It has been a week of turmoil at Middlesbrough, with two defeats to opposition in the bottom three, seeing the club lose ground in the race for the title, and clinging on to their automatic promotion berth.

The defeat at Rotherham in midweek led to manager Aitor Karanka questioning the spirit of his team and if they had the stomach for promotion, words which clearly did not go down well.

Reports soon emerged of a major bust up between Karanka and his players following the meeting and criticism, and the Spaniard did not make the trip to Charlton at the weekend.

Boro came out of the game with nothing and looked a shadow of the team that had impressed so much in the period of the season leading up to the January transfer window.

With talks set to take place between Karanka and chairman Steve Gibson today over the manager’s future, talk has already begun about who could potentially replace Karanka should he vacate his position.

Here at FLW, our writer Lee Connor takes a look at FIVE potential replacements for Aitor Karanka.......

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PRESS THE IMAGE BELOW TO SEE THE FIVE MANAGERS!

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David Moyes

Moyes has been out of work since leaving Spanish club Real Sociedad, and was linked with a move to fellow Championship club Derby County when they parted company with Paul Clement in January.

The Scot though remains keen to get back into management, that much is clear, and a drop down into the Championship could well be a logical step for him.

With Boro still in a good position to win promotion as it stands, it could well be the ideal job for Moyes to walk into.

The former Man United manager did a brilliant job with Everton, and despite the ill fated spell at Old Trafford, is still an excellent manager and a safe pair of hands.

Garry Monk

The former Swansea defender and manager is out of work since being harshly sacked by the Swans earlier this season.

Monk though is a young manager with plenty of potential, and has many admirers in the game that is for sure.

Boro could do far worse than look at the young gaffer, and he would be more than keen on a return to management after a short break from the game.

Craig Hignett

A former favourite at the Riverside and currently in charge of Hartlepool United, Hignett has already seen his name linked with the job.

Although he has distanced himself from initial rumours surrounding him and the role, it would be tough for Hignett to turn down the chance of managing a club so close to his heart should the opportunity knock.

Hignett is doing a decent job of things with Hartlepool, and might not be a big name or a name that jumps out, but there would  be plenty of fans who wouldn’t be too upset if he was to get the job.

Roberto Di Matteo

Di Matteo has been out of management since leaving German club Schalke in 2015 of his own accord.

Di Matteo though has a decent record as manager, and a man with a Champions League title win to his name is not to be sniffed at.

The Italian has a close affiliation with the English game from his time as a player and manager with Chelsea and West Brom, while he also spent time in the lower leagues during a brief spell with MK Dons.

It would mean another young foreign manager for Boro, but Di Matteo definitely has the credentials achieve something big for the club.

Paul Clement

Would it really be too much of a surprise to see Clement back in the Championship?

After harshly losing his job a couple of months ago at Derby County, Clement has still not been snapped up for work, despite being linked with a move to Bayern Munich with his old friend Carlo Ancelotti.

Clement definitely has all the credentials to be a top manager, and it might be that his time with Derby served him well.

Walking into a club like Middlesbrough and laying his own marker down, while still having the chance to lead a team to the Premier League, is something that might be too good a chance for him to turn down.

Boro fans, what do you think to these names? Who would you like to take charge if Karanka leaves? Let us know in the comments!