The Middlesbrough fans here in the Transfer Tavern are cautiously optimistic they can stay up this season.

A fairly decent start to Premier League life for the club for the first time since 2008/09 has come to a halt somewhat in recent weeks, to leave them hovering above the relegation zone but nevertheless, they’ve shown they can definitely compete at this level.

Players like Alvaro Negredo and Victor Valdes are always going to give you a chance and Aitor Karanka has to be credited for being able to get those two, amongst others, to join the club.

Karanka’s squad management will be key over the rest of the season as they look to stay up and that could involve letting some players, who are not in his plans go out on loan to keep them happy and the squad morale up.

There’s a couple of players our landlord reckons should be allowed to go on loan in particular and here they are…..

Jordan Rhodes

When Middlesbrough signed Jordan Rhodes everyone connected with the club was excited they’d managed to get one of the best players in the Championship, and onlookers in the Premier League were keen to see how he’d do at the highest level.

Aitor Karanka, however, has not given him much of a chance and he should be allowed to leave temporarily at least to regain some form.

David Nugent

Nugent is just one of those players who can tear it up in the Championship but struggles in the Premier League.

Every time he has come up with a club he has not been able to make much of an impact in the top flight and has duly moved on each time.

It looks as though, then, that could be set to happen once again to him with Middlesbrough.