Middlesbrough might be out of form and that could be in part down to the lack of technical ability within the squad.

The Teessiders were hoping to push for promotion this term but have found themselves sitting near the bottom of the table as they look to avoid dropping into the relegation zone.

While Jonathan Woodgate's side have had promising spells this term, they've been struggled to get going for the majority of the season which has hampered their form.

Woodgate has kept a relatively consistent squad shape this season with injuries dictating the amount of changes that he's been able to make.

Middlesbrough are in desperate need of some good results but to do that they'll need some of their better players to step up to the plate.

With top performances hard to come by at the moment, passing has gone astray - and that's something that needs to be addressed.

Even though they might not be playing to the best of their abilities, here are the top seven passers at Middlesbrough this season according to WhoScored.com (playing five games or more)...

The midfielder has been one of Middlesbrough's few creative sparks so far this term.

With a pass accuracy of 77.2%, it's no surprise that Tavernier has caused problems in the final third but an improvement could see him become even more effective.

He burst onto the scene over the festive period and caught the eye with his energetic, passing displays from the right flank.

Spence finds his target 77.6% of the time - a decent tally for a player with just 12 senior appearances to his name.

He's been one of Middlesbrough's best players this term with a passing accuracy of 77.8%.

Many of these passes have been into the final third which is encouraging and a key reason why he's been so effective.

A 78.3% pass accuracy is excellent for a central defender, but it's what we've come to expect from Dael Fry.

The ball-playing defender has made a name for playing out from the back and this is something that he tries to do every time he's on the ball.

He likes to sit deep and retain possession and that comes across in Adam Clayton's passing stats.

79.2% is a good success rate but has to be kept in context with most of his passes either going backwards or sideways.

A surprise name at number two in the list as the former Charlton man comes into the rankings.

Dijksteel has a pass success rate of 79.5% from the right flank - something that Middlesbrough will be hoping to tap into more as he returns from injury.

Number one on the list is the ever-reliable midfielder.

George Saville's pass success rate of 79.9% makes him a consistent performer for Middlesbrough and one who Jonathan Woodgate should look to utilise more over the coming weeks.