Key moment pre-QPR could prove turning point in Middlesbrough's Championship season

Middlesbrough have entered the international break in a good moment. Nine goals in two games helped bring six points and a real feeling that the corner may finally be turned for Michael Carrick's side.

That follows an indifferent start to the season in which complications at both ends of the pitch have struck at various times to undo so much of the positive play Boro have produced throughout the whole season, stopping them being higher in the table than they are.

Heading into this two-week break - thankfully the last until the end of March - Boro's two big wins over QPR and Luton have lifted them to seventh in the league table. Providing the interruption doesn't prove disruptive to their positive momentum, there were really hopeful signs that Boro's season can finally take off in the weeks and months ahead - with little doubt that they have the quality, if not yet the consistency.

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As far as a turnaround is concerned, the inspiration for it can be found earlier than their QPR win though. Reflecting on a six-game block in between international breaks, what started so disappointingly with the defeat to Bristol City, has ultimately ended well and with Boro looking in a very strong place.

After the Luton win on Saturday Michael Carrick pointed to the Coventry City defeat. He noted how strange it sounded to say it after a 3-0 reverse, but in the circumstances said his players gained confidence from how well they played, having spent three-quarters of the game with just 10 men.

While that makes the result excusable and explains the brief blip in otherwise strong form post-Bristol City, the real turnaround should be credited as Sheffield United. Off the back of that Bristol City defeat, the visit of the side at the top of the table, with the best defence in the league, and of course who just so happened to be managed by Boro's ex boss Chris Wilder - it had the makings of being a quite disastrous night.

Instead, after all the previous struggles with finding goals and finishing chances, Boro remained patient and found their moment to record a huge victory over the Blades. While it might not have been as clinical as they have become, the confidence that must have been gained from that is unquestionable.

Though they ultimately collapsed at Norwich and surrendered their lead to only draw, to follow Sheffield United up by scoring three goals and looking so dominant for so long at Carrow Road will have only boosted confidence, at least from an attacking point of view, further still.

Though Coventry proved a blip, Boro showed excellent character to quickly bounce back at QPR - doing so by putting that collapsing habit to bed too, having also fallen to defeat late at Watford just before the last international break as well. To then follow that up and finally win consecutive games for just the second time this season means Boro head into the break on a high.

They, of course, have to build on this. Their record coming back from international breaks under Carrick is not great and they have to find a way to end that at Oxford in just under a fortnight. But the signs are positive that, with four months of uninterrupted football ahead, Boro can really start to climb the Championship table and put some good form together. We'll hopefully look back at Sheffield United as a real turning point.