This crucial point saw Middlesbrough finish the 2015/16 Sky Bet Championship in second place, the all important final automatic promotion spot, with Burnley finishing the campaign as champions on 93 points after beating Charlton 3-0 on the final day.
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When Middlesbrough endured a miserable run in March this year, it briefly seemed Karanka would quit after the Spaniard stormed away from showdown talks with his under-performing squad.
The Championship is possibly the most competitive league in the world and they will be prepared to welcome three more Premier League clubs next season.
Teams will earn a minimum of 95 million pounds for a year in the Premier League next term, thanks to the new bumper TV rights deal that is worth 5.14 billion pounds over the next three seasons.
Middlesbrough boss Aitor Karanka is hoping his side can cope with the pressure against Brighton on Saturday.
Middlesbrough has been promoted to the English Premier League after a seven-year absence, following a 1-1 draw with 10-man Brighton.
Karanka, inspired by the belief that his side had learned from last season’s play-off final defeat, responded boldly by bringing Stuani back into his line-up and leaving local boy Stewart Downing and striker Jordan Rhodes on the bench.
However, Stephens was then sent off for a high tackle on Gaston Ramirez, which left the Uruguayan with a horrific gash on his leg, and required both a stretcher and oxygen.
“As I’ve said before, this group of players, this crowd, this chairman deserves to be in the Premier League again”.
“We are certainly not frightened by the challenge, we know how big the challenge is”. It’s hard to go to the pitch thinking a draw is good because my experience tells me that when you go to the pitch thinking to draw the game you are going to lose. Hull City, who will be joined in the play-offs by Derby County, Sheffield Wednesday and Middlesbrough or Brighton, could also still win an immediate return this year.
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“A lot of of stuff was publicised and a lot of stuff got blown out of proportion a little bit but we have shown how strong we are”, insisted Gibson. “We are going to have to do something to win it”.
