Gareth Southgate said this week: "We go into every game wanting to win.
"We know the task ahead of us.
"It's pointless talking about 'must-win matches' before a game."
Boro face a run of Arsenal, Man Utd, the 'Tees/Tyne derby' and Aston Villa, all on the trot.
So Southgate knows he must turn the tide in dramatic form sooner rather than later.
BORO FIXTURES
Saturday 07th February 2009
Man City v Middlesbrough 12.45
Saturday 14th February 2009
FA Challenge Cup Fifth Round
West Ham v Middlesbrough 15.00
Saturday 21st February 2009
Middlesbrough v Wigan Athletic 15.00
Saturday 28th February 2009
Middlesbrough v Liverpool 15.00
Wednesday 04th March 2009
Tottenham v Middlesbrough 20.00
Saturday 14th March 2009
Middlesbrough v Portsmouth 15.00
Saturday 21st March 2009
Stoke City v Middlesbrough 15.00
Saturday 04th April 2009
Bolton v Middlesbrough 15.00
Saturday 11th April 2009
Middlesbrough v Hull City 15.00
Saturday 18th April 2009
Middlesbrough v Fulham 15.00
Saturday 25th April 2009
Arsenal v Middlesbrough 15.00
Saturday 02nd May 2009
Middlesbrough v Man Utd 15.00
Saturday 09th May 2009
Newcastle v Middlesbrough 15.00
Saturday 16th May 2009
Middlesbrough v Aston Villa 15.00
Sunday 24th May 2009
West Ham v Middlesbrough 16.00
MIDDLESBROUGH 2008/09
BORO 0 BLACKBURN ROVERS 0
Jones, Wheater, Riggott, Huth, Pogatetz,Adam Johnson, Bates, Walker, Downing, King (Emnes 65),Sanli (Alves 65).
Subs Not Used: Turnbull, Hoyte, Shawky, Arca, McMahon.
CHELSEA 2 BORO 0
Turnbull, McMahon, Wheater, Riggott, Pogatetz,Adam Johnson, O'Neil, Shawky (Sanli 64), Bates, Downing,King (Alves 64).
Subs Not Used: Jones, Taylor, Emnes, Huth, Arca.
(FA Cup 4th Rd) WOLVES 1 BORO 2 (Alves 44, Emnes 83)
Jones, Bates, Wheater, Riggott,Taylor (McMahon 7), O'Neil, Sanli, Shawky (Hoyte 46),Adam Johnson, Downing, Alves (Emnes 70).
Subs Not Used: Porritt, Bennett, Turnbull, Craddock.
WEST BROM 3 BORO 0
Turnbull, McMahon (Bates 70), Wheater, Riggott (Huth 36), Taylor, O'Neil (Mido 57), Digard, Shawky, Downing, Sanli, Alves.
Subs Not Used: Jones, Emnes, Adam Johnson, Bennett.
BORO 1 SUNDERLAND 1 (Alves 45)
Turnbull, McMahon, Riggott, Wheater, Pogatetz,Sanli, Digard (Bates 65), Walker (Johnson 47), Arca, Downing,Alves (Mido 86).
Subs Not Used: Jones, Taylor, Emnes, Huth.
(FA Cup 3rd Rd) BORO 2 BARROW 1 (Alves 23, 62)
Jones, McMahon, Wheater, Huth, Pogatetz, Johnson, Walker, Digard, Downing, Alves, Aliadiere (Emnes 34), Emnes (Mido 84).
Subs Not Used: Turnbull, Taylor, Riggott, Sanli, Bates.
MAN UTD 1 BORO 0
Turnbull, Bates, Riggott, Wheater, Pogatetz, Aliadiere (Emnes 76), O'Neil, Arca, Downing, Sanli, Alves.
Subs Not Used: Jones, Taylor, Huth, Shawky, Porritt, Walker.
BORO 0 EVERTON 1
Turnbull, McMahon, Riggott, Pogatetz, Taylor, Aliadiere (Johnson 70), O'Neil (Emnes 85), Arca, Downing,Sanli (Alves 54), Mido.
Subs Not Used: Jones, Huth, Wheater, Walker.
FULHAM 3 BORO 0
Turnbull, McMahon, Riggott, Huth (Taylor 85), Pogatetz, Johnson (Emnes 80), Shawky, Arca (Mido 46), Downing, Aliadiere, Sanli.
Subs Not Used: Jones, Alves, Wheater, Walker.
BORO 1 ARSENAL 1 (Aliadiere 29)
Turnbull, McMahon, Riggott, Huth, Pogatetz,Johnson (Emnes 90), Digard (Shawky 90), Arca, Downing, Sanli,Aliadiere.
Subs Not Used: Jones, Alves, Bates, Hines, Grounds.
HULL CITY 2 BORO 1 (Sanli 79)
Turnbull, Hoyte, Wheater, Pogatetz, Taylor,Aliadiere, Arca, Digard (Hines 87), Downing, Sanli, Alves.
Subs Not Used: Jones, Emnes, Johnson, McMahon, Grounds, Walker.
BORO 0 NEWCASTLE UTD 0
Turnbull, Hoyte, Wheater, Pogatetz, Taylor,Aliadiere (Mido 77), Arca, Digard, Downing, Sanli, Alves.
Subs Not Used: Jones, Emnes, Johnson, Hines, Grounds, Walker.
BORO 1 BOLTON 3 (Pogatetz 77)
Turnbull, Hoyte, Wheater, Pogatetz,Taylor (Arca 76), Aliadiere (Adam Johnson 58), O'Neil, Digard,Downing, Alves (Emnes 75), Sanli.
Subs Not Used: Jones, Hines, Grounds, Walker.
EVERTON 1 BORO 1 (O'Neil 8)
Turnbull, Hoyte, Riggott (Wheater 52), Pogatetz, Taylor, O'Neil, Digard, Arca (Adam Johnson 69), Downing,Alves (Emnes 84), Sanli.
Subs Not Used: Jones, Franks, Grounds, Walker.
ASTON VILLA 1 BORO 2 (Sanli 34, 88)
Turnbull, Hoyte, Pogatetz, Riggott, Taylor,Aliadiere, Digard, O'Neil, Downing, Sanli, Alves (Arca 83).
Subs Not Used: Jones, Emnes, Adam Johnson, Wheater, Grounds, Walker.
BORO 1 WEST HAM 1 (Mido 83)
Turnbull, Wheater (Hoyte 46), Riggott, Pogatetz,Taylor, Aliadiere, O'Neil, Digard (Arca 56), Downing, Sanli,Alves (Mido 67).
Subs Not Used: Jones, Emnes, Adam Johnson, Grounds.
BORO 2 MAN CITY 0 (Alves 53 pen, O'Neil 90)
Turnbull, Wheater, Riggott, Pogatetz, Taylor,Aliadiere, O'Neil, Digard (Arca 75), Downing (Adam Johnson 83),Sanli, Alves.
Subs Not Used: Jones, Emnes, John Johnson, Grounds, Walker.
BLACKBURN 1 BORO 1 (Alves 74)
Turnbull, Wheater, Riggott, Pogatetz, Taylor, Aliadiere, O'Neil, Digard, Downing, Alves, Sanli (Emnes 85).
Subs Not Used: Jones, Shawky, Adam Johnson, John Johnson, Grounds.
BORO 0 CHELSEA 5
Turnbull, Grounds (John Johnson 54), Wheater,Riggott, Taylor, Aliadiere, Shawky (Digard 65), O'Neil,Adam Johnson (Alves 65), Downing, Mido.
Subs Not Used: Jones, Emnes, Bennett, Walker.
WIGAN 0 BORO 1 (Aliadiere 89)
Turnbull, Hoyte, Wheater, Riggott, Grounds, Aliadiere, O'Neil, Shawky (Digard 58), Downing, Alves (Adam Johnson 79), Mido.
Subs Not Used: Jones, Emnes, John Johnson, Walker, Craddock.
BORO 0 WEST BROM 1
Turnbull, Hoyte, Huth, Wheater, Taylor, Aliadiere (Adam Johnson 60), O'Neil, Shawky (Digard 60), Downing, Alves, Mido.
Subs Not Used: Jones, Riggott, Emnes, Bennett, Walker.
Carling Cup MAN UTD 3 BORO 1 (Adam Johnson 56)
Jones, Hoyte, Wheater, Pogatetz, Taylor,Downing, Digard (Riggott 72), O'Neil, Shawky (Adam Johnson 46),Aliadiere, Alves (Emnes 85).
Subs Not Used: Turnbull, Arca, Walker, Craddock.
SUNDERLAND 2 BORO 0
Turnbull, Wheater, Huth, Pogatetz, Taylor,Aliadiere, O'Neil, Digard (Shawky 68), Downing,Adam Johnson (Hoyte 68), Alves.
Subs Not Used: Jones, Riggott, Arca, Walker.
PORTSMOUTH 2 BORO 1 (Mido 24)
Turnbull, Hoyte, Huth, Riggott, Pogatetz,Aliadiere, O'Neil, Digard (Taylor 70), Downing, Alves,Mido (Adam Johnson 84).
Subs Not Used: Jones, Wheater, Porritt, Walker, Craddock.
BORO 2 STOKE CITY 1 (Alves 37, Sanli 85)
Turnbull, Hoyte (Taylor 72), Wheater, Huth,Pogatetz, Aliadiere, Shawky (Digard 61), O'Neil, Downing,Alves (Mido 76), Sanli.
Subs Not Used: Steele, Riggott, Emnes, Adam Johnson.
Carling Cup BORO 5 YEOVIL 1 (Mido 11, Digard 23, Aliadiere 32, Emnes 47, Adam Johnson 66)
Turnbull, Hoyte, Riggott,Pogatetz (Williams 74), Grounds, Aliadiere (O'Neil 60), Digard,Shawky (Walker 60), Adam Johnson, Emnes, Mido.
Subs Not Used: Steele, Downing, Sanli, Alves.
LIVERPOOL 2 BORO 1 (Mido 70)
Turnbull, Wheater, Huth, Pogatetz,Taylor (Hoyte 75), Aliadiere, O'Neil, Shawky, Downing,Alves (Mido 60), Sanli (Digard 87).
Subs Not Used: Emnes, Adam Johnson, Williams.
BORO 2 SPURS 1 (Wheater 71, Mido 86)
Jones, Wheater, Huth, Pogatetz, Taylor, Aliadiere, Shawky, O'Neil, Downing, Alves (Mido 82), Sanli (Digard 72).
Subs Not Used: Turnbull, Emnes, Adam Johnson, Williams, Grounds.