tenure, Middlesbrough would go on a five-match unbeaten run including four victories, before suffering a 3-1 beating away at Burnley, but that did not derail the Teeside outfit as they would then win their next four outings in England’s second tier.
That run began with a 4-1 thrashing of Wigan Athletic on Boxing Day, and after hard-fought wins away at Blackburn Rovers and Birmingham City, they extended their run with a 1-0 triumph at home to Millwall to further improve their position
in the playoff spots, only to see that run brought to an abrupt end in a 2-0 defeat to rivals Sunderland last weekend, as Ross Stewart and Amad Diallofound the net after Dael Fry was sent off early in the second half.
While that result did see Boro drop back down to sixth spot, they have undoubtedly taken huge steps forward in recent months, and with their lead over Luton Town and Millwall now just on goal difference, they will be keen to return to winning ways on Saturday to strengthen their grip of a top-six spot before next weekend’s full round of league fixtures.
That will be no easy task, though, as third-placed Watford arrive with a desire of their own to get back to winning ways after an underwhelming result at the weekend.
Since the return to Championship action in December after the World Cup break, Slaven Bilic’s side have added 11 points to their tally in seven league outings, and they began the new year with a particularly positive 1-0 victory away at fellow promotion-chasers Norwich City, before dropping out of the FA Cup at the hands of Reading.
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The Hornets would bounce back with a second straight league win earlier in January, beating Blackpool 2-0 thanks to goals from Tobi Adeyemoand Ismaila Sarr to move onto 43 points from 27 Championship matches, before seeking to make it three in a row last weekend when they hosted Rotherham United.
Their visitors took a surprise first-half lead through Shane Ferguson in that game, and although Joao Ferreira did draw Bilic’s men level, they were unable to find a winner and had to settle for a point as a result.
Such a draw was enough to maintain the Hornets’ position in third place in the Championship but saw the gap between themselves and second-placed Sheffield United stretched to 13 points, and they will now be fully focussed on keeping hold of a top-six spot with just a one-point lead over Saturday’s hosts and the chasing pack.
