We Are Middlesbrough

Image source, Getty Images

Middlesbrough must not start looking at the form of other teams in their chase for the Championship play-offs, according to goalkeeper Mark Travers.

Boro drew 0-0 at Luton on Saturday and are three points adrift of the top six as they enter the international break.

"The main thing for us and the club is to just focus on us," Travers told BBC Radio Tees.

"When you start adding up points your next fixture becomes really difficult and you end up putting pressure on yourselves and thinking about things that aren't in your control.

"All we can do is go to the next game after the international break, try to get a win and push up the table - we'll just focus on what we can do and hopefully that'll be more than enough come May."

The Republic of Ireland international joined Middlesbrough on loan from Bournemouth at the end of the January transfer window and has played nine league games, keeping two clean sheets.

"It's hard coming in January when a lot of the games are being played but I was excited to come here and all the boys have been great with me and it's been easy to settle," he added.

Middlesbrough return to action after the international break on 29 March when they host Oxford United.

Image source, Rex Features

Middlesbrough boss Michael Carrick was full of praise for his side's character and ability to adapt in the 0-0 draw against Luton Town at Kenilworth Road.

Boro were forced to defend for long spells as the Hatters created - and wasted - numerous chances.

"We had a new back four with players playing out of position so we knew it would be a challenge and it proved to be like that," Carrick told BBC Radio Tees. "Sometimes you earn your luck and everyone was fully committed and we needed Trav [Goalkeeper Mark Travers] at times. He made some good saves.

"It wasn't a classic terms of quality of football. We knew that coming here there would be moments we had to defend. We spoke about that before the game. We knew we had to adapt.

"They pitch was difficult to pass the ball on; it was as bobbly as you could get and everything that didn't really suit us. It was a challenge to play good football.

"I was really pleased with the boys and how we stuck at it and we could have nicked one at the end.

"It's an important point and there are a lot of positives to take from that even though it wasn't a classic on the eye. We knew we would have to defend and we were ready for it."

Luton Town will start the day two points adrift of Championship safety when they face play-off chasing Middlesbrough on Saturday (15:00 GMT).

The Hatters have won two of their past three league games, while Boro have won three out of four to reignite their hopes of a top-six finish.

• Luton are unbeaten in their past seven home league games against Middlesbrough (W4 D3) since losing 1-0 back in October 1974.

• Middlesbrough are looking to complete a league double over Luton Town for the first time since the 1973-74 campaign under Jack Charlton.

• Luton Town have won five of their past 11 home league games (D3 L3) and haven't conceded more than one goal in any of those 11 at Kenilworth Road.

• Middlesbrough have lost five of their past six away league matches, winning the other 3-1 against Stoke City in February.

• Tommy Conway has scored six goals in his past 10 away league appearances for Middlesbrough.

Image source, Rex Features

Middlesbrough head coach Michael Carrick believes that his team still has a 'great chance' of making the play-offs.

The 2-1 win over QPR was a third in four games and with none of the teams above them winning on Tuesday, Boro are only three points outside the top six.

And with nine games to play, starting away at Luton Town on Saturday, Carrick is feeling optimistic.

"They're still there [in the play-off race]. We've got to obviously keep that opportunity alive," he told BBC Radio Tees.

Listen, it's so close and Saturday's another important game.

"We're going to be saying that now until the end of the season. There are probably going to be twists and turns and we've just got to keep plugging away.

"We're still in it, we've got a chance – we've got a great chance, actually – and let's just see what happens."

"I'll do whatever's asked of me. I did it as a young lad coming through and I'm doing it as an old lad on the way out. That'll never change," Middlesbrough midfielder-turned-defender Jonny Howson tells BBC Radio Tees.

In the absence of fit central defenders, Howson and left-back Neto Borges transformed into high-quality centre-backs to help Boro into a 2-1 win against fellow play-off chasers Queen's Park Rangers on Tuesday night.

Paul Addison is joined by former Middlesbrough midfielder Neil Maddison to talk about the makeshift defensive duo and the Teeside team's performance as they look to return to the top six.

Includes interviews with Howson and boss Michael Carrick.

You can listen to the full reaction and more on the Red Alert podcast.

Middlesbrough welcome QPR to the Riverside Stadium on Tuesday night (19:45 GMT) looking to keep their Championship play-off hopes alive.

Boro's top six ambitions were dented by a 1-0 defeat at Swansea on Saturday - their seventh loss in 10 games - and sit five points behind West Bromwich Albion in sixth.

The Hoops have seen their own play-off quest become increasingly unlikely with three straight defeats leaving them them 11 points off the top six.

• Middlesbrough have won three of their past four league games against QPR (L1), scoring 2+ goals in each of those victories.

• QPR have won four of their past five away league games against Middlesbrough (L1), as many as across their prior 13 visits to face Boro.

• Middlesbrough are looking to win successive home league games for only the second time this season, previously doing so in November/December.

• QPR have won five of their past seven midweek (Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday) league matches (L2), though did lose the most recent such game 1-0 at Coventry last month.

• Middlesbrough have won each of their past four league games against London clubs; in their Football League history, their longest winning run over sides from the capital is five games, achieved on six previous occasions, most recently in March 2015.