In 2013 they have been terrible. Seven defeats in nine League games has seen them drop out of the play off places but Malky Mackay knows they had quality to get them up there in the first place.
“They are a very dangerous team”, he said ahead of today's game. “I think the fact that they have been on such a run of results and yet are still sitting there or thereabouts shows you how good a start they had.
"That kind of patch, be it good or bad, can happen to anyone in this division. We know we’ve got a tough game up at the Riverside – I’ve never had an easy game against Middlesbrough and I don’t expect one against Tony Mowbray tomorrow.
“There are fine lines every week between winning and losing in this division. They’ve got a squad that could quite easily go on another good run, like anyone in the league. Just look at the excellent run that Barnsley have been on, cleaning teams out, before being turned over massively by Bristol City at the weekend. It’s a precarious division and anyone can beat anyone at any point.”
Cardiff won the fixture at CCS 1 - 0 thanks to Matt Connolly's header. That was a first defeat for Middlesbrough in nine games at the time.
Hopefully their resurgance starts next week.