"If we want play-offs" - Middlesbrough FC's biggest issue revealed | OneFootball

FLW's Boro fan pundit has been speaking on the club's biggest issue at this moment in time.

This article is part of Football League World's 'Terrace Talk' series, which provides personal opinions from our FLW Fan Pundits regarding the latest breaking news, teams, players, managers, potential signings and more…

Middlesbrough have arrested their Championship slide in recent games, with much-needed back-to-back wins over Stoke City and Derby County placing Michael Carrick's side right back in play-off contention.

Boro have endured a rollercoaster of a campaign so far.

One minute they look like a team which has all the makings of being a real promotion contender in the top-six, to reverting back to a side that can't help but get in their own way the next.

As a result, frustrations have been rising on Teesside given the quality that is at Carrick's disposal not correlating with the position in the table that many believe they should be.

"We need to go on a run" - Middlesbrough's biggest issue revealed

We asked our Middlesbrough fan pundit, Jasper Hudson: 'What is your club's biggest issue at this very moment in time and why?'

Hudson said: "The biggest issue at the club at the moment is the consistency on the pitch.

"Five games without a win, and now we've got two wins on the bounce. We need to, if we want to make the play-offs, we need to keep that consistency up.

"We need to go on a run. Win four or five games in a row. We've got an achievable run of fixtures to do that, but we've really struggled for consistency in performances on the pitch.

"Against Bristol City, our last loss, we were awful. We couldn't get near them, couldn't keep the ball, couldn't create any chances, and whilst Stoke aren't as good a team as Bristol City, we absolutely dominated that game.

"We battered them, created so many chances, and looked like our old self. The best that Boro have played this season back against Stoke.

"If we can get some consistency until the end of the season, it will put us in a good position to fight for the play-offs."

Middlesbrough have ideal opportunity to find the consistency they've been lacking in the coming weeks

Heading into their 36th game of the season away at Swansea City this weekend, Middlesbrough have yet to exceed more than three consecutive Championship wins this season.

This trio of victories came back in November, when Boro demolished QPR 4-1, Luton Town 5-1 and Oxford United 6-2 respectively. But, after wins against Stoke City and Derby County, Carrick's side have the chance to equal that record at the Swansea.com Stadium this Saturday.

With the Teessiders sitting just two points behind sixth-placed West Brom entering the weekend's round of fixtures, another three points in South Wales could push them back into a play-off position depending on results elsewhere.

Following Swansea, Middlesbrough's next three games include two outings at the Riverside Stadium against QPR and Oxford, with a trip to Kenilworth Road sandwiched in-between to take on relegation-threatened Luton.

As such, these next four matches feel like a pivotal stretch in Boro's campaign. Take three or more wins from those games, and Carrick's side will likely be sitting pretty in a play-off spot with seven games to go.

Fail to capitalise on this favourable run, however, and Middlesbrough's tough end to the season with clashes against the likes of Blackburn, Leeds, Sheffield Wednesday, Norwich and Coventry may cost them dearly.

Therefore, now is Middlesbrough's chance to show they can be consistent in their results, and give themselves a great chance of making the top-six when it's all said and done.