Former defender James Chester has been through Championship promotion drama before
Stuart Jamieson Football Content Editor
11:30, 16 Apr 2026
Middlesbrough's Alan Browne (centre) celebrates scoring
Middlesbrough are hoping to get back on track at Ipswich(Image: PA)
Middlesbrough still have time to get to grips with their alarming Championship form and win promotion to the Premier League, but they must focus on what has put them in a strong position already.
Kim Hellberg's side have now not won in their last six league games, slipping to fifth in the table after harbouring hopes of an automatic promotion spot.
It seems as though the pressures of a long Championship season are finally taking their toll on Boro, but with four games to go, they can still finish strongly - starting at Ipswich on Sunday.
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Experienced former defender James Chester knows what it takes to get over the line, having won promotion with Hull City in 2013, and sees some familiar problems in the current Boro squad.
However, he feels that a refocus on their key strengths can make the difference in the final matches - and potential play-off games.
Chester told Fruity King: "Has the pressure got to Middlesbrough in the promotion race? Pressure definitely plays a part. What is at stake for them now is so close and with time and games running out any mistake can have a huge effect on the goal you're trying to achieve as a team.
"I think it's something that Hull City have suffered quite a bit with, to be honest, when we actually gained promotion. I think we really struggled the last four games of the season to get the results to push us over the line, and that was all because I think the pressure of what is at stake.
"I think for you, for the club, and I think for yourselves as individuals, as footballers, it can have a huge effect on both sides of things. I think it's just the pressure. I think with Middlesbrough struggling to turn draws into wins it would point to that.
"The expectation of your own fans and playing in front of them, as much as it helps on occasion it can also make things difficult as well. It does have an effect. I think it is just solely down to what is at stake for yourself as players individually and for the club as a whole.
"How would I settle players down for the pressures of the run-in? It's easier said than done but it is about just thinking that it’s just another game and you can only try and solely focus on that next game and that next result.
"They're all well-versed at being professional footballers and know what it takes to get results and the right performance to lead to those results.
"So as hard as it is you just have to try and focus on that game that's coming up and what’s in front of you rather than looking a little bit too far ahead and thinking about the ifs and buts and maybes."
Boro face promotion rivals Ipswich on Sunday before a home clash with already-relegated Sheffield Wednesday on April 22. They then end the season with against Watford at the Riverside (April 25) before a final-day game at Wrexham on May 2.
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