Preston vs Middlesbrough

On Wednesday night, Preston North End hosts Middlesbrough in an attempt to win and go back into Championship playoff contention.

Middlesbrough just fallen to 12th place in the rankings, four points behind their next opponents, while the home team is currently in 10th place.Despite their erratic play throughout the season, Middlesbrough had a chance to get back into the promotion race with the potential of three straight games at Riverside Stadium.

Instead, questions have been raised over whether Michael Carrick should stay in charge after the team lost all three of those games against Rotherham United, Sunderland, and Bristol City.

Boro, who made it to the EFL Cup semi-finals thanks to a fortunate path, have struggled this season. On Saturday, they lost 2-1 to Bristol City after drawing with Rotherham and Sunderland.

After only four victories in 12 league games, Boro's fans are not in a good mood. The team fell down 2-0 after 17 minutes and eventually equalized in stoppage time.Boro is now six points out of the playoff spots and is a long shot to make the top six; in the short and long terms, they need to win if they want to regain their position.

That's the reaction Ryan Lowe has received from his Preston team, who have defeated Cardiff City and Ipswich Town in consecutive games.Preston have dropped to mid-table places after winning just three of their previous thirteen games in the second division, but there is new hope at Deepdale.

They had not won consecutive games since November 10 and currently trail fifth-place West Bromwich Albion by only four points ahead of their next two home games.Lowe won't be getting too carried away with the recent gains, considering the dip in performances earlier in the season, but he will support his team to win this match, with their lone loss in five games coming from a dramatic 2-1 setback at Leeds United.