Chuba Akpom: Middlesbrough can take positives from play-off heartache says striker
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Chuba Akpom finished top goalscorer in the Championship with 28 goals last season
Middlesbrough should take heart from last season's run to the Championship play-offs as they prepare for the new campaign, says striker Chuba Akpom.
The Teessiders were involved in the play-off picture after a surge under Michael Carrick which saw them climb from 21st to a fourth-place finish.
Defeat by Coventry in the semi-finals ended their hopes but they start this term among the challengers in 2023-24.
"We just have to take the positives out of it," Akpom told BBC Look North.
"We played fantastically, scored a lot of goals and defended well, so we just have to start again this season and be better than we were last season.
"I definitely think it's possible."
Akpom's own campaign turned on the arrival of Carrick to succeed Chris Wilder in the October, as he recorded a career-best 29 goals in all competitions, 28 of them in the league.
That form has attracted attention and speculation around his future at the Riverside, but for now the former Arsenal and Nottingham Forest is merely focused on his football.
"It's a new season and I've seen talk of whether I'm going to get 29 goals again," the 27-year-old added.
"I've got new targets, I'm trying to be the best version of myself I can be as a player."
Akpom has been unable to join his team-mates in pre-season training as he recovers from a knee injury.
However, he is confident he can get up to speed and back in action for Boro, who start the new season with the visit of Millwall.
"It's a miss, for any football player that's where you get your base fitness from," Akpom added.
"I'm sure that I'll get that in the upcoming of weeks with training with the team. Hopefully I'm back at it very soon."