Championship 2015-16 season preview: Middlesbrough

Middlesbrough have been installed as one of the early favourites for promotion after finishing as playoff runners-up last season.

The Teessiders were among the frontrunners for most of the year and still had a chance of going up automatically heading into the final two games of the campaign. They ultimately had to settle for a place in the playoffs and, after overcoming Brentford in the semi-finals, they headed to Wembley for a showdown with Norwich City.

Boro were simply blown away in the first half of the final, with Norwich racing into a 2-0 lead. The Canaries never looked like relinquishing their advantage, consigning Aitor Karanka and his side to another season of Championship football.

Karanka will be expected to go one better this season and end Boro's six-year exile from the Premier League.

In

Stewart Downing (West Ham United), Diego Fabbrini (Watford), Jack Stephens (Southampton, season-long loan), Tomas Kalas (Chelsea, season-long loan), Alex Baptiste (Bolton Wanderers)

Out

Lee Tomlin (Bournemouth), Emmanuel Ledesma (Rotherhan United), James Warnett (released), David Atkinson (Carlisle United), Dean Whitehead (Huddersfield Town), Ryan Brobbel (released), Kieran Weledji (released), Connor Ripley (Motherwell, short-term loan), Jonathan Burn (Oldham Athletic, short-term loan), Luke Williams (Scunthorpe United)

Last season - 4th

Manager - Aitor Karanka

The Spaniard was handed his first managerial role at Middlesbrough in 2013, having worked as assistant boss to Jose Mourinho at Real Madrid for three seasons. He has utilised his links with the Portuguese coach during his time at the Riverside Stadium, bringing the likes of Patrick Bamford, Josh McEachran and Tomas Kalas in on loan.

Karanka has revived Boro during his time in charge. When he arrived, they were languishing in the bottom half of the Championship following an unsuccessful spell under Tony Mowbray, and they are now firmly among the best teams in the division. Karanka likes his side to be strong at the back, but he gives his attacking players the licence to go forward and play attractive football.

He can consider himself a little unfortunate to not be managing Boro in the Premier League, such was the tightness of the promotion race last term, and he will want to avoid a repeat of a dramatic final few weeks of the season, which saw his side drop out of the top two courtesy of a defeat to Fulham in their penultimate game.

Key Player - Stewart Downing

Middlesbrough have pulled off quite a coup to convince Downing to return to the club. The winger started his career with the Smoggies, playing 234 times for them before leaving in the wake of their relegation from the top flight in 2009.

Downing was arguably West Ham's best player last season, scoring six goals and making eight assists. His impressive form even earned him a recall to the England squad and a first cap for his country in three years. The 31-year-old was a victim of the managerial changes at Upton Park this summer, though, and Boro were quick to capitalise.

Downing will surely be one of the standout performers in the Championship now that he is back at his boyhood club.

Possible starting lineup

Konstantopoulos; Kalas, Ayala, Gibson, Friend; Adomah, Clayton, Leadbitter, Reach, Downing; Kike

First game: Preston North End (A), Full fixture list

Sports Mole says

Despite losing last season's Player of the Season Patrick Bamford, who returned to Chelsea after his loan spell ended, Middlesbrough appear to have a stronger squad this time around. The addition of Downing is a massive boost and he will no doubt be an influential figure in the side.

The big question is whether Karanka has it in him to take Middlesbrough that one step further and into the Premier League. The way they lost out on automatic promotion last year, coupled with their disappointing showing in the playoff final, will have raised some doubts over his ability to deliver when it matters most.

However, he does have some genuine quality at his disposal which should be enough to get Boro over the line.