Charlton v Middlesbrough - Crictical phase emerges for the Boro

Not far short of four years to the day, Boro visited Charlton in a crisis-ridden state – with head coach Aitor Karanka having temporarily been placed on gardening leave while he mulled over his future following a training-ground bust-up – with Steve Agnew taking charge of the Teessiders.

It was an early Spring afternoon to forget for Boro, who turned in a directionless, insipid performance in a 2-0 defeat.

Boro were fighting for promotion points in the 2015-16 run-in, but now it is all about survival spoils as Jonathan Woodgate seeks to get the better of good friend and Addicks manager Le Bowyer, whose struggling side have suffered painful defeats for contrasting reasons against Huddersfield Town and Sheffield Wednesday.

Woodgate’s third-from-bottom Boro may have produced a game performance on Monday night against Nottingham Forest, but the draw still extended the club’s winless league sequence to 10 matches ahead of today’s game against a side who they will leapfrog with victory.

On a critical juncture in the club’s season, Woodgate, this week handed the full support of chairman Steve Gibson – who says that the 40-year-old will continue at the helm no matter what happens this season – said: “We need to start winning games now, that is crucial – especially at this period now, with the teams that are around us.

“The next game is Charlton and then it is Swansea and then we have got Stoke and Hull. There are big games and teams who are around us in the league.”

Boro face a Charlton side who have lost three of their last four matches, but who cannot be accused of lacking tenacity and spirit in their first season back in the second tier under Bowyer, characteristics which he displayed in a strong playing career which saw him play alongside Woodgate at Leeds.

The Boro chief added: “Lee has been unlucky with injuries this season. What he did at Charlton last season was absolutely fantastic in getting them promotion.

“I didn’t think they expected to get promotion, but they had some good players there.

“This season, they have not got a big budget, but he is battling hard.”