After some early promise, Middlesbrough must be starting to look over their shoulders to a certain degree. And after plenty of early looking over their shoulders, West Ham have settled comfortably enough into a mid-table life raft.

The progress promised by a new stadium, splashed cash and a silver-tongued board of directors has stalled, and the optimism has turned into something very close to all-out embarrassment amongst West Ham’s fans.

On top of everything, the one player who seemed to embody the progress, and who seemed able to help the club achieve next-level status, has effectively gone on strike.

Maybe, under the circumstances, taking this season as a write-off and settling for a quiet mid-table finish wouldn’t be such a bad idea before regrouping in the summer and learning from some heinous mistakes: Michail Antonio at full back, doing transfer business in public, the ‘Insider’ column, and Simone Zaza.

Middlesbrough, meanwhile, would also surely settle for mid-table, though with players like Alvaro Negredo and Victor Valdes in the side, relegation would be a massive disappointment. A victory is needed soon, then, before they drop any further than 16th.

Here’s where the game will be won and lost.

Alvaro Negredo v West Ham’s centre backs

He’s Middlesbrough’s top scorer this season, but Alvaro Negredo is hardly the most mobile of strikers these days.

He is, however, still every inch the Beast of Vallecas when he’s on the ball in the box. You can see his quality and finishing ability when he’s given the chance, but the key is giving him the chances.

So far, Christian Stuani has tried his best to provide the service, but with Aitor Karanka dipping into the transfer market for attacking options, it’s plain to see that he feels Negredo needs more help. They are the lowest scorers in the league for a reason, after all.

If Boro are to win, they’ll need him firing - and if West Ham are to continue their winning ways, they’ll need to limit his space.

The Hammers’ attacking midfield

Without Dimitri Payet, West Ham certainly did alright against Crystal Palace last weekend. But a trip to the North East is a long one from East London, and when they get there, they’ll face a side who, despite their current league position and problems in attack, still boast one of the best defensive records in the country. They’ve conceded fewer goals than every team in the league other than Chelsea, Tottenham Hotspur and Manchester United - the top two and Jose Mourinho, no less.

That means there’s a real likelihood of a low-scoring game, and when you’re up against an organised defence like Boro’s, the loss of your most threatening playmaker is a huge handicap. Manuel Lanzini really has to step up.

Andy Carroll v gravity

No one will dispute Carroll’s quality as a Premier League striker - only whether he is physically up to the demands of regular football. The sheer athleticism and contact he made with the ball for his goal against Palace last weekend proves the doubts are about fitness, not ability.

In fact, Slaven Bilic has confirmed that Carroll may not play against Middlesbrough this weekend due to whiplash sustained scoring that goal. So much for that then. The injury-prone striker may have beaten gravity last week, but in the long term nature may win the war.

If Carroll doesn’t play, and with Payet out too, West Ham will have lost a significant portion of their threat against one of the league’s best defences. If he is OK to play, then Bilic will have a vital cutting edge to add to the form of Michail Antonio who hit three assists last week.

But when you defy physics like Carroll did last week, it’s only to be expected that nature would want to reassert its dominance. The whiplash is nature's backlash.