John Obi Mikel has admitted that Middlesbrough fell short of his expectation after setting a target of an automatic Premier League promotion or a Championship playoff spot.
The Nigeria midfielder joined the Teesside outfit in January as a free agent, with Tony Pulis’ side six points off the summit of the log.
And after a bright start on his return to England, a run of six consecutive defeats denied Middlesbrough one of the four playoff spots, with an automatic Premier League place out of view.
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Following their seventh-place finish this term, the Super Eagles skipper is upbeat that the Boro can mount a challenge for promotion to the English top-flight next season.