Adam Clayton says Middlesbrough need to take a different mentality into games in order to halt the rut that has threatened to ruin their season.
Boro looked shoo-ins for the play-offs a month ago, but four losses on the spin have seen them crash out of the top six altogether.
They now sit eighth, level on points with Bristol City but behind the Robins on goals scored.
The Robins travel to the Riverside tonight - with three points for either team taking them back into the play-off positions.
Clayton says Boro's fate is still in their hands but that they need to start approaching games in a different mentality now they are out of the top six.
“Yes, it's tight,” he said to Teesside Live. “We went up on the last day of the season against Brighton and doesn’t get any tighter than that.
“We’re out the play-offs now so we need a different mentality. It might take a bit of the pressure off now that we’re chasing.
“But we know what we need to do. We know what it takes. We need to keep working hard and get the ball in the net when we’re having our dominant spells.
“There’s eight left and we’ll try and win every game. It is still in our hands.”
Clayton feels the play-off race is so tight that one win could make all the difference, so it is crucial his side start taking the sort of chances they missed in their defeat at Norwich City at the weekend.
He said: “We need to finish those chances when we do get on top. We know that. And we are working hard to do that.
“The boys up front are really trying to score and once one goes in I’m sure a few will go in.
“So it was disappointing, but we go again against Bristol City and we know one win can change everything.”
