Middlesbrough supporters certainly won’t be in a confident mood heading into the final two games of the Championship season.

They have shown signs of real quality this season, but have been far to inconsistent to cement their position inside the top six earlier this year.

Not many would have thought that Boro would drop out of the play-off places after a lengthy spell inside the the top six in the first-half of this year’s campaign.

But Tony Pulis is a manager that has divided the Middlesbrough fan base, and some of his team selections and tactics have come under scrutiny in recent weeks.

Pulis’ side fell to a disappointing 3-0 defeat to Nottingham Forest on Monday, which leaves their hopes of finishing inside the play-off places, hanging by a thread.

His team only had three shots in total during the game, which makes for dismal reading for a team with ambitions of playing in the Premier League next season.

There are a number of players that aren’t getting regular game time as well, which is surely going to come as a frustration.

Paddy McNair is a player that has really struggled for a regular run in the Middlesbrough team, with the former versatile Sunderland defender making just five league starts this season.

But with Boro paying up to £5m for him in the summer, it’s certainly been a move to forget for the former Manchester United youngster who evidently hasn’t made a good impression on Tony Pulis.

If Middlesbrough aren’t to win promotion back into the Premier League this season, then it’s likely we’ll see a summer of wholesale changes at the Riverside as they prepare for next year’s campaign.

It certainly wouldn’t come as a surprise to see McNair being one of the first names to depart, and the club will be keen to get the majority of the fee that they paid for him originally, back if possible.

An interesting summer awaits for McNair and Middlesbrough supporters, that’s for sure.