Middlesbrough may find themselves in a precarious position, but they are certainly capable of beating the drop this year.
If we have learned anything over the years, it is that you can never officially count a team out in terms of relegation until the final whistle is blown.
Some sides are good enough to ease clear of the drop zone before the last few games while others are not capable of that, and Middlesbrough look set to fall into the first category.
The important thing about Aitor Karanka’s side is that they are gritty. They have a level of experience in their squad that teams around them cannot claim to have, and they know what it takes to grind out results in this division.
All you need to do is look to their results against Manchester City and Arsenal as key examples of that.
Then you have the star power. While that is not the most important factor in regards to a relegation battle, having players like Victor Valdes and Alvaro Negredo on the books is certainly a confidence booster. Those two men alone are match winners and will prove vital towards the end of the campaign.
But most importantly, the teams around Middlesbrough just are not strong enough. With Sunderland and Swansea City already looking destined for the drop and Hull appearing to be equally as poor, the hard work is being done for them. Sure this could change as the season goes on, but for years now teams have been surviving due to the failings of others and that looks set to continue.
Middlesbrough manager Aitor Karanka before the match
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