A chance to change a bad habit and more take aways from Middlesbrough's fixture list

Middlesbrough now know their schedule for the upcoming season with what they hope will be their promotion-winning campaign starting at home against Swansea City.

The schedule is subject to change with the new broadcast deal meaning there are likely to be many changes across the season for televised-game picks as Sky Sports commits to showing every Championship side at least 24 times. The opening weekend game kicks off at 12.30 pm on Saturday, August 10 but there are no more broadcast picks yet. Sky have said we'll have their picks up to January before the campaign starts, however.

Despite that, we can start to plot Boro's promotion route and look at key periods in the campaign. While it's not always easy to predict how each side will start and when they'll pick up momentum or lose form throughout a season, it's still interesting to analyse the fixture list from an 'on paper' perspective. We take a look at the key periods in Boro's season.

READ MORE: Middlesbrough's Championship fixture list in full as they begin season at home to Swansea City

The favourable start offers a chance to change a bad habit

Boro have made a bit of bad habit of slow starts in recent years, needing to play catch up later in the season as a result. Last term they waited until their eighth league game before picking up their first win and it would ultimately prove costly. In fact, it is now ten years since Boro last won on the opening day of a season, when they beat Birmingham City 2-0 in the 2014-15 campaign.

With signings through the door early and a more settled squad this time around, Carrick will hope his side's promotion aspirations can be boosted by a much-needed fast start. The fixture list has been kind to them in offering them a good opportunity in their first five too.

They kick things off at home to Swansea City before a trip to newly-promoted Derby County. Also new to the Championship, they then host Portsmouth before a trip to Cardiff City and a home clash with Preston North End to take them into the first international break. Nothing is won on paper, of course, but there's no reason Boro can't be five for five in that run of games.

As far as Swansea are concerned, Boro will be looking for a fifth consecutive win against the South Wales outfit at the Riverside, with Carrick enjoying a 100% record in his three games against them as Boro boss so far too.

A tough end could prove crucial

The start might look kind but, in what could be a crucial run-in as far as promotion hopes are concerned, it's a little trickier at the back end of the campaign. With Easter coming late in April this year, the traditional Good Friday and Easter Monday games will be their fourth and third from last games of the campaign as things currently stand.

They will see Boro host Plymouth Argyle and then travel to Sheffield Wednesday - which is certainly a kinder trip for them than Easter weekends of the last three seasons when they've had to travel to Bournemouth, Bristol City and Southampton.

Wrapping the campaign up, however, they play expected promotion rivals with their final home game coming against Norwich City before a final-day showdown with old foes Coventry City at the CBS Arena. In an ideal scenario, Boro might wrap promotion up on Easter Monday... we can but dream!

Boxing Day back at home over the festive period

Boro were away on Boxing Day last term but will be back at the Riverside this year as they host Sheffield Wednesday on December 26. Always a highly anticipated fixture, Boro have not lost at home on Boxing Day since 2018 - though that did come against the Owls when Adam Reach scored the only goal.

Hoping for a better result this time in front of what will no doubt be a bumper crowd, that game is preceded by the long trip to Plymouth Argyle on December 21 in their final game before Christmas. Their final game of 2024 will also come at home as they host Burnley in a tough game on December 29. They then start the new year with a trip to Hull City on January 1.

Boro will need resilience under the lights

This year, every midweek game will be broadcast live by Sky Sports. As things stand, rescheduled games not included, the fixture list has Boro playing nine league games in midweek, against five different opponents. Only the home game against Blackburn Rovers will be a midweeker, but both games against Leeds United, Sheffield United, West Brom and QPR will be midweek games.

While Boro will hope to extend their decent record under the Riverside lights under Carrick in those tricky games, trips to Elland Road, Bramall Lane, The Hawthorns and Loftus Road over the course of the campaign will be sure to test Boro's resilience and promotion credentials.

What we can also work out from that is that, with nine midweek games, the first and last game of the season, the first round of the Carabao Cup and four bank holiday games, that makes for 16 guaranteed televised games so far. Progression in the cup, with Boro set to learn their round one opponent on Thursday morning, would offer another televised game as part of the new deal which says at least 24 games must be shown on TV.

That means Boro, as things stand, would only need to see eight more games moved for TV, though it should be noted that the 24-game commitment is a minimum rather than a maximum.

Two tricky runs to negotiate

As far as tricky runs are concerned, there are two three-game stretches that stand out as being tricky games for Carrick's side, based on current expectations for how sides will perform next season. They host Sheffield United on October 23 before facing a trip to Norwich City just three days later. A week after that they then host Coventry City.

A few weeks later, they end November with a home game against Hull City before starting December trips to promotion favourites Burnley and Leeds United within four days. Picking up as many points as possible from both three-game runs and hopefully not losing positive momentum gained before them could be crucial.