Middlesbrough v West Brom: Inside track on Jonathan Woodgate's side
West Brom make the long trip to Middlesbrough this weekend following the international break, get to know the Teessiders here.
We spoke with Dominic Shaw, Middlesbrough editor for TeessideLive, to get a proper look at Jonathan Woodgate's men.
See what he had to say here...
How's the season gone so far for Boro? It seems to have been a shaky start at best...
Shaky sums it up nicely.
There's been the quite good and the very bad in the first couple of months of the season.
The opener at Luton was promising in that it was end to end and enthralling. After the Tony Pulis grind, that's what fans were craving for.
But Woodgate has found changing the style from last season's pragmatic approach is easier said than done.
Boro are struggling to strike a balance. They haven't clicked in attack and defensively they've been all over the place at times. They were shambolic at the back in defeats to Sheffield Wednesday and Birmingham.
What have you made of Jonathan Woodgate's spell in charge so far, are there question marks over the decision to give him the job?
My own opinion is it's far too early to judge Woodgate.
Yes, some of the early performances have been very worrying and there are issues that need serious work but this was seen by club bosses as a season of transition and moving away from the pragmatic approach drilled in by Pulis and earlier Aitor Karanka was never going to be an overnight thing.
Some fans were sceptical of the appointment from the off so performances and results have served to bring their doubts to the fore in the early stages of the season.
But the noises coming from the club from the summer were all about the need for patience this season.
What style of football can we expect from Boro this weekend?
It's hard to say.
In flashes this season we've seen signs of the team Woodgate wants Boro to be. They had a right go at Luton, were superb in the first half against Brentford and played well against Bristol City.
Since the win over Reading on the back of the last international break, though, Boro have struggled.
The aforementioned performances against Wednesday and Birmingham were unacceptable. A furious Woodgate said as much afterwards.
So will he adapt his approach? Woodgate may well have to go back to basics in an attempt to stop the rot and put his long-term plans for this side on hold.
Are there any injuries causing problems at the Riverside?
George Friend will be out.
The captain had surgery to try and solve a problematic injury last month and is still out.
His experience and leadership has been a big miss.
Hayden Coulson, a young left-back who was quality in pre-season and started the campaign in the side, is expected to be back. That will be a big boost.
Boro have had real problems on the left this season and Ryan Shotton had to play there against Birmingham. It was an experiment that backfired and I'd be stunned if Woodgate went for the same again if Coulson isn't available.
Which players carry this biggest goal threat in this Boro side and why?
Britt Assombalonga has an almost unrivalled record at this level in recent seasons.
He's scored four already this season but was a spectator at Birmingham, lacking service and support.
Boro need to get players in and around him to get the best out of him.
Paddy McNair has been Boro's best player so far this season and will be buzzing after his Northern Ireland brace in Czech Republic on Monday night.
What's your predicted line-up for Boro heading into this one?
3-5-2: Randolph; Shotton, Ayala, Fry; Howson, Wing, Clayton, McNair, Johnson; Fletcher, Assombalonga.
What have you made of West Brom from afar? Do you think they've got what it takes to secure promotion to the top flight?
Absolutely.
Leeds and West Brom stand out to me as the two teams to beat this season and have done since the very early stages of the campaign.
There's real pedigree in the squad and watching from afar the recruitment in the summer looked clever and exciting.
I can't see West Brom not going up.
Your match prediction?
Woodgate quite simply needs a reaction after the dreadful Birmingham display.
Boro's better performances this season have come against the stronger sides they've played and they did well against an in-form Preston last time out at the Riverside.
1-1.
