For most of a Middlesbrough persuasion, missing out on a play-off place this season represents failure. Despite taking the battle to the final game of the campaign, frustrations are

compounded by what ended up being a really disappointing tenth-place finish. Not satisfied with that result, the club’s hierarchy are currently conducting a thorough review of the campaign

to identify areas in which the club have to improve. It feels particularly important in the current Championship landscape, with parachute payments offering a select number of clubs each

year a huge financial advantage over the rest of the field. In that regard, Gazette columnist Eric Paylor last week begrudgingly admitted he felt Boro’s season exemplified exactly what they

Man member John Cutler. PHIL SPENCER Realistically, Middlesbrough must be pushing for a place in the play-offs. That said, doing so will be even harder than this season. Leicester, Ipswich

and Southampton will come down and surely battle for automatic promotion with strong squads and even stronger finances. Sheffield United could also be in the mix with parachute payments if

they miss out in the play-offs, while if the Wembley final goes the other way then Sunderland will be in a strong position too. The two teams who could disrupt the current ecosystem are

Wrexham and Birmingham City. Both have just been promoted from League One but boast incredible wealth at this level and huge ambitions of swiftly passing through the Championship on the way

to the Premier League. Financially, I expect those two teams to be in that chasing pack for the top six next season - that said, it will all depend on how the two teams adapt to this level

on the pitch. It means that the top three or four positions will likely be too big an ask for Middlesbrough, with fourth, fifth and sixth likely to be up for grabs. But along with Boro,

Wrexham and Birmingham, you'll have the usual suspects such as Coventry, Millwall, West Brom and a few others vying for those places too. I think that the Championship is going to be so

exciting and very competitive next season, meaning that a top-six finish will be hard to come by. That said, it has to be the aim for Middlesbrough who may live to regret not making more of

the opportunity this season when the top-six battle was nowhere near as strong. CHRIS CASSIDY Whilst Middlesbrough are in the Championship, rightly or wrongly, my expectations will always

be for them to challenge for the top six, and that won’t change next season. It may not impact anything on the pitch, but that expectation will also always remain whilst the club’s season

ticket prices are amongst the highest in the division. Like any other football supporter, I adjust my expectations accordingly depending on the manager, playing squad, and quality of the

league, but given Boro are likely to have a top six or seven budget again next season, there’s no reason why they shouldn’t be at the very least challenging. Unfortunately, I do think the

Championship will be much stronger next campaign. Therefore, unlike at this stage last season, I don’t foresee Boro finishing in the top six. My optimism last year largely came from the

continuity going into the summer, but this year feels very different. The disappointment of the January window seems to have had a damaging effect on fans’ trust in the recruitment model,

and the uncertainty around Michael Carrick isn’t helping. A lot of Boro fans are craving some clarity on the findings of the club’s thorough review, so until there’s further information on

the club’s plan to tackle the failings of last season, setting expectations for next season feels like a difficult question to answer. DANA MALT We should expect another season that teeters

on the border between meeting expectations and falling beneath them. That’s just what Boro do. Gone are the halcyon days of Premier League football, Carling Cup success and European highs.

Instead, they’ve been replaced with flirtatious play-off campaigns in the second tier - all of which have left fans disappointed. I’d love to be optimistic, but every ounce of that optimism,

whether it be around recruitment, the manager, or the playing style, has unfortunately taken a hit following a disappointing season. Expectations do depend a lot on transfer business,

however. In my eyes, Boro’s playing squad needs quite a bit of work in order for it to be at a consistent level good enough to reach the play-off places. We’ve seen too many injuries and too

many players not quite up to the level. If Kieran Scott and co can cover the most pressing issues on the pitch then I’d push my expectations up. I wouldn’t begrudge any Middlesbrough fan

from believing in a top-six finish, but that’s just not something I’m prepared to throw my confidence at until I see significant work done in the summer transfer window. JOHN CUTLER

Play-offs should be the bare minimum to expect. Let's not forget, we have some decent players at this football club. This year was failure, and I think with a could of additions we can

go close next season. The manager situation is still up in the air and a good start is pivotal to our chances. A bad start will result in a manager change, should Michael Carrick survive the

current review taking place. _ As well as hearing their views on particular Boro topics on Teesside Live each week, you can also hear from them further on their respective platforms. Phil

Spencer runs his own Youtube channel which you can subscribe to here. Chris Cassidy is part of the Boropolis Podcast, __ Dana Malt is part of the Boro Breakdown Podcast, __and John Cutler is

part__ of the Twe12th Man Podcast, all of which you can listen to on all major podcast outlets. _