It's been a strange old season for Middlesbrough Football Club.

After narrowly missing out on the play-offs last term there was a feeling of resignation around the club that they may need to take a step back in order to move forward.

That meant offloading some of their higher earning player and replacing them with up-and-coming players who could be bought cheap, developed and used as first team players before eventually selling them on at a profit.

Combine a newly-assembled playing squad with an inexperienced manager in Jonathan Woodgate and you begin to see why the season has been such a struggle.

Middlesbrough are currently sitting just two points outside of the relegation zone after a largely disappointing season so far.

But among this season of consolidation, a number of players have been able to really establish themselves as consistent performers.

So who have been Jonathan Woodgate's top players this season? We took to Whoscored.com to look over the numbers and pick out the top 10 Middlesbrough players who have featured five times or more.

It's been a good season for the forward who has come on leaps and bounds.

Middlesbrough's top goalscorer has eight goals and five assists to his name this season and has certainly established himself as a key player for Jonathan Woodgate.

The experienced defender has had a frustrating season with injury that has limited him to just five appearances.

Friend has looked far from his usual best, but that's to be understood given the lack of match action that he's enjoyed.

The wide man has been one of the season's real surprise packages.

Playing down the wing and also at wing-back, Johnson may just have proved to Jonathan Woodgate that he's good enough to earn another contact with the club.

The young defender has done well to establish himself as a first team regular this term.

It's been a tough season for Fry, but the experience of a season of struggle will certainly stand him in good stead as he kicks on with his career in the seasons to come.

The midfielder has showed glimpses of real quality for Middlesbrough.

Seven goals is a decent tally from the middle of the park and that's not to be sniffed at as part of a struggling side.

He had an incredibly impressive pre-season but got off to a slow start in the Championship after suffering an early injury.

But Hayden Coulson has rarely looked back since returning at the end of last year.

The left-sided player is now a regular under Jonathan Woodgate and, assuming he can stay fit, it's a role that he's likely to hold long-term.

It's been a real coming of age season for the 20-year-old.

After playing a bit-part under Tony Pulis last term, Tavernier has established himself as a first team regular this season as he breaks out of central midfielder to link the engine room with the attacking third.

Two goals and four assists this term is a decent return, and that's enough to make him Middlesbrough's fifth best performer, according to the statistics.

He's like to be most supporters' pick for player of the year, and that's backed up the statistics.

In fairness to Jonny Howson he's played most of this season out of his natural position, however few would know based on the quality of his displays.

But after 29 appearances this term there's no doubting that he's been one of Jonathan Woodgate's top players.

Middlesbrough's talisman in the centre of defence, the Spaniard is certainly an integral part of the side.

Another player who is out of contract, Daniel Ayala will be a massive miss if he was to move away from the club at the end of the season.

He may be injured at present, but Jonathan Woodgate will be praying that he'll return sooner rather than later.

A surprising choice in first place, but the statistics don't lie.

Ryan Shotton was a regular before suffering an injury last year but after returning to the matchday squad a few weeks ago and has been very impressive.

The defender is out of contract in the summer but could still have a big role to play in the relegation battle.