Middlesbrough: From Championship to Champions League

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Dylan Campbell

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MIDDLESBROUGH: FROM CHAMPIONSHIP TO CHAMPIONS LEAGUE
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Hi everyone, and welcome to a career mode with Championship side Middlesbrough where I plan to take them back to the top flight of English football and perhaps propel the club into one of Europe's elite. But that will
take time and hopefully you'll sit back and enjoy the ride! The first thing I want to do is talk you through my squad and the transfers that were made in and out of the club during the transfer window.

SUMMER TRANSFER WINDOW REVIEW

I only made one signing in the transfer window, securing the services of veteran 35-year old Danish international Christian Poulsen, whose contract with Copenhagen in his native Denmark had expired. Having
played for the likes of Juventus, Sevilla, Schalke 04, Liverpool and Ajax, Poulsen brings much-needed experience to our squad.

Overall, I seemed pretty happy with what we had. I decided to go with a 4-1-2-3 formation which had been recommended on one of the FMH Vibe threads, if you want to try it for yourselves. In goal, we would have Greek international Dimitris Konstantopoulus, who was 37 years old but a great shot-stopper with excellent
handling and reflexes. Our back four was considerable, our two full-backs George Friend and Emilio Nsue would
bomb up and down the pitch, whereas the centre-back partnership of Daniel Ayala and Ben Gibson would keep
things safe at the back.

Poulsen would act as a defensive midfielder, protecting the two center-backs and sitting back behind the two
central midfielders, Grant Leadbitter and Stewart Downing who would control the midfield. Our front three, we
had high hopes for. Our left forward, David Nugent had a proven record in the Championship and in the Premier League, our right forward Christian Stuani was a quality signing poached from Liga BBVA side Espanyol when Aitor Karanka led Middlesbrough last season and our central striker, Kike, was a striker with great potential and lethal finishing, hopefully someone who would bag us some crucial goals as we fight for automatic promotion.
 
PRE-SEASON REVIEW

PRE-SEASON

MIDDLESBROUGH 3-0 WALSALL (KIKE 3, 23 LEADBITTER 90)

Our first match of pre-season began in style, within three minutes Kike slotted home from close range to put us 1-0 up. His second came 20 minutes later from a Christian Stuani cross, flicking home from the near post leaving goalkeeper Craig MacGillivray helpless. For the remainder of the game, Middlesbrough controlled possession and Walsall had little resources to fight back. An Amadou Bakayoko strike was chalked off for offside with seven minutes left, before in the last minute of injury-time, Grand Leadbitter struck home from 20 yards.

MIDDLESBROUGH 5-2 PORT VALE (KIKE 8, 12 , 17(PEN), 65, STUANI 83)

Within eight minutes, a brilliant Middlesbrough team play involving 18 passes led to Kike breaking through the Port Vale defence at speed and slotting home. Four minutes later, it was 2-0. Stewart Downing's 25-yard free-kick was rebounded into the path of Kike, who fired home from close range. By this point, Port Vale had capitulated as on the 17th minute, Remie Streete brought down Stuani inside the box, and Kike stepped up to complete his hat-trick, sending keeper Jak Alnwick the wrong way. Port Vale pulled one back however when Uche Ikpeazu, on loan from Watford, fired home from the half-volley just outside the box on 22 minutes. At half-time, Middlesbrough were 3-1 up. At the start of the second half, Middlesbrough controlled the game, creating several chances, Stewart Downing's sublime 30-yard free kick tipped over the bar by Alnwick, but on 65 minutes, Kike added his fourth with a beautiful curling finish into the top corner from just outside the penalty box. Fourteen minutes, Port Vale halved the deficit when JJ Hooper finished off a rebound. But the game was put to bed seven minutes from time, as Christian Stuani broke free, rounded past Alnwick and tapped home to secure the win. Two out of two pre-season victories.
 
Good luck with Boro, one the best sides in the championship but as long as you lose to Brighton then it's all good lol
 
Cheers! Boro is a very good team, but I guess anything can happen in this league. **** ****** Brighton could beat us. I guess we'll find out soon.
 
AUGUST REVIEW

MIDDLESBROUGH 4-1 QPR (KIKE 6, 9, 15 NUGENT 39) CHAMPIONSHIP MATCHDAY 1

In our first game of the campaign, we recorded an emphatic victory over promotion rivals Queens Park Rangers at Loftus Road. Kike bagged himself a hat-trick within 15 minutes and David Nugent added a fourth before half-time. We dominated the match, having 13 shots on target to their 7, despite the fact that they had 56% possession. Tjaronn Chery, their Dutch winger signed from Groningen in the summer scored a consolation for the Hoops.
MIDDLESBROUGH 5-0 CREWE (NSUE 9, KIKE 15, AYALA 21, LEADBITTER 82, NUGENT 88) LEAGUE CUP

In the League Cup 1st round, we thumped Crewe 5-0 with a superb team display. Konty, as I'm going to call him from now on as his name's too difficult to write down all the time and Stuani were both absent due to international duty. Also, Emilio Nsue picked up a hamstring injury 25 minutes in, he should be out for a couple of weeks.

MIDDLESBROUGH 2-0 BRISTOL CITY (LEADBITTER 22, STUANI 57) CHAMPIONSHIP MATCHDAY 2

Two wins from two as we easily brushed aside newly-promoted Bristol City. We dominated possession and had 17 shots on target to their 5. The form of Leadbitter has been great, considering he scored against Crewe. George Friend was excellent as he picked up man of the match and Stuani's second goal was superb.

MIDDLESBROUGH 2-0 BIRMINGHAM (KIKE 55, DOWNING 62) CHAMPIONSHIP MATCHDAY 3

A quick fire double following Maikel Kieftenbeld's 51st minute red card for Birmingham led us to win comfortably. Birmingham caused us problems early on in the first half and had several opportunities to take the lead but when Kieftenbeld was sent off for clumsily taking down Stuani in a last man offence, Birmingham seemed to capitulate. Kike and Downing fired home and within 11 minutes, we were 2-0 up.

MIDDLESBROUGH 1-0 FULHAM (STUANI 27) LEAGUE CUP 2ND ROUND

A solitary Christian Stuani header against Fulham in the Capital Cup 2nd round set us up a 3rd-round encounter with defending English champions Chelsea, and also reinforced our unbeaten start to the season in all competitions. It was a fairly comfortable game, as Fulham offered little threat.
MIDDLESBROUGH 0-0 MK DONS CHAMPIONSHIP MATCHDAY 4

A fairly disappointing result against a team we could have easily beaten in the form that we are in. Kike did have a goal chalked off in the 29th minute, but we struggled to make an impact. MK Dons were a well-organised team in defense, and had an attack to be reckoned with. The first time we've dropped points this season, but still unbeaten.

PLAYER OF THE MONTH: KIKE

Kike bagged five goals in his first six games, including a hat-trick against QPR on the opening day of the season. He has proved to be the lethal finisher that we had been hoping for.
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Well, that's the pre-season and August wrapped up, my next post will be reviewing September, which will probably be out in a few hours' time, stay tuned. Also if you have any suggestions or comments, please put them down. Also, let me know how you're doing in your careers, if you're either winning the Champions League or on the unemployment list, let me know. Also, if you need tips or you would like to offer me tips, please comment down below. By the way, this is FM Mobile, if you're probably wandering why I'm describing goals as 25-yard screamers, it's just probably my imagination.
 
SEPTEMBER REVIEW

12th September: MIDDLESBROUGH 3-1 SHEFFIELD WEDNESDAY (KIKE 4, 53, 79) CHAMPIONSHIP MATCHDAY 5

The first match after the international break brought us a comfortable 3-1 away win to Sheffield Wednesday at Hillsborough. Kike opened the scoring within four minutes, before former Watford forward Fernando Forestieri equalised on the brink of half-time, but a Kike brace in the second half secured Middlesbrough their fourth win out of five.

15th September: MIDDLESBROUGH 5-1 BURNLEY (KIKE 9, 31 STUANI 26, 64 NUGENT 60)
CHAMPIONSHIP MATCH DAY 6

A rampant 5-1 victory over promotion rivals Burnley stunned even the most optimistic of Boro fans and pundits. Kike continued his sublime form with a header 9 minutes in. Right-winger Christian Stuani doubled the advantage with a low strike inside the box, before Kike made it 3-0 five minutes later with a low curling finish from outside the penalty area. In the second half, David Nugent made it four with a header from a Stewart Downing corner and Stuani added his second to complete Burnley's humiliation when his 25-yard effort took a heavy deflection off Ben Mee. Burnley did pull one back through a George Boyd free-kick in the dying embers, but the day belonged to Middlesborough, who reinforced their status at top of the table with 16 points from a possible 18.

19th September: MIDDLESBROUGH 3-0 HULL (KIKE 16, STUANI 62, NUGENT 66) CHAMPIONSHIP MATCHDAY 7

Middlesbrough's stunning form continued with a comfortable 3-0 victory over Hull City at the Riverside. Kike opened the scoring on the 16th minute, his 11th goal in 9 matches, but for the majority of the first half Hull bossed possession and Abel Hernandez missed several chances to put Hull back in the match, and when proceedings resumed in the second half, a quick-fire double finished off Hull. Christian Stuani volleyed home from a Stewart Downing cross in the 62nd minute, before four minutes later, David Nugent finished off a rapid counter-attack.

23rd September: MIDDLESBROUGH 2-1 CHELSEA (DOWNING 8, KIKE 43) LEAGUE CUP 3RD ROUND

Middlesbrough had done it! They had defeated the defending English champions at their own backyard! Yes, it was only a League Cup match but Chelsea had fielded a strong team, featuring the likes of John Terry, Cesc Fabregas, Diego Costa and Carlos Vela, a summer signing from Real Sociedad. Our team was still fresh from the 3-0 win over Hull over the weekend, but we were expected to exit the competition at this early stage, but we defied expectations when Stewart Downing fired home eight minutes in to give Middlesbrough a shock early lead. Three minutes later, our lead was put into jeopardy when Daniel Ayala was sent off for a rash challenge on Diego Costa, but just before half-time, our advantage was doubled thanks to Kike finishing off yet another rapid counter-attack, which we were now famed for. In the second half, Chelsea piled on the pressure and pulled one back through Willian but it was too little, too late as we recorded a major scalp, dumping out one of Europe's top clubs with ten men.

26th September: MIDDLESBROUGH 0-2 NOTT. FOREST CHAMPIONSHIP MATCHDAY 8

A brace from on-loan Benfica starlet Nelson Oliviera proved to be our undoing as our unbeaten start to the season ended with a 2-0 less away to Nottingham Forest. We had been outplayed for most of the game, as our players were still groggy from the win midweek against Chelsea in the League Cup. Oliviera opened the scoring 40 minutes in with a low finish, and doubled Forest's advantage with a half-volley 22 minutes from time. Our replacement right-back Damia suffered an injury 10 minutes in to literally add insult to injury.

29th September: MIDDLESBROUGH 3-1 HUDDERSFIELD (STUANI 43, 61 KIKE 84)
CHAMPIONSHIP MATCHDAY 9

We returned back to form with a 3-1 win against Huddersfield to cap off September. James Vaughan had put Huddersfield ahead with a header 36 minutes in, but Christian Stuani levelled the scores seven minutes later tapping home from six yards via a low cross from David Nugent. In the second half, we took the lead when Stuani lobbed goalkeeper Joe Murphy from 18 yards before Kike sealed the win with a thumping strike into the top corner six minutes from time.

PLAYER OF THE MONTH: KIKE

Kike continued his blistering form, bagging a hat-trick against Sheffield Wednesday, a brace against Burnley, goals against Hull, Chelsea and Huddersfield to take his account to 13 goals in 11 games. The Spanish striker was voted Middlesbrough's best player so far this season in a poll taken by the supporters' club.
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Hey guys, expect an October review and a November and December review, in a few hours. If you're liking the series so far, leave me a comment! Thanks for reading!
 
OCTOBER REVIEW

3rd October: MIDDLESBROUGH 2-1 WOLVES (KIKE 28, 68) CHAMPIONSHIP MATCHDAY 10

A Kike double provided us with yet another win as our push for Championship promotion strengthened. Kike opened the scoring with his 14th goal of the campaign, before adding his second later on in the second half. On-loan Arsenal striker Benik Afobe pulled a late consolation back for Wolves, but Middlesbrough held on to claim all three points.

17th October: MIDDLESBROUGH 1-1 DERBY (NUGENT 57) CHAMPIONSHIP MATCHDAY 11

We were quite lucky to come out of this game with a point. Tom Ince had given Derby the lead at the brink of half-time, but at the start of the second-half, Derby midfielder Bradley Johnson was given a straight red for a reckless foul on our striker Kike, who suffered an injury scare. Within five minutes, Nugent had equalized via a well-organised set piece.

20th October: MIDDLESBROUGH 3-1 BLACKBURN (NUGENT 12 KIKE 19, 44) CHAMPIONSHIP MATCHDAY 12

A comfortable win against Blackburn. David Nugent opened the scoring before Kike doubled our advantage seven minutes later. Jordan Rhodes halved the deficit on 38 minutes, but our two-goal lead was restored by a Kike volley on the brink of half-time.

24th October: MIDDLESBROUGH 1-1 BRENTFORD (STUANI 58) CHAMPIONSHIP MATCHDAY 13

A frustrating draw in a match we dominated. Having 11 shots to Brentford's measly one, Brentford made that one shot count 22 minutes in when German striker Phillip Hoffman headed home from a corner. Christian Stuani levelled the scores for Middlesbrough in the second half, but we couldn't find a winner.

28th October: MIDDLESBROUGH 2-4 MANCHESTER UNITED (KIKE 20, 39) LEAGUE CUP 4TH ROUND

We were prevented from causing another major scalp in the League Cup by an in-form Manchester United. Wayne Rooney had given United the lead 12 minutes in, but Kike equalized eight minutes later and put Boro in front six minutes from half-time, but Rooney scored in first-half stoppage team to leave the half-time score at 2-2. Our defenses held up until 15 minutes from time, when James Wilson scored in the 75th minute, and then again nine minutes later to ensure the win.

31st October: MIDDLESBROUGH 2-2 CARDIFF (DOWNING 32, NUGENT 52) CHAMPIONSHIP MATCH 14

Our third draw in four Championship games. To be fair, the team was still tired from the demoralizing loss to Manchester United and did well to at least salvage a point, but we were outplayed. Stewart Downing had put us in front 32 minutes in, but former Manchester United left-back Fabio equalized at the stroke of half-time. David Nugent restored our lead on the 52nd minute, but 32-year old striker Alex Revell equalized for Cardiff ten minutes from time.

PLAYER OF THE MONTH: DAVID NUGENT

Throughout a spell where Middlesbrough's early momentum could have easily been sidetracked, Nugent scored three crucial goals in October. An equalizer against Derby, the opener in a 3-1 win over Blackburn and a goal in the 2-2 draw against Cardiff, Nugent deserves our player of the month.
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In a few hours, I'll be doing a November AND December review, so keep your eyes peeled for that. Also, I want to add some new stuff to this thread, so leave me some ideas and comment them down below. Tomorrow, we'll probably be doing another double post, a January review and a transfer window review, so stay tuned for that also!
 
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NOVEMBER AND DECEMBER REVIEW

7th November: MIDDLESBROUGH 2-1 BRIGHTON (NUGENT 51, KIKE 69) CHAMPIONSHIP MATCHDAY 15

A comfortable win despite falling behind early on thanks to Tomer Hemed's header on the stroke of half-time, we fought back and controlled the second half with ease.

10th November: MIDDLESBROUGH 2-1 FULHAM (KIKE 62, 72) CHAMPIONSHIP MATCHDAY 16

Another second-half comeback, another three points. Tom Cairney had put Fulham 1-0 up on 34 minutes, before Kike bagged a brace to continue his blistering start to the campaign.

21st November: MIDDLESBRUGH 1-2 LEEDS (DOWNING 19) CHAMPIONSHIP MATCHDAY 17

Only our second loss of the season, we fell behind to Adam Smith's goal within a minute, before we equalized on 19 minutes thanks to Stewart Downing, before Wood added his second of the match seven minutes later.

24th November: MIDDLESBROUGH 1-0 IPSWICH (NUGENT 32) CHAMPIONSHIP MATCHDAY 18

A nervy win despite dominating the match. Four minutes after Luke Chambers' sending off for a second bookable offence, Nugent scored the only goal of the game. Early on in the second half however, Kike picked up an injury and was forced out for four weeks, meaning that he would miss all of December.

29th November: MIDDLESBROUGH 1-2 BOLTON (NUGENT 1) CHAMPIONSHIP MATCHDAY 19

Our first match without Kike led to an inevitable defeat. Outplayed once again and unable to gain a foothold, we managed to take the lead in the 1st minute, thanks to David Nugent, before Jay Spearing and David Wheater's goals condemned us to our third defeat of the season, and our second in three matches.

5th December: MIDDLESBROUGH 1-0 CHARLTON (NUGENT 61) CHAMPIONSHIP MATCHDAY 20

Nugent guided us to yet another crucial win at home to Charlton. We dominated the match but missed many chances in the first half. Our patience paid off in the second half when Nugent scored the only goal of the game.

9th December: MIDDLESBROUGH 5-0 PRESTON (LEADBITTER 3, 10 FABBRINI 36, 45 NUGENT 63) CHAMPIONSHIP MATCHDAY 21

A comfortable 5-0 thrashing of minnows Preston. Leadbitter opened the scoring three minutes in, and added a second seven minutes later. On-loan Watford winger Diego Fabbrini bagged himself two goals before half-time and Nugent added a fifth, capping off his steadily improving form.

12th December: MIDDLESBROUGH 3-0 ROTHERHAM (FABBRINI 31, 70 NUGENT 76) CHAMPIONSHIP MATCHDAY 22

Fabbrini's rising stock continued with his second brace in as many matches. He opened the scoring 31 minutes in, before adding his second 20 minutes from time. Nugent sealed the victory six minutes later.

19th December: MIDDLESBROUGH 2-0 READING (KIKE 16, STUANI 45) CHAMPIONSHIP MATCHDAY 23

We capped off the first half of the season with a comfortable 2-0 win over Reading. Kike, returning from his injury spell opened the scoring 16 minutes in, before Stuani added a second on the brink of half-time.

26th December: MIDDLESBROUGH 3-2 QPR (DOWNING 30, 45 KIKE 80) CHAMPIONSHIP MATCHDAY 24

Traditional Boxing Day fixture gave us a well-deserved victory over a much-improved QPR side. Charlie Austin put the Hoops in front 25 minutes in, before Downing equalized five minutes after, then added his second to put us in front on the brink of half-time. Kike added a third ten minutes from time, and although Nedum Onuoha bagged a late consolation, we managed to hold on to claim three points.

28th December: MIDDLESBROUGH 0-0 BRISTOL CITY CHAMPIONSHIP MATCHDAY 25

A dull 0-0 draw against a rigid Bristol City. We dominated the game but failed to create any worthwhile chances, Emilio Nsue picked up a second injury at half-time, adding to our ever-mounting problems.
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PLAYER OF THE MONTH: DAVID NUGENT

When Kike came up injured, Nugent filled up the void and once again scored some crucial goals to reinforce our status as title contenders. Bagging six goals, including winners against Ipswich and Charlton, Nugent has been a force to be reckoned with.
 
JANUARY TRANSFER WINDOW REVIEW

The January transfer window is a frustrating time. Many of the top players that you were courting in the summer are now no longer available and especially for us, we have to juggle our transfer policy with our promotion hopes. We courted several players that fitted into our philosophy, yet none of them came to fruition due to varying reasons. The big one was Burnley forward Andre Gray, who was 6 months into a spell at Turf Moor, with the burden of being the club's record signing at £9 million resting on his shoulders. Burnley, relegated from the top flight the season before, hoped for an immediate comeback but their expectations were somewhat lowered when they were destroyed 5-1 away at the Riverside to, well, us. We made several bids, our highest peaking at £4.6 million. All were sternly rejected and we moved our attention away to Manchester City's young English winger Patrick Roberts, who had recently joined from Fulham. We attempted a loan deal for the youngster but his wage demands were too high, so we bailed out from that as well. And finally, a deal for Werder Bremen striker and Nigerian international Anthony Ujah fell apart. The guy was a perfect striker, and would bring some much-needed quality to our team, however a bid of £4 million was not enough and we missed out yet again.

One upside however was the fact that we could offload unwanted players that were surplus to requirements. Adam Reach, a winger who was never destined for the top, was sold to Burnley for £2.2 million. Albert Adomah, another winger but one of Middlesbrough's key players, fell out with me and the board and did not fit into the squad and so was let go to German second-tier outfit Braunschweig for £1.6 million, and finally Yanic Wildschut, yet ANOTHER winger was offloaded to Charlton for £750,000. Although he possessed great dribbling, his attitude to training was not good enough and so we had no choice but to let him go.
 
JANUARY AND FEBRUARY REVIEW

January 2nd: MIDDLESBROUGH 2-1 BIRMINGHAM (KIKE 16, 60) CHAMPIONSHIP MATCHDAY 26

Kike scored another brace to secure us three points against Birmingham. Kike opened the scoring 16 minutes in, before Clayton Donaldson equalized for Birmingham 33 minutes in. In the second half, Kike restored our advantage 60 minutes in to give us yet another win.

January 5th: MIDDLESBROUGH 5-1 MK DONS (KIKE 28, 48 DOWNING 30, 54 STUANI 49) CHAMPIONSHIP MATCHDAY 27

A 5-1 thrashing of MK Dons was our third five-goal thrashing of the campaign. Nicky Maynard give MK Dons an early lead 5 minutes in, before a quickfire double from Kike and Stewart Downing gave us the lead. In the second half, another quickfire brace doubled our advantage. Kike scored on 48 minutes, before Stuani added a fourth 90 seconds later. Five minutes later, a Stewart Downing free-kick made it five.

January 9th: MIDDLESBROUGH 2-1 STOKE (STUANI 70, LEADBITTER 90) FA CUP 3RD ROUND

A last-minute Grant Leadbitter goal secured us a win over Stoke in the FA Cup third round. Bojan gave Stoke lead early on in the second half, before Stuani equalized with a lovely individual effort on 70 minutes, before Leadbitter scored from a scrappy play in the dying embers of second-half stoppage team to secure a big win.

January 20th: MIDDLESBROUGH 2-0 SHEFFIELD WEDNESDAY (KIKE 27, STUANI 62) CHAMPIONSHIP MATCHDAY 28

A crucial 2-0 win over Sheffield Wednesday reinforced our eleven-point gap at the summit of the Championship. Kike opened the scoring 27 minutes in with a deft flick from a low cross from Stuani, before the Uruguayan doubled the advantage with a low finish in the second half.

January 23rd: MIDDLESBROUGH 2-0 BURNLEY (KIKE 3, LEADBITTER 40) CHAMPIONSHIP MATCHDAY 29

A early Michael Keane red card cost Burnley the chance to gain redemption against us following the 5-1 drubbing they endured earlier in the season. Kike scored from the resulting free-kick, before Leadbitter doubled the advantage on the brink of the half-time, ensuring yet another three points as the Championship moved into the business end of the season.

January 30th: MIDDLESBROUGH 1-4 EVERTON (KIKE 23) FA CUP 4TH ROUND

Everton condemned us to a heavy battering at home, as we suffered an early exit from the FA Cup. Leon Osman gave the Toffees the lead early on, before Kike equalized, but Osman restored Everton's lead with an superb 25-yard volley. Young Danish attacking midfielder Nicolaj Thomson made it three before Ryan Ledson completed the rout with a 20-yard lob when Konto was caught in no-man's lead, sixteen minutes from time.

February 6th: MIDDLESBROUGH 3-0 NOTTINGHAM FOREST (NUGENT 64, KIKE 67, 81) CHAMPIONSHIP MATCHDAY 30

A gutsy second-half performance gave us vengeance against the team that inflicted our first defeat of the campaign. Nugent gave us the lead 64 minutes in, before Kike added a second three minutes later and a third nine minutes from time, finishing off a counter-attacking masterclass.

February 10th: MIDDLESBROUGH 3-2 HULL (KIKE 6, 13, 70) CHAMPIONSHIP MATCHDAY 31

A Kike hat-trick gave us yet another vital victory against a gutsy Hull away. Within thirteen minutes, Kike had given us a 2-0 lead, before Adama Diomande pulled one back. Kike restored our two-goal advantage two minutes from time, but Tom Huddlestone provided Hull a lifeline with a consolation eight minutes from time.

February 13th: MIDDLESBROUGH 0-2 HUDDERSFIELD CHAMPIONSHIP MATCHDAY 32

A Joe Lolley brace provided us with our fourth loss of the campaign against Huddersfield. He added his first 10 minute following a lapse of concentration from Ayala, and a second was added on 23 minutes when Konto's brilliant save from Lolley was undone when the forward converted the rebound.

February 20th: MIDDLESBROUGH 2-1 WOLVES (NUGENT 18, STUANI 60) CHAMPIONSHIP MATCHDAY 33

A good performance following last week's defeat to Huddersfield. Nugent opened the scoring 18 minutes in, and Stuani added a second on the hour mark. Benik Afobe, Arsenal's striker on loan provided a late consolation but it was not enough.

February 23rd: MIDDLESBROUGH 1-1 DERBY (KIKE 71) CHAMPIONSHIP MATCHDAY 34

Kike saved us from a damning defeat to Derby in a game where we were heavily outplayed. Craig Bryson gave the Rams the lead 13 minutes in, but Kike equalized 19 minutes from time to rescue us a vital point.

February 27th: MIDDLESBROUGH 3-1 BLACKBURN (STUANI 37 (PEN), NUGENT 45, FRIEND 62) CHAMPIONSHIP MATCHDAY 35

A comeback against Blackburn provided us with another big win on our push for the Premier League. Joe O'Sullivan gave Blackburn the lead on the half-hour mark, before Stuani levelled with a penalty seven minutes later, Nugent scored on the brink of half-time to give us the lead and left-back George Friend scored his first of the campaign 62 minutes in.
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PLAYER OF THE MONTH: KIKE

Picking up his third POTM of the campaign, Kike bagged 13 goals throughout January and February, including a hat-trick against Hull and braces against MK Dons and Birmingham.
 
MARCH REVIEW

March 5th: MIDDLESBROUGH 3-1 BRENTFORD (STUANI 5, DOWNING 52, KIKE 77) CHAMPIONSHIP MATCHDAY 36

We played well this game, but Brentford put on some pressure. Stuani gave us an early lead, but Scott Hogan levelled for Brentford on 50 minutes, before Downing put us back in front almost instantly, before Kike added a late third to seal the win.

March 8th: MIDDLESBROUGH 2-1 CARDIFF (LEADBITTER 51, KIKE 75) CHAMPIONSHIP MATCHDAY 37

A nervy win in an injury-hit game. Leadbitter gave us a lead in the second half, but Idriss Saadi levelled, before picking up an injury 10 minutes later. Kike put us back in front with fifteen minutes to go, before left-back Fabio picked up Cardiff's second injury. Christian Poulsen had picked up a pulled hamstring in the first half.

March 12th: MIDDLESBROUGH 4-2 BRIGHTON (KIKE 1, 35, 56, STUANI 39) CHAMPIONSHIP MATCHDAY 38

A Kike hat-trick gave us a precious win over Brighton. He opened the scoring after 25 seconds, and doubled our advantage on 35 minutes, Stuani made it 3-0 four minutes later, before Jack Harper pulled a goal back for Brighton on the brink of half-time. Kike completed his hat-trick and restored our three-goal advantage to make it 4-1, before Harper added his second on 59 minutes. Brighton were a tricky team, but clinical finishing from Kike proved crucial in a must-win game.

March 19th: MIDDLESBROUGH 2-0 FULHAM (NUGNET 50, STUANI 73) CHAMPIONSHIP MATCHDAY 39

A 2-0 win over Fulham secured us our return to the top-flight for the first time in seven years. Nugent opened the scoring early on in the second half, before Stuani added a superb second to seal the win. A record crowd showed up for the match, and when the full-time whistle blew, a massive pitch invasion followed.

PLAYER OF THE MONTH: KIKE

Picking up his fourth POTM, Kike bagged 5 goals, including a superb hat-trick against Brighton to secure our first promotion to the top-flight since we were relegated in early 2009. Having been in superb form all season, the Spaniard is bound to be in our Premier League plans.
 
APRIL AND MAY REVIEW/END OF SEASON REVIEW

April 2nd: MIDDLESBROUGH 3-2 PRESTON (KIKE 38, DOWNING 42, NUGENT 76) CHAMPIONSHIP MATCHDAY 40

A nervy win against already-doomed Preston was the first game since we secured promotion. Stevie May had given Preston the lead, before Kike and Downing gave us the lead before a Joe Garner volley on the brink of half-time levelled the scores, but a late David Nugent winner 14 minutes from time secured us the win.

April 9th: MIDDLESBROUGH 1-0 LEEDS (KIKE 73) CHAMPIONSHIP MATCHDAY 41

A late Kike winner over Leeds provided us with yet another three points. Scoring the only goal 17 minutes from time with a half-volley.
April 12th: MIDDLESBROUGH 1-1 IPSWICH (FABBRINI 35) CHAMPIONSHIP MATCHDAY 42

Diego Fabbrini bagged his fifth goal of his loan spell in a 1-1 draw with Ipswich away. Fabbrini gave us the lead, slotting home from 12 yards into an empty net during a scrappy play, before Kevin Bru, the Mauritian playmaker equalized for Ipswich early on in the second half to earn Ipswich a point.

April 16th: MIDDLESBROUGH 0-0 BOLTON CHAMPIONSHIP MATCHDAY 43

A scrappy 0-0 draw with Bolton in a game where we were sloppy. Bolton were denied several great chances by the excellent reflexes of Konto, who provided us with a clean sheet.

April 23rd: MIDDLESBROUGH 3-1 CHARLTON (KIKE 45, FABBRINI 72, STEPHENS 86) CHAMPIONSHIP MATCHDAY 44

We managed to fight back to secure a win following two disappointing draws, Manchester United reject Gabriel Obertan had given Charlton the lead on 33 minutes, before Kike equalized in first-half stoppage team, and Fabbrini continued his purple run of form as of late with a superb free-kick, before young defensive midfielder Jack Stephens headed home from a corner on 86 minutes to secure the win.

April 30th: MIDDLESBROUGH 1-1 ROTHERHAM (AYALA 48) CHAMPIONSHIP MATCHDAY 45

A third draw in four in a game we dominated. Ayala opened the scoring with a thumping header on 48 minutes, but Jordan Bowery slotted home from 12 yards 15 minutes later, Kike fell down injured and was ruled out for two months, and Christian Stuani's curling effort was ruled out for offside on 83 minutes.

May 8th: MIDDLESBROUGH 0-2 READING CHAMPIONSHIP MATCHDAY 46

A disappointing end to a fairytale season, slumping to a 2-0 defeat away to Reading. Stephen Quinn gave Reading the lead four minutes in, before on-loan Watford striker Matej Vydra doubled their advantage on 65 minutes. We struggled for most of the game, and did little to create chances.

PLAYER OF THE MONTH(S): DIEGO FABBRINI

Fabbrini, on loan from Watford, capped off his loan spell with two goals at the end of the season, one against Charlton and one against Ipswich. With six goals in the few appearances he made at the Riverside, he will leave as a player who contributed when the club needed him most.

END OF SEASON AWARDS

Most Assists: Christian Stuani (26)
Most Goals: Kike (46)
Most Appearances: Grant Leadbitter (46), shared with three other players (Downing, Friend and Konto)
Most Player of the Matches: Kike (15)
Most Player of the Months: Kike (4)
Best Young Player of the Year: Diego Fabbrini
Best Player of the Year:

3rd: Christian Stuani - With 26 assists and 17 goals, Stuani impressed many this season and proved his quality in the Championship, definitely one to look out for in the Premier League.

2nd: David Nugent - David Nugent came up with some important goals when it mattered, impressing at centre-forward when Kike came up injured during the Christmas period.

3rd: Kike - The Spaniard was on blistering form, bagging 40 league goals, a league and club record, and has vastly improved as a player over these past 12 months, a definite transfer target for clubs across Europe.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Well, that's the first season wrapped up. Before I go, I want a announce a couple of changes I will be making to the thread. I'll put them up in points for you down below.

1. Show monthly league tables.
2. Pictures to help have a real-life element to matches.
3. Better coverage of important matches.
4. Greater analysis on transfer targets.
5. Greater user interaction on decisions (e.g whether to sell a star player, whether to buy a player or whether to move to another club). Your vote counts!

It's been great, this first season, and hopefully we can continue this wonderful journey as we attempt to tackle the Premier League. My first posts of season two will be up tomorrow. Stay tuned and stay safe!
 
SEASON 2 TRANSFER UPDATES!

MIDDLESBROUGH SIGN PRATTO FOR £24.5 MILLION

220px-Pratto_Velez_Penarol_2013.jpg

Middlesbrough have signed Lucas Pratto from Brazillian side Atletico Mineiro for a club record £24.5 milion (32.5 million euros). The 28-year old put pen to paper on a three-year contract at a press conference today at the Riverside Stadium. The club's manager Dylan Campbell has hailed the deal as "historic". "Lucas is of a different class and a world-class player that possesses incredible movement and ball control, and a striker with plenty of potential to succeed at Boro."

The signing has been widely well received by fans and pundits alike. BBC Sport and South American expert Tim Vickery said that Pratto has been wowing audiences in Argentina and Brazil for several years, but following a disappointing spell in Italy at Genoa five years ago, he may struggle to adapt to the style of the English game.

Middlesbrough were recently promoted from the Championship for the first time in seven years as champions, and had recently confirmed the deal of ex-Arsenal defensive midfielder Mathieu Flamini, who was released from his contract at the Emirates.

In other developments, Middlesbrough are close to reaching a deal with Porto over the signing of Algerian international Nabil Ghilas for an undisclosed fee as of yet.
 
TRANSFER WINDOW REVIEW

PRE-SEASON

We made a couple of new deals this season, including the big signing of Pratto for £24.5 million. We completed a £3.3 million deal for Nabil Ghilas from Porto, and signed Jamaal Lascelles on loan from Newcastle. We also offloaded some more deadwood, Adam Forshaw left for Brentford for £3.1 million, and several high-earning players such as Rhys Williams and Jonathan Woodgate were released from their contracts in the summer.

Young guns such as Harry Chapman and Bryn Morris were loaned out to Barnsley and Swindon respectively, and players from the youth academy, such as Stuart Stevens were promoted into the first-team. Ghilas is an experienced striker who has spent most of his career in the Iberian peninsula, scoring 9 goals in 13 appearances last season for Porto, and struck us as an interesting forward who was versatile and could add something new to the team.

Pratto was an experienced central attacking midfielder who had spent most of his years in the South American leagues of Brazil and Argentina, and had even had a short spell in Italy with Genoa. The big-money signing should bring some much-needed quality to our team, and Mathieu Flamini, a free transfer from Arsenal, was a muscly midfielder who was severely under-rated and could hopefully replace the ageing Poulsen, who was set to retire next season.

Looking forward to next season as a groundbreaking year for the club and its fans, as we make our return to the top-flight.
 
Surprising that you consider Forshaw to be a deadwood. I used him as central midfield and he has been absolutely key in contributing to goals/assists in the Premier League. One of my best performers.

Quite jealous you have so much cash though. I got 9 mil for promotion...
 
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