Middlesbrough will be looking to record back-to-back wins when they travel to Millwall on Saturday and close the gap on the top six in the process.

Garry Monk's men had endured a very difficult spell in recent weeks and despite a comfortable 2-0 win against Ipswich last time out, the Teesside club are still five points away from the play-offs.

Given the levels of investment that have gone into the team they are vastly underperforming and the manager is calling on his players to put a positive run together.

"You've seen it week after week the results come in, how competitive this league is," he told the official site.

"There will be a lot more ups and downs, but the margin for error becomes less and less as the season goes on so we have to capitalise. It's in our hands and we have to build up some momentum now."

Like the rest of the division, Boro have a hectic schedule over the festive period, playing five games by January 1. However, Aston Villa are the only team they will face that are currently above them in the league.

The Verdict

Boro should be doing significantly better than they are with the squad that Garry Monk has available and fans have every right to be disappointed.

Although, there's still a lot to play for but it's about consistency. They haven't shown that so far this season but a good run over Christmas could be the catalyst for a strong finish.

It's a positive message from the boss but it's all about the players delivering it on the pitch now.

Thoughts, Boro fans? Let us know in the comments below.