Preview: Boro hope to keep automatic promotion hopes alive against mid-table Watford

Preview: Boro hope to keep automatic promotion hopes alive against mid-table Watford

For a long period of time this season the top two looked almost certain to be Coventry and Middlesbrough, two sides who have become the proverbial ‘nearlymen’ in the second tier in recent years. However, as Coventry celebrated confirming their promotion to the Premier League for the first time in over 25 years, Middlesbrough fell to fifth place and looked far away from that second place spot they had been accustomed to over the first five months of the season.

Just two wins in nine have pushed Kim Hellberg’s men below the chasing pack in Millwall and Ipswich and now they lie below a rampant Southampton side. Their downturn in form could have been pointed to their 3-1 defeat to Coventry back in Feb where the Teesiders could have gone level with the Sky Blues should they have won that game. Boro now sit 13 points behind Coventry, who were crowned champions on Tuesday night.

There has been more positive news on Teeside however, homegrown talent Hayden Hackney was this week voted the leagues player of the year whilst a victory in midweek over Sheffield Wednesday seemed to stop the rot of just two points from their last five games. They will be hoping to turn their form around in time for the play-offs as they host Watford on Saturday afternoon.

Watford have had a typically tumultuous season and now find themselves onto their third manager of the season, in Ed Still, who has steadied the ship, yet three defeats on the bounce has threatened to end the Hornets season with a complete whimper. A 3-0 hammering at the hands of West Brom in midweek confirmed the Baggies safety but further drove home Watfords mediocrity that has been setting in since their relegation from the Premier League in 2022.

The Hornets have not finished in the top 10 of the second tier since their relegation which has caused concern from fans especially considering the constant managerial merry-go-round that seems to plague the side every season. Whilst a win at the Riverside could go a long way to moulding the play-off picture and could bring the Hornets up to 11th in the table, any late charge for the play-offs was killed off by their defeat to West Brom in the week and they sit far clear of any threats of relegation.