Middlesbrough are back on the road this weekend as they travel to take on Cardiff City in south Wales.

After recording a hard-fought 1-0 victory over Bristol City midweek the feeling is upbeat in the Teessiders' camp, with many confident that the club's current good form can continue.

The Bluebirds pose a difficult test for Neil Warnock on his return to his former club, but what can we expect from Neil Harris' side?

We spoke to Ben from the View From The Ninian for an insight into the opposition.

How would you sum up last season for Cardiff City?

It certainly got better as it went on. It started with a lot of promise but that soon fizzled out and Warnock left. It took Harris a bit of time to bed in but from January onwards, we picked up a lot of points and started playing some really good football. And then we missed out on the playoff final but one goal. So a bit of a rollercoaster but it was incredibly enjoyable by the end.

Neil Harris took over as manager last term, how has he got on?

Maybe unfairly, a lot of Cardiff fans were underwhelmed at first but he's really won most of us around. He started slowly but as time has progressed, you can start to see his stamp on things. We seem to have a couple of different ways of playing now. We can go direct, we can counter-attack, and we can control possession. Since January, he's up there with Liverpool for most away wins and most points won on the road which is brilliant and he pulled off a magnificent transfer window with Kieffer Moore and Harry Wilson coming in. While this season hasn't started brilliantly, the last couple of games have been a marked improvement and I think we can build on that.

Who have Cardiff signed this summer and how would you rate the business?

For a little while, it looked like a solid if uninspiring window. We'd signed Kieffer Moore early, then Osei-Tutu from Arsenal and Sheyi Ojo from Liverpool. We needed more cover at 10 and in defence and he managed to pull off two pretty big deadline day moves. Benkovic from Leicester is a really promising signing but to get Harry Wilson, seemingly against all odds, is just still a bit unbelievable. You can already see the guys a cut above in just his general play and he scored on his full debut. For that signing alone, Harris should be applauded.

What are the squad’s strengths and weaknesses?

We're (usually) defensively solid. Smithies is a brilliant keeper with Morrison and Nelson ahead of him and, on their day, they are up there with the best in the league. We've got a lot of options going forward. We can seemingly play a number of combos at 10 and on the wings and up top, we've got the best target man in the division in Kieffer Moore. On the other hand, we sometimes simply don't score enough and we still have a penchant for trying to absorb other teams play too much and that can put us under unnecessary pressure. We also lack depth at right-back. Less of a weakness and more of a worry.

What are your Cardiff City predictions for the season ahead?

I think playoffs are a minimum. This league is going to be a bit all over the place and now the windows are closed, I can see us pushing on into the top half. If the team clicks and Wilson and Moore really get going, I don't see why we can't push for the top two. Teams like Watford and Bournemouth are going to be challenging but beyond that, it's anyone's guess.

Who are the players that Middlesbrough need to watch out for against Cardiff?

There's a couple I'd highlight. Kieffer Moore is showing himself to be a really intelligent player at this level. Yeah, he's six foot five but his running off the ball and his all-round play is incredibly intelligent. Harry Wilson is another. Again, he's just a cut above. You can tell he's been at an academy like Liverpools. Then Ojo had a great game against Bournemouth and we've got your old friend Lee Tomlin to, potentially, come in as well. I'd also highlight Ralls in the middle of the park. He's often what really makes us tick.

How do you see Middlesbrough's season panning out?

You've got Warnock, so I'd like to think you'd be challenging. It may be a season too early for him - he didn't have much time last year - but if he gets you playing in the right way, there's no reason why you can't be looking at top six. My guess would be you may fall short this year but if Warnock sticks around once this season is done, you'd be up there with the favourites next year.

You obviously have a lot of history with Neil Warnock, what is the general perception of the Boro boss?

I think what he did for the club and the fans went beyond football. Yes he got us promoted and almost kept us up but he came in at a time when the club had been through the wringer. After all the owners' shenanigans with the kit change and really poor managerial choices, the club needed a manager who could help bridge the gap between fans and the club again. And he did that. He just got the fans and understood them. He got us promoted when, by rights, we shouldn't have been anywhere near it. He perhaps stayed on a little bit too long - it just didn't feel like his heart was in it when we went back down - but that's the only bad thing I can say about him. It's a shame this game is behind closed doors because it would be nice to welcome him back and give him a bit of a send-off. He's a bit of a hero.

How have Cardiff performed so far this season?

We started poorly. Getting trashed in the Carabao at Northampton was a bit of a downer but since then, things have improved. Unbeaten in three and only lost one of our last five, things have picked up and our last two games - beating Preston and drawing with Bournemouth - should be the platform for the rest of the season.

Can Cardiff consider themselves in contention for a promotion push?

I think so. The league is going to be all over the place and as long as we can retain some consistency, we can certainly look at top six if not higher.

How do you see the game playing out?

It's going to be tight. We know Warnock sides don't give much space and try and play direct football. I'm hopeful we'll just have enough to beat you but there won't be a runaway winner. I'm hopeful of a 2-0 win to us!

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