Tees

Middlesbrough interim boss Adi Viveash felt his team lacked quality at crucial moments of their draw at Oxford United.

Viveash told BBC Tees: "The reality is that certainly in attacking areas, we didn't have enough of the quality moments, we didn't have the final action, final pass, cross, finish.

"Some key moments went against us and in the Championship you need certain things to go your way, especially away from home.

"It was a great goal (by Morgan) - unfortunately we had two or three more (opportunities) where we were in the same position and just missed the cross, one got pulled behind TC (Tommy Conway).

"Nineteen shots, three on target, that number needs to be higher if you're going to win a Championship game."

Nick Mashiter
Football reporter

Image source, Getty Images

New Wolves boss Rob Edwards knows he let Middlesbrough down but insisted he had to move to Molineux.

The 42-year-old swapped promotion chasing Boro in the Championship for a return to relegation-threatened Wolves.

They are bottom of the Premier League with just two points from 11 games and have not won in the top flight for over six months.

Edwards left Boro five months after being appointed with the Riverside club second in the Championship.

But, having played 111 times for Wolves and coached the under-18s, under-23s and the first team, Edwards could not turn the move down.

He said: "This opportunity and this job is something I've always wanted and dreamed of. I'm well aware I was at a really good football club - I want to be really respectful to Middlesbrough and I know I would have let them down.

"I get it and I understand that. But this is something I've always wanted to do. I didn't want to live with regret. I've got to live my own life.

"I didn't know if this opportunity would come up again for me to be the head coach of this club. I didn't want to look back in 10, 15, 20 years' time [and see] that I turned down chance to manage Wolves in the Premier League.

"I've got to try to enjoy my life and take some risks. We're not around for long, are we? I didn't want to look back and think: 'Maybe I should have given that a go.'

"So yeah, that's why I've done it. I know it's going to be a big challenge but I'm just well up for it."

Edwards is preparing for his first game in charge at home to Crystal Palace on Saturday as Wolves look to win their first league game of the season.

He added: "There's no perfect job in football. I know the scale of the task. But I'm also really excited by the challenge and have got full belief in group."

If you're wondering where your team is going to finish in the Championship this season, you no longer need to worry.

Well, kind of.

Opta's supercomputer has worked its magic to figure out the most likely final league position of every team - and the chances each has of being promoted, making the play-offs or getting relegated.

Who is most likely to win automatic promotion?

It will come as no surprise that leaders Coventry are heavy favourites for the title (69.3%) and also have the highest chance of automatic promotion (84.2%) to the Premier League.

The next most likely to go straight up, with a 30.8% chance, are Middlesbrough. Despite currently sitting seventh and six points behind Boro in second, Ipswich are expected to be the third favourites for a top two finish (18.9%) followed by Stoke (14.1%).

Even though they've each enjoyed a strong start to the campaign, Preston (10.3%), Hull (6.1%) and Millwall (8.3%) have slimmer chances of finishing in an automatic promotion spot.

Who will make the play-offs?

Image source, Rex Features

Even if Coventry don't win automatic promotion, Opta's supercomputer has given the Sky Blues a 97.9% chance of a top-six finish, suggesting it's almost guaranteed.

Each of Middlesbrough, Ipswich, Preston and Stoke are expected to finish in a minimum of a play-off position at least one in two times.

Hull might feel the hardest done by as they sit fifth currently, but are said to have less chance (32.3%) than Millwall (38.8%) and Charton (32.4%), who are below them in the table.

The most likely of the chasing pack to make a surge up the table are 12th-placed Leicester City, who have been given a 31.8% chance of finishing in the top six and are more likely than Bristol City (28.9%), Derby (22.9%) and Birmingham (19.9%).

Last season's beaten play-off finalists Sheffield United have just a 1.8% chance of recovering their season to make the play-offs again, while relegated Premier League side Southampton (12.5%) aren't likely to either... if you trust the supercomputer!

Who is going down?

Image source, Rex Features

It's probably not hard to work out who is most likely to finish bottom and be relegated to League One.

Sheffield Wednesday's 12-point deduction, which has left them 17 points adrift of safety on -4 points, means they're pretty much nailed on to finish bottom (84.8%) - and failing that, are almost certain to go down (98.2%).

Second from bottom Norwich are the next most likely candidates to fall through the trap door (58.5%) but Sheffield United, who currently occupy the final relegation spot, have just a 22.4% chance of going down and are considered more likely to stay up than Oxford (37.8%) and Portsmouth (31.3%).

Middlesbrough fan Matty Proudman says that Boro appointing Kim Hellberg as their new head coach would be "a brave, bold move" but one he is excited for.

"As football fans, we always look at what they've done previously and make your own judgements on it, so that's why it's a clever move from Steve Gibson. It's only positive from the previous, he hasn't got any negative," Proudman told BBC Radio Tees.

"With where we are as a club, second in the league, challenging for the Premier League, he's [Gibson] been really clever and astute with what he's done.

"He's [Hellberg] only 37 but he's been in football a long time. He must be the most Googled man on Teeside, there's no doubt about it."

As for what playing style Hellberg could bring to the side upon his arrival, Proudman is unsure - but it's that which has him hoping for a good outcome.

"A foreign coach - something different, different styles, different methods. A lot of these coaches, they all want to play the same type of stuff. The 'Pepball', play out from the back and absolutely kill it," Proudman added.

"You don't know what you are going to get with him. It's a total unknown and I love the fact you don't know what he's going to do."

Listen to the full reaction and more Middlesbrough content on BBC Sounds.

While Middlesbrough await the arrival of potential new head coach Kim Hellberg, interim boss Adi Viveash will look for a second successive win as they make the trip down to Oxford United on Saturday (15:00 GMT).

Despite the drama of former boss Rob Edwards' move to Wolverhampton Wanderers, Boro took victory last time out to see them within the top two.

Now they face an Oxford side lingering dangerously close to the relegation line and desperate not to concede a third straight loss.

• Oxford United have failed to win any of their last 10 league games against Middlesbrough (D2 L8), losing the last five in a row.

• Middlesbrough have won four of their last five away league games against Oxford (D1), scoring 18 goals across those five games, including a 6-2 win last season.

• Oxford manager Gary Rowett has won four of his 15 Championship meetings with Middlesbrough (D6 L5) with all four wins coming against a different manager – Garry Monk (3-0 with Derby in November 2017), Neil Warnock (1-0 with Millwall in March 2021), Leo Percovich (2-0 with Millwall in October 2022) and Michael Carrick (1-0 with Millwall in August 2023).

• Middlesbrough have won 29 points in 15 Championship games this season (W8 D5 L2), their best tally at this stage since 2015-16 when they had 30 points and later finished 2nd under Aitor Karanka.

• Only Wrexham's George Dobson (43) has made more tackles in the Championship this season than Middlesbrough's Aidan Morris (39) – he has also won the most fouls of any player in 2025-26 (39).