The 2020–21 season was Middlesbrough's fourth consecutive season in the Championship in their 145th year in existence, the club also competed in the FA Cup and EFL Cup.
2020–21 Season
During the 2020–21 season, Middlesbrough Football Club competed in the EFL Championship, the second tier of English football. The team was led by manager Neil Warnock, and concluded the season in 10th place, achieving 18 wins, 10 draws, and 18 losses. The season was marked by a strong defensive performance but was undercut by inconsistency in attack, which ultimately led to the team missing out on a playoff position for promotion to the Premier League.
The campaign was heavily influenced by the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, leading to a modified schedule and games being played without fans for a significant part of the season. Despite these challenges, Middlesbrough maintained a mid-table position, steering clear of the relegation battle but also not managing to secure a place in the top six for much of the season.
Changes As a result of the coronavirus pandemic, football in the 2019–20 season in multiple countries was halted in order to convey safety regulations, with football returning in England on 17 June for Premier League clubs and 20 June for Championship clubs; the decision was made for the premature conclusion of the League One and League Two seasons, with the final table would be calculated by a points-per-game method with the play-offs being played as normal. As a Championship club, Middlesbrough resumed play, their first game back in action in three months being a 3–0 defeat to Swansea City. With Middlesbrough already engaged in a surprising relegation battle, chairman Steve Gibson sacked club manager Jonathan Woodgate, which came as a surprise to supporters, with heavily experienced Neil Warnock, who had been linked with the club on numerous occasions, replacing him on the same day on a contract until the end of the season.
With the pandemic resulting in the delay of the season, the season's remaining matches continued past 30 June, the date which signifies the conclusion of an English football season as a whole, also including the date that sees players with expiring contracts being allowed to leave the club on a free transfer. This occurred heavily at Middlesbrough, with Rudy Gestede, Daniel Ayala, Mitchell Curry, Nathan Dale, Enes Mahmutovic, Layton Watts, Stephen Wearne, Harold Essien, Harry Flatters all departing. On the same day as the final game of the 2019–20 season, Adam Clayton announced his departure from the club through social media, with the club confirming this the following day.
First team squad Player name Nationality Position(s) Date of birth (age) Contract until Signed from Goalkeepers 1 Marcus Bettinelli GK 30 June 2021 Fulham 13 Jordan Archer GK 30 June 2021 Motherwell 32 Dejan Stojanović GK 30 June 2023 St. Gallen Defenders 2 Anfernee Dijksteel RB 30 June 2022 Charlton Athletic 4 Grant Hall CB 30 June 2023 Queens Park Rangers 6 Dael Fry CB / RB 30 June 2021 Academy 15Nathan Wood CB 30 June 2020 Academy 17 Paddy McNair CB / DM 30 June 2022 Sunderland 27Marc Bola LB 30 June 2022 Blackpool 29Djed Spence RB / LB 30 June 2020 Fulham 33Hayden Coulson LB / LM 30 June 2023 Academy Midfielders 3 Marvin Johnson LW / LB 30 June 2020 Oxford United 5 Sam Morsy DM 30 June 2023 Wigan Athletic 7 Marcus Tavernier LW 30 June 2021 Academy 8 Lewis Wing AM / CM 30 June 2022 Shildon 12 Marcus Browne AM / RW / LW 30 June 2023 West Ham United 16 Jonny Howson CM 30 June 2020 Norwich City 18 Duncan Watmore RW January 2021 Free Agent 19 Patrick Roberts RW 30 June 2021 Manchester City 22 George Saville CM / LW 30 June 2022 Millwall 24 Sam Folarin RW 30 June 2021 Tooting & Mitcham United 34 Connor Malley CM 30 June 2022 Academy 37 Ben Liddle DM 30 June 2020 Academy Forwards 9 Britt Assombalonga CF 30 June 2021 Nottingham Forest 10 Chuba Akpom CF 30 June 2023 PAOK 11 Ashley Fletcher CF / LW 30 June 2021 West Ham United 36Stephen Walker CF 30 June 2023 Academy41 Rumarn Burrell CF 30 June 2022 Grimsby Town
Statistics
Goals record
Rank No. Nat. Po. Name Championship FA Cup EFL Cup Total118CFDuncan Watmore 900923 LWMarvin Johnson 40159 CFBritt Assombalonga 500522CMGeorge Saville 5005510CFChuba Akpom 400411CFAshley Fletcher 202467 LWMarcus Tavernier 201374 CBGrant Hall 200212AMMarcus Browne 200217CBPaddy McNair 2002105 DMSam Morsy 10016 CBDael Fry 10018 AMLewis Wing 100116CMJonny Howson 100119RWNathaniel Mendez-Laing 100121RWNeeskens Kebano 100124RWSam Folarin 010127LBMarc Bola 100129RBDjed Spence 1001Own Goals 4004Total 451455
Disciplinary record
Rank No. Nat. Po. Name Championship FA Cup EFL Cup Total 15 CMSam Morsy 801000100901216CMJonny Howson 70000000070022CMGeorge Saville 700000000700417CBPaddy McNair 50100000050127LBMarc Bola 60000000060062 RBAnfernee Dijksteel 4000000004007 RWMarcus Tavernier 30010000040081 GKMarcus Bettinelli 30000000030096 CBDael Fry 2000000002009 CFBritt Assombalonga 200000000200 10CFChuba Akpom 200000000200123 LWMarvin Johnson 10000000010011CFAshley Fletcher 100000000100 14LWYannick Bolasie 100000000100 15CBNathan Wood 00000010010020RBDarnell Fisher 10000000010029RBDjed Spence 10000000010034CMHayden Hackney 000100000100Total 55022002005902
Transfers Transfers in Date Position Nationality Name From Fee Source 14 July 2020 CF Cole Kiernan Sunderland Undisclosed 31 July 2020 CB Grant Hall Queens Park Rangers Free 11 September 2020 CM Sam Morsy Wigan Athletic £2,000,000 18 September 2020 CF Chuba Akpom PAOK Undisclosed 17 November 2020 RW Duncan Watmore Sunderland Free transfer 5 January 2021 GK Jordan Archer Motherwell Free transfer 28 January 2021 RB Darnell Fisher Preston North End Undisclosed 1 February 2021 RW Nathaniel Mendez-Laing Cardiff City Free transfer 3 February 2021 AM Malik Dijksteel Telstar Free transfer
Loans in Date from Position Nationality Name From Date until Source 10 September 2020 GK Marcus Bettinelli Fulham 30 June 2021 12 October 2020 RW Patrick Roberts Manchester City 1 February 2021 28 January 2021 LW Yannick Bolasie Everton 30 June 2021 1 February 2021 AM Neeskens Kebano Fulham 30 June 2021
Loans out Date from Position Nationality Name To Date until Source 10 September 2020 GK Tomás Mejías Dinamo București End of season 2 October 2020 CM Connor Malley Carlisle United 1 January 2021 16 October 2020 SS Stephen Walker Milton Keynes Dons 13 January 2021 7 November 2020 GK Brad James Aldershot Town End of season 20 November 2020 CF Tyrone O'Neill Darlington 31 January 2021 5 January 2021 GK Dejan Stojanović St Pauli End of season 14 January 2021 CF Rumarn Burrell Bradford City End of season 22 January 2021 SS Stephen Walker Crewe Alexandra End of season 29 January 2021 RW Isaiah Jones Queen of the South End of season 1 February 2021 CM Lewis Wing Rotherham United End of season 1 February 2021 CB Nathan Wood Crewe Alexandra End of season 26 February 2021 GK Sol Brynn Darlington End of season 22 April 2021 GK Brad James Hartlepool United End of season
Britt Assombalonga free end of season
Transfers out Date Position Nationality Name To Fee Source 1 July 2020 CB Daniel Ayala Blackburn Rovers Free 1 July 2020 CF Mitchell Curry Sunderland Free 1 July 2020 CB Nathan Dale Gateshead Free 1 July 2020 RB Harold Essien Free agent Free 1 July 2020 GK Harry Flatters York City Free 1 July 2020 CF Rudy Gestede Melbourne Victory Free 1 July 2020 RB Nicholas Hood Marske United Free 1 July 2020 CB Enes Mahmutovic FC Lviv Free 1 July 2020 CM Layton Watts Free agent Free 1 July 2020 AM Stephen Wearne Sunderland Free 14 July 2020 CB Ryan Shotton Melbourne Victory Free 22 July 2020 CM Adam Clayton Birmingham City Free 15 August 2020 LB George Friend Birmingham City Free 9 September 2020 CB Sam Stubbs Fleetwood Town Undisclosed 10 September 2020 GK Joe Fryer Swindon Town Free 8 October 2020 DM Ben Liddle Bristol Rovers Undisclosed 16 October 2020 GK Aynsley Pears Blackburn Rovers Undisclosed 22 January 2021 GK Tomás Mejías Ankaraspor Mutual consent
Pre-season friendlies
Competitions Championship
League table
Results summary
Results by matchday
Matches The 2020–21 season fixtures were released on 21 August.
FA Cup
The third round draw was made on 30 November, with Premier League and EFL Championship clubs all entering the competition.
EFL Cup
The first round draw was made on 18 August, live on Sky Sports, by Paul Merson. The draw for both the second and third round were confirmed on 6 September, live on Sky Sports by Phil Babb.
References