Middlesbrough head coach Kim Hellberg believes his team probably need to win all their remaining matches if they are to secure second place in the Championship, admitting Town are now in pole position to win promotion.

For much of the season, Boro have looked the side most likely to join leaders Coventry, who appear all but promoted, sitting 12 points ahead of the three teams below them with only five left to play, in the Premier League, but latterly have won just two of their last 10 and are currently without a win in five.

The Blues are now second, ahead of the Teessiders and then Millwall on goal difference but having two games in hand on both.

Boro, without a win at the Riverside in five matches, host struggling Portsmouth on Saturday before visiting Portman Road the following Sunday.

“Ipswich are in pole position now with the two games in hand,” Hellberg told Teesside Live. “But it’s 72, 72, 72. Ipswich also have the better goal difference. But you also look at, they have five away games and us at home, which means the next six are tough.

“We are in a better position than Millwall now because we [have a] better goal difference, but they were in a better position for two days. It just shows it will twist and turn.

“You have to find wins and points and that’s why it was strong for us to show character [to draw 2-2 at Swansea on Monday] and then we have to, of course, win on Saturday. That’s what we try to do every game.

“We try to stay positive because even if this period has been very poor, we have very few losses. I think we lost three in the last 15 or 16. But it’s a lot of draws, that’s what has killed us a little bit, and especially at home. We're trying to - I'm trying to - work out and find ways to help the players in a better way.”

Does he believe Boro will have to win all their remaining games to secure second? “To be fair, in the position Ipswich are in, probably.

“But we have them to play, which means that we probably have to win that game.

“It’s so difficult to get those wins at the end of the season for all the teams. To be fair, I saw Ipswich a little bit on the television too [against Birmingham].

“They were very, very good until they were 2-1 up and then it’s very difficult to get those wins. And for Millwall the same. They win against us and then lose to Norwich.

“So it will be back and forth. We will try to win every game and we will try to get as many points as possible, and then we see where we end up.”

You can assess whether Hellberg is correct using the TWTD League Calculator.

Photo: Matchday Images