Middlesbrough v Luton Town: Terriers set standard for rivals to follow, says Chris Wilder

While respectful of their accomplishments in gatecrashing the top six, Middlesbrough boss Chris Wilder’s admiring glances extend towards another rival in the shape of Huddersfield Town.

Since losing against Boro on November 27, the Terriers have dusted themselves down to register an outstanding 17-match unbeaten sequence in all competitions.

It is the sort of form that grabs the attention. With the business season now in full view, it also serves as a template for aspiring sides to follow amid the bottleneck around the top six.

Wilder, whose side have lost their last two away league fixtures but are on an eight-match winning run in league and cup on home soil, said: “There is loads to play for. It is going to be about the consistent ones, isn’t it. That is the disappointing thing we have had in the last two away games.

“At home, it’s been great. But what we are looking at is being consistent right the way through our campaign between now and Preston.

“We showed a fabulous recovery from defeat (against Barnsley), can we now go on a run? You look at Huddersfield after we turned them over and then all of a sudden, they have gone on an unbeaten run, which is brilliant.

“So I think everyone is looking at that. Can you go on a 10, 11 or 12-game unbeaten run between now and the end of the season. Anybody who does that will be firmly in the mix.”

Meanwhile, Wilder has dismissed any talk that Boro’s outstanding FA Cup feats could serve as a distraction to the priority business of securing play-off participation.’

He added: “That is complete nonsense if people think we are worrying about that.”