'Chasing them down' - Middlesbrough captain's Championship promotion warning for Leeds United and Sheffield United

Jonny Howson is refusing to settle for a play-off place at Middlesbrough and wants his side to chase down current top-two Leeds United and Sheffield United.

Middlesbrough currently occupy the fourth and final play-off spot, having bounced back from last week’s 3-1 defeat at Leeds to beat Millwall. Michael Carrick’s side have looked electric at times and left Elland Road having ‘exhausted’ Whites boss Daniel Farke with their tactical nous. But their campaign has also been littered with underwhelming performances and dropped points.

The Teesside club are only eight points off the automatic promotion places, however, and Leeds know all too well how a good run can close that gap quickly, having closed a 17-point chasm on Leicester City last season. And Howson, a Thorp Arch academy graduate who is now captain at the Riverside Stadium, sees no reason why his current club can’t catch an old one before May.

"We're not in a bad position but we think we should be better off because of points we have dropped,” Howson told Teesside Live. “We can take that as a positive as well. There's a long way to go and this is a vital spell because we have games coming really quick. We're sixth but I believe we should be going higher rather than accepting where we are.

“It's only when you're top that you're not chasing someone. With this squad I don't see why we can't be going for the top two and chasing them down. We're not even halfway through the season and previous seasons we have caught up however many points with runs you put together.

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“It's not just us, other teams have done it. With some of the points we've dropped, we're disappointed and think we should have more points on the table but it is what it is, that's the position we're in. Whether it's an individual or a team, you should always strive to improve."

Regardless of their final position, Middlesbrough will certainly have a significant role to play in the promotion race. Carrick’s side have already taken points from Sunderland and Burnley above them, while reverse meetings with the likes of Leeds and Sheffield United will prove difficult tasks.

The upcoming festive schedule means the promotion picture can change massively with each week and Leeds will hope it changes in their favour. Farke’s side face bottom-half teams in four of their next five matches and will hope to string a good run together while their rivals drop points.

Sheffield United face Burnley and Sunderland over the next fortnight, with the Clarets also facing Boro before 2024 is out. Leeds will hope those around them can take points off each other over the coming weeks, albeit focus inside the squad will be entirely on fulfilling their own end of the bargain.