Bristol City’s next Championship opponents could be close to firing their manager, according to a new report.

Speculation is mounting that Bristol City’s Championship play-off rivals and next opponents Middlesbrough are considering a change of manager after a poor run of form dented their hopes of finishing in the top six.

The Robins face Middlesbrough at Ashton Gate on Friday evening knowing that a positive result could lift them up to sixth in the table – while Boro, currently managed by Michael Carrick, have now lost four games in a row following a 1-0 home defeat to Watford on Saturday.

Following their latest disappointing performance, TBR Football claim that Boro are “considering the future” of Carrick, with some in the club’s hierarchy now of the belief that “change is needed in the dugout”.

Boro struggling as play-off race heats up

Carrick only penned a new two-year contract at the Riverside Stadium in June, but is facing mounting pressure after winning just two of his last 12 games as Middlesbrough manager, a run which has seen the club slip from the play-off places down to 11th – although they are still just four places behind sixth-placed West Bromwich Albion.

Bristol City, meanwhile, have lost just one of their last six games following a 1-1 draw away to Cardiff City, and remain firmly in the play-off battle despite being unable to add any new players to the squad during the January transfer window.

TBR Football’s article does not speculate as to whether Carrick could lose his job before Friday evening’s game, but does claim that former Swansea City coach Steve Cooper is being lined up as a potential replacement should Carrick leave the club.

The story does also note that Boro chairman Steve Gibson would be “loathed to lose” Carrick just months after signing a new contract. Carrick took over the Teesside club in 2022 and earned plaudits for the improved performances seen at the start of his tenure as he steered the club away from relegation. They finished eighth in the 2023/24 season, his first full campaign in charge.

Bristol City remain in play-off battle but work to do

The Robins’ chances of making the play-offs were not helped by a quiet January transfer window. The club released a statement on the day before the window closed which announced that budgetary constraints meant that no new additions would happen, with Liam Manning asked to continue working with his current squad even as the teams around them added big-name players.

Since the window closed, Bristol City have endured a disappointing defeat to Swansea City and also dropped point against Cardiff, but did beat Stoke City 2-0 at home to ensure that they stayed within touching distance of sixth place, helped by the recent poor form of West Brom, who currently occupy the final play-off spot.

Manning’s men were predicted to finish 10th in data experts OPTA’s most recent predicted table, but a win over Middlesbrough would go a long way towards improving their chances of upsetting the odds. Following Friday’s game, they face Millwall and Hull City before a challenging trip to league leaders Sheffield United.