Boro may be the lowest scorers out of the Championship’s current top seven, but they do have the best defensive record by quite a distance.
But does history tell us that it’s the team with the best firepower or the best defence that earns automatic promotion to the Premier League?
In this feature Jonathon Taylor looks back at the last 10 Championship seasons and works out which statistic has proven to be the most important.
Best Attack
“Goals win matches, so the team that scores the most will get promoted”.
That’s the common perception among some football fans - but the statistics don’t really support that view.
Only six of the Championship’s top scorers have earned automatic promotion in the last 10 seasons
Southampton were the last team to fire their way into the Premier League as the division’s top scorers in 2011/12, scoring 85 goals in their 46 matches.
But that was only enough for the Saints to finish second in the table, with Reading taking the Championship crown- despite scoring 16 goals fewer.
Action Images 
Southampton's Danny Fox celebrates automatic promotion
For the last two seasons, it hasn’t mattered which team has scored the most number of goals.
In 2012/13 Watford scored 85 goals and finished third, but lost in the play-offs. Then last season it was Steve McClaren’s Derby who were top scorers with 84 goals, again finishing third in the table but beaten by QPR in the play-off final.
So does the top scorers tag matter?
Well looking back at the last decade, it helps if you can blow your Championship opponents out of the water in front of goal - but it’s not essential.
In the last 10 seasons, top scorers Norwich (2010/11), Newcastle (2009/10), Wolves (2008/09), West Brom (2007/08) and Reading (2005/06) all went on to win the league.
Both Southampton (2011/12) and Norwich (2010/11) finished second in the table and were subsequently promoted as the division’s most potent attacking force.
So what tally do Boro need to aim for, if the goals scored column is important?
Well the most number of goals scored by any team in the last 10 seasons was 99, achieved by champions Reading in 2005/06.
Following that, Newcastle scored 90 goals in 2009/10 and West Brom scored 88 in 2007/08.
The lowest number of goals that a title-winning side has scored is 69
That was Reading in 2011/12, while second-placed Birmingham netted only 54 times in 2008/09 but still achieved promotion.
The average number of goals scored by the last 10 Championship winners is 80, with second place teams averaging 73.5 goals.
Trinity Mirror Southern 
Reading celebrate promotion
Boro have scored 50 goals from their 33 games so far this season, finding the net at an average of 1.5 goals per match.
So if that trend continues, Boro would end the season on 70 goals. No team has won the Championship in the last decade having scored fewer than that tally, but four clubs have clinched automatic promotion with fewer goals.
Carl O'Hara 
What does all of that mean? Well Aitor Karanka’s side remain well on course for promotion with their current record in front of goal, but history suggests they need to slightly increase their scoring rate to end the season as champions.
Best Defence
“If you don’t concede goals then you always have a chance of winning promotion”.
That’s the other view from football fans who advocate a more defensive discipline.
But does history support that view?
Well the answer is... not always. Six of the Championship’s tightest defences have earned automatic promotion in the last 10 seasons.
Burnley were the last team to stifle their opponents and win promotion as the division’s best rearguard, conceding 37 goals in their 46 matches last season.
But Sean Dyche’s team only finished second behind Leicester, who finished nine points above the Clarets despite having conceded six goals more.
In 2012/13 it didn’t matter who conceded the fewest goals
Cardiff won the Championship crown having conceded 45 goals, while Hull City were the runners-up after shipping 52.
The best defence during that season was Brighton (43) - but lost in the play-offs after finishing fourth.
But not conceding goals surely does boost your chances of finishing in the top two come the end of the season.
Joining Burnley in the list of promoted sides boasting the division’s best defence is Reading (41 goals in 2011/12), QPR (32 goals in 2010/11), Newcastle (35 goals in 2009/10), Birmingham (37 goals in 2008/09) and Wigan (35 goals in 2004/05).
The most number of goals conceded by a team that has won automatic promotion in the last decade was second-placed Norwich in 2010/11, with the Canaries shipping 58 goals in their 46 matches.
Reading are the team to have conceded the fewest Championship goals and finished in the top two. The Royals were only breached 32 times in 2005/06 - but that wasn’t the best record in the division that season.
Preston North End conceded only 30 in the same year - but were beaten in the play-offs having finished fourth.
The average number of goals conceded by the last 10 Championship winners is 42
Second-placed teams are breached 46 times, on average.
So far this season, Boro have conceded 22 goals from their 33 matches - an average of 0.6 goals per game.
Carl O'Hara 
So if that trend continues, Boro would end the season having conceded 31 goals - the second best tally from any side in the last 10 years.
Only one team (Preston 2005/06) in the last decade has failed to finish in the top two having conceded 31 goals or fewer.
So what does that mean? If Boro’s defence continue to be so watertight, then automatic promotion is almost a certainty for Karanka’s side.
So where are Boro now?
Looking at the last 10 Championship seasons, it’s no surprise Boro are currently in the automatic promotion places.
Boro may have scored fewer goals than any of the other top seven teams as yet, but that is counteracted by the Teessiders’ far superior defensive record.
In truth, teams that win automatic promotion to the Premier League strike up a good balance between goals scored and goals conceded.
In the last 10 seasons, the team that boasts the best goal difference has been promoted on nine occasions.
It was only in 2008/09 when Reading had the Championship’s best goal difference (+32) but did not go up, losing out in the play-offs after finishing fourth.
On every other occasion, the team with the best goal difference has tasted success.
To add, the team with the best goal difference has ended the season as champions in eight of the last 10 seasons.
As things stand, Boro (+28) have the third best goal difference behind Derby (+33) and Bournemouth (+30).
With 13 games left to go, this Championship promotion race is going right down to the wire.
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