Things are improving gradually at the Riverside Stadium, with Middlesbrough creeping their way to the brink of the Sky Bet Championship’s play-off zone heading into the weekend’s fixtures.

Back-to-back victories over Reading and Hull City on the road this week have elevated Boro into eighth heading into the weekend’s round of fixtures, with Garry Monk’s side in action on Sunday, against fierce rivals and Championship strugglers, Sunderland.

Monk’s side got off to a slow start this season, but recent victories and the inability of their rivals to consistently pick up results has opened the door for the Teessiders to once again narrow the gap on the top-six.

Monk has taken to his personal Twitter account ahead of the fixture with the Black Cats, with the 38-year-old stressing that he is looking forward to the clash with Sunderland at the Riverside Stadium.

The tweet has received plenty of reaction from Boro’s supporters, here is the best of it…

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