FROM a season that had threatened to descend into one of real crisis, Middlesbrough are attempting to ensure progressive cup form does not derail hopes of climbing away from the relegation zone.

Boro will play their seventh game in 22 February days tomorrow when they travel to West Bromwich Albion in the Premiership, but the hectic schedule is far from over.

With a last-16 two-legged affair in the UEFA Cup booked in for next month and a trip to Charlton lined up for the FA Cup quarter-finals on March 23, there is no room for relaxation at the moment.

Those three ties are among eight inside 28 days, so by the time they have travelled to Bolton on March 26, Boro will have played 15 matches in 50 days.

"I can't take a breath right now, there's no respite," said manager Steve McClaren.

"Last year, it was getting into Europe; this year it's getting away from the bottom. We're still under that intensity and we're still in cups.

"The disappointment last year was we went out of this cup in the last 16, though we were still able to achieve Europe. In the end it was still a very successful season because it was our highest finish and we got back in Europe. In two or three weeks, things could evaporate very quickly, so we have to guard against that."

Despite the momentum increasing in both cup competitions that Boro remain in, the position in the Premiership is still a cause for concern.

McClaren's men, despite a comprehensive and stunning 3-0 win over champions Chelsea in their last league outing, are only eight points above the relegation zone and two above tomorrow's opponents.

It is now 16 months since Boro recorded back-to-back victories in the Premiership, a run of form that clearly restricted them from claiming a top-six place and staying there.

McClaren, who can call on Emanuel Pogatetz again at The Hawthorns after a European suspension, said: "We can pass the ball better and play better football but we're now hard to beat, which is giving us a great platform.

"To win games you need to play football and I feel we can get better in that respect. We were on our last legs against Stuttgart but went that extra mile in the end.

"They'll have to recover quickly for Sunday.

"The cups are a bonus to us and we're doing well in them. We've won two of our last three league games so we need to continue that so we're looking for consistency but that's not consistency over two or three weeks, it's over the next two months to the end of the season."

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