It has been a positive campaign for all three of the Northeast’s strongest sides, with Newcastle United, Middlesbrough and Sunderland set to exceed early-season expectations. Clearly, given the recent Saudi takeover at St. James Park, much of the spotlight has been on the Magpies, but this should not detract from the impressive endeavours of the region’s two Championship outfits.
With the season rapidly drawing to a close, Boro’ and Sunderland still both have a credible chance of promotion, whilst Newcastle will be dreaming of securing safe passage to the UEFA Champions League, a competition which has eluded them for the last two decades.
But will every team have a happy ending? We consider which sides are most likely to deliver their version of success in the coming weeks, as we take a cursory glance at current form, forthcoming fixtures, and potential adversaries.
Sunderland
Despite a controversial start to the season, which saw Scotsman Alex Neil exit the Stadium of Light to take charge at fellow Championship club Stoke City, Sunderland have fared reasonably well on their re-introduction to the second-tier after spending four years in League One.
However, inconsistency has plagued the Mackems from the get-go, having failed to win more than two consecutive league games this term. Furthermore, Tony Mowbray’s side have also drawn on far too many occasions – a third of their Championship fixtures have ended all square, with four of these stalemates coming in the last month alone.
Sunderland sit ninth in the table with three to play, two points behind Blackburn Rovers who currently assume the final play-off place. Realistically, any team down to thirteenth have a realistic shot at making the play-offs, and therefore there could be plenty of musical chairs before the season’s conclusion.
Remarkably, the Black Cats sign-off against three outfits in the thick off the play-off race, firstly visiting The Hawthorns this Sunday lunchtime to face West Brom, before locking horns with Watford and Preston North End in the last two matchdays.
Verdict – Many Sunderland fans will look positively upon this season; Netflix cameras and financial ambiguity have given way to relative stability and genuine hope of a pending Premier League return. Nevertheless, it feels unlikely that ascension to the top-flight will occur this year, with several wily competitors vying for promotion via the backdoor – one would suspect the likes of Blackburn, West Brom, or even an out-of-sorts Norwich City side will spoil the party.
Middlesborough
Arguably, no club in the football league has had a greater single-season turnaround then Middlesbrough, who have gone from potential relegation fodder at the beginning of the campaign to one of the Championship’s strongest teams.
Former Manchester United midfielder Michael Carrick rightly takes most of the credit for the Teessiders’ incredible revival, working miracles in his first permanent managerial appointment. Replacing Chris Wilder at the end of October with Boro’ just one point ahead of the drop zone, Carrick has won eighteen of his 27 league games in charge, a run which has almost mathematically assured his side a play-off spot. Results have been complemented by an attractive brand of attacking football, which has facilitated Middlesbrough’s free-scoring antics – no side in the division, including runaway leaders Burnley, have registered more goals this term.
Verdict – With automatic promotion almost impossible, the focus will undoubtedly now be on building momentum heading into the play-offs. Fixtures against third place Luton Town, play-off chasing Coventry City, and relegation-threated Rotherham United affords the Riverside outfit a set of competitive opponents in the final three weekends of the campaign, as Boro’ aim to end their seven-year hiatus from the Premier League.
Newcastle United
Away from all the fanfare and drama that surrounded the arrival of Newcastle United’s new leadership regime, Eddie Howe quietly got to work on moulding a squad capable of delivering the lofty ambitions of the PIF group. However, few on Tyneside predicted the 45-year-old former Bournemouth boss would have made such an incisive early impact, with the club now almost guaranteed European football next season.
However, whether the Toon Army will be travelling to the stadiums of the continent’s elite forces come Autumn remains to be seen. Although a fourth-place finish and therefore a re-acquaintance with the UEFA Champions League appear likely, there is still plenty of work to do between now and the end of the season in order to achieve this. A stuttering Spurs outfit may seem like a minor threat, but the current gap of three points between Howe’s men and the North Londoners could vanish in a heartbeat – particularly when you consider a clash between the two sides is scheduled to take place this Sunday afternoon. Aston Villa, who swept aside Newcastle last weekend with ease, could still make a late surge into the top four.
Despite not being prolific scorers, the Magpie’s have the meanest defence in the Premier League, conceding an average of just 0.63 goals per game – this has afforded them a solid foundation in which to build, and importantly helped to make St. James’ Park a fortress once again. There was of course disappointment for Newcastle in February after their Carabao Cup final defeat to Manchester United but this, if anything, seemed to galvanize the current playing squad. However, the club must now continue its hunt for a first major trophy since 1955 – surely, with further colossal investment on the horizon, this protracted episode will soon come to an end.
Verdict – After Sunday’s duel with Tottenham Hotspur, the Geordies face only one team from the top half in their outstanding seven games, although, admittedly, that opponent is potential champions Arsenal. Nevertheless, we are confident that the famous UEFA Champions League theme tune will be roared on by the Gallowgate End once again next season.
