Middlesbrough slipped to a shock 1-0 defeat to play-off rivals, Bristol City on Tuesday night, which saw them lose ground on the top six.

Boro are in a dismal run of form at this moment in time and have now lost their last five league games on the bounce.

This poor run has seen them slip out of the play-off positions, and with just seven league games remaining, they need to find the solution to their problems – and fast.

Otherwise they could be set for a mass exodus in the summer, with a number of the players likely to have offers from elsewhere.

So, it's sure to be an interesting summer for Boro if they aren't to win promotion.

Adam Webster’s first-half goal proved to be the difference between the two sides on the night, and Bristol City fans will be confident they can retain their place inside the top six heading towards the conclusion of this year’s campaign.

But what have we learnt about Middlesbrough following their latest defeat?

Find out below….

They need to be taking their chances

Boro dominated the majority of the game against the Robins, but need to be taking the chances that come their way, as this was a classic example of a ‘smash and grab’ victory for Lee Johnson’s side.

Pulis must rally his troops ahead of the promotion run-in.

The atmosphere at the club is toxic

It’s no surprise to hear supporters voicing their frustrations, especially when the expectations were so high at the start of the season.

If they can’t finish inside the top six, then this will certainly go down as a failure of a season for one of the promotion favourites.

The players have to take some of the blame

Tony Pulis has been shouldering the majority of the blame in recent weeks, but this defeat should lie with the players.

They spurned a number of good opportunities to score on the night and need to stand up and be counted, as they aren’t performing to a good enough standard to challenge for a play-off spot this season.