Andrea Orlandi has urged Albion to turn The Amex back into a fortress.

The Spanish midfielder is confident the Seagulls can maintain their promotion challenge in the Championship but believes home form will be crucial.

Albion host Middlesbrough today before tough away games at Leicester on Tuesday and Blackpool next Saturday.

They have won only two of their nine home matches since March, compared to six victories out of nine beforehand.

Orlandi told The Argus: “We’ve got really good games coming up. The next three, for example, are really hard. I think the team is going to get stronger as the season goes on and I am sure we are going to be up there at the end of the season.

“The thing is we have to get back to winning ways and at home it’s really important to make The Amex a fortress and get the three points every game.”

Orlandi expects Boro to be more ambitious than Ipswich and Birmingham. They both sat back to take points off Albion in the last two home games.

He said: “Middlesbrough is going to be a tough test for us. They probably won’t do the same, because of the history of the club. They’ve got big players as well.

“I know Josh McEachran, who was at Swansea last season. Marvin Emnes, the striker, was at Swansea with me as well and they are really good players.

“I think they are going to come here to play, so it’s going to be interesting.”