MIDDLESBROUGH know their schedule for the 2024/25 campaign after the Championship fixtures were released on Wednesday morning.

Boro kick-off at the Riverside against Swansea City and face Sunderland before September is out. There's a home game against Sheffield Wednesday on Boxing Day and a trip to Coventry on the final day.

Here are some key talking points:

Luke Williams' April claims

It's only a couple of months since opening day visitors Swansea last played at the Riverside - with boss Luke Williams launching into quite the post-match rant after his side's defeat on Teesside.

Boro were comfortable 2-0 victors and Williams slammed his side for what he described as an "absolutely brutal" performance. But his criticism wasn't limited to only his players.

"It was just an atrocious game of football, an absolutely diabolical example of the Championship," he said.

"It would have been nicer if we'd won, at least we could have then pretended to be happy about something, but goodness me.

"There was nothing right about that. It was like going to a charity game in the summer, no atmosphere, a bit of talking in the crowd."

If Boro's supporters took issue with Williams' claims, they'll undoubtedly leave the Swansea boss with a different impression of the Riverside atmosphere this time around. The Riverside promises to be packed out and bouncing for the opening day game.

There'll be a very different feel to that April encounter when very little was on the line for both sides - but Boro would happily accept the same result.

The start...

There's no getting away from the fact that Boro's start - on paper - looks relatively kind.

Now obviously that means nothing and those bold enough to make predictions in the Championship are made to look daft every single season.

But the opening weeks look very much like an opportunity for Boro to make their mark and quickly establish themselves in the area of the table they hope to be residing come the end of the campaign.

As well as taking on two newly promoted outfits in Derby and Portsmouth, Boro's other five games before the end of September are against sides that finished 14th, 12th, 10th, 16th and 17th last season.

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Two huge midweek games

You'd be hard pressed to find a Boro fan whose eyes aren't immediately drawn to the Leeds games when the fixtures are released.

And next season's clashes against Daniel Farke's side will both be under the lights, with the home and away games scheduled for Tuesday nights.

It's a trip to Elland Road first in December before the reverse fixture at the Riverside in early April. It's obviously far too early to know what will be at stake 10 months down the line, but if the coming campaign plays out as both sides hope, that Riverside game has the look of being a huge encounter.

Testing spell

On the subject of that Elland Road trip in December, that comes in what has the look of being a really testing spell for Michael Carrick's side.

Just three days before the Leeds game, Boro are at Turf Moor to play Burnley and that follows a home game against promotion hopefuls Hull City. #

Games against Blackburn and Oxford come before the visit of the Tigers, but November starts against Coventry at the Riverside and Luton will also visit before the international break and after a trip to Loftus Road to face a QPR side that improved dramatically last term under Marti Cifuentes.

A chance to end a rotten run

As was the case in the 2022/23 season, Boro will finish the campaign against Coventry City.

Carrick and Boro will hope they can put an end to their rotten recent run against the Sky Blues.

Boro are winless in their last six against Coventry and have lost their last three, one of which, not that a reminder is needed, was the semi-final second leg at the Riverside.

Boro were alarmingly thumped 3-0 at the Coventry Building Society Arena in just the second game of last season then lost the reverse fixture 3-1 on Teesside on New Year's Day.

Hopefully they can right those wrongs this season.