Middlesbrough out to prove two things vs Luton Town in their pursuit of Championship glory

Middlesbrough will be out to prove two things this weekend when Luton Town visit the Riverside. Firstly, that they're good enough to improve disappointing home form this season, and secondly, that they have what it takes to be consistent enough to be genuine Championship promotion contenders.

Coming in off the back of a 4-1 victory at QPR on Tuesday evening, Boro are aiming to win back-to-back league games for just the second time this season. The fact is, the only consistency about Boro so far this season is their inconsistency.

That's at least as far as results are concerned, where stringing positive results together over numerous games has proven difficult. As far as performances are concerned though, Boro have largely played to a high level, with only certain factors, that head coach Michael Carrick believes are starting to click, letting them down.

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Asked about his side's consistency, Carrick said: “It’s always something you strive for because a level of results is what will carry you through a season. For sure, results-wise, we haven’t been consistent enough. I think performance-wise, we’ve been very good for the most part. That’s always the challenge - getting results more often. We’ve always got to look at what’s next and Saturday is another big one for us.

“I’m pleased with how we’re playing at this stage. In terms of where we are in the table, it’s about points and collecting points to give ourselves a chance. You’ve got to just be consistent and put a level of performance in over a period of time. We are trying to do things in a certain way that we want to work for us, and that’s the important part."

Their inconsistency is shared across home and away games, though it's results at the Riverside that have been particularly disappointing this season - and is a problem continued from last term too. In seven league games on Teesside so far this season ahead of Luton's visit, Boro have managed only three wins from seven games on home turf.

On the home record, Carrick said: “There is always a reason, but I think, for me, performances have largely been pretty good. It’s something we want to improve on, without doubt. We want more points from our home games and we've got to get back to doing that.

"The way games have gone, I think largely we’ve been the better team in most games at home. We’ve been good most of the time. Early on, we maybe didn’t score enough goals and take our chances. But I think the boys have shown that they’ve got a good feeling and their confidence back for that.

"Whether it happens this weekend or not, I think you can see the way the boys are playing, there is a dangerous feel to us and we feel we can score goals. That’s great to have, and doing it the way we have over the last couple of weeks will give the lads a lot of confidence."

The victory at QPR will hopefully have made Boro's confidence stronger. As well as a clinical display where Boro were able to put the R's to the sword by scoring four goals, they also ended a recent bad habit of collapsing late in games and surrendering leads.

As they aim to strengthen their promotion credentials by improving their home record and finding a level of consistency in results, they can really change the feel of their season this weekend. Currently eighth in the league table, a win would give Carrick's side a good chance of sitting in the top-six going into the final international break of the calendar year.

"I’m not judging anything on this week in terms of what it’s going to look like overall," the Boro boss insisted. "That kind of thing won’t get you anywhere and is just a waste of energy at this stage. We’re not talking about the table at all, and I’ve not heard the players talking about it.

"It goes without saying, if you’re winning games and scoring goals, it gives you a good feeling. But we don’t make a big deal about it. It doesn’t affect what we talk about or how we approach the next game. We’ve got to perform every game, and if you get caught up emotionally in the rollercoaster every week, it will sap your energy.

"We’ve got many months ahead to have to perform and win games. I’m not saying supporters can’t go through the emotions. That’s part of the passion and energy that makes their support of the club and is why the game is the game. They should enjoy the wins and then you’ve got to move on from the losses."

Luton are the side standing in Boro's way of proving two big points today. The recently relegated side have had a disappointing start to the season on their return to the Championship—having been the side that pipped Boro, Coventry, and Sunderland in the 2023 play-offs.

They arrive at the Riverside on the back of just their fourth victory of the season on Wednesday evening when they beat Cardiff City at Kenilworth Road. But away from home, former Boro-boss candidate Rob Edwards has been able to lead his side to just one win in six so far.

Not underestimating the Hatters though, Carrick warned: “Luton are a really good team and have a lot of threats. They were competing fantastically well in the Premier League only a few months ago with a very similar team playing a very similar way. We’ve got to respect that a lot. We know the type of game it will be, the threats they will pose in certain areas and we’re fully aware of the test that’s coming for us."

Be that as it may, the fact of the matter is, if Boro want to be considered serious promotion challengers this season, and if they want to move away from the same story of last season where they were always close but with no cigar, they have to prove two key things this weekend. Firstly, that they are able to win consecutive games and be consistent, and secondly, that they can beat sides on home turf when they naturally come with a bit more of a spoiling attitude.