BRYAN ROBSON has defended his decision to bring Alen Boksic to Middlesbrough rather than re-sign fans' favourite Juninho.

Robson revealed he saved the club £3m by luring Croatian striker Boksic from Lazio in a £2.5m deal after aborting attempts to prise Brazilian star Juninho from Atletico Madrid.

Juninho was priced out of a second permanent spell at the Riverside Stadium after an eight-month loan last season.

Robson, facing calls to quit from angry fans after a seven-match losing streak, said: "I know the fans were all for Juninho staying.

"But I got Alen Boksic for £3m less than Juninho would have cost. I thought that, as far as scoring and making goals was concerned, there was no doubt Boksic was better value.

"I think Juninho was a very good creator of goals, but he wasn't a good finisher and his record shows that - he missed the target too many times.

"That's the decision I had to make. It saved me £3m, over £2m of which I spent on Christian Karembeu.

"I felt that the whole package for Juninho was a hell of a lot of money. To have bought Juninho and Boksic would have cost a total of £9m.

"Plus I feel that Carlos Marinelli is going to be a similar player to Juninho.

"He has all of the qualities of Juninho, except perhaps the lightning pace off the mark, but he has very similar aspects to his game.''

On the eve of today's crucial home game against Bradford, which could decide his future, Robson told Middlesbrough Supporters South magazine he had doubts about his position last season when a run of one win in 11 League games coincided with humblings by Wrexham and Tranmere in the FA Cup and Worthington Cup.

"Nobody likes criticism - it's a blow to your pride,'' admitted Robson. "But I just try to be balanced in my thoughts.

"Last season, during January and February, I found it a bit difficult - I was having doubts.

"I would be out with my wife in a pub or somewhere and people would be saying things, but not to my face. This year has been a lot better.

"Success for me would be to establish this club in the Premier League and lose the 'yo-yo' tag everybody associates with us.

"But you've got to go six, seven, eight years without going down to prove it.

"We should be able to do that, especially when you consider the foundations we have laid with the stadium and the training ground, and the quality of players we have within the club now.''

The true quality of those players will be put to the test this afternoon as Robson fights for his managerial life.

l Copies of the magazine can be bought from Boro Programmes in Linthorpe Road, by subscribing at: www.mss.org.uk or by post, for £1.50 including postage, from: MSS, The Brewers Studio, Mill End, Herts SG9 ORW. Cheques payable to MSS.

l Jim Jefferies can sympathise with Boro boss Robson's current crisis but that will not stop Bradford's new manager from potentially ending the former England captain's reign at the Riverside, writes IAN PARKES.

Jefferies' first game in charge of City today could be Robson's last for Boro as an eighth successive defeat for the Teessiders, against the Premiership's bottom club, may signal his departure.

If Robson was looking for a crumb of comfort as Boro seek their first home league victory of the season it is that the Bantams have managed to win just one point and score just one goal away from Valley Parade this term.

The downside for Robson is that Bradford now have a new man at the helm, one who will be looking to stop the rot at a club which is at the foot of the table after three months without a win.

In what is a must-win situation for both men, Jefferies said: ''Middlesbrough have a lot of quality players but they are going through a tough time at the moment, a bit like ourselves.

''But the expectations are a lot higher and they might be under a bit more pressure tomorrow. They will be looking to put things right, but so will we.

''As for sympathy for Bryan, I have sympathy for every manager in football. Obviously Bryan's under a lot of strain at the moment, having brought in a lot of players who have not quite gelled this season.

''I know Bryan and I don't like to see anybody in the situation he is at the moment, but I can't afford to think of the consequences for him.

''I can't allow anything to get in the way of our objective because all that matters is getting a result for Bradford City.

''We're in need of a result just like they are and if we can go up there and start nice and solid and cause them a problem or two then they might become edgy.

''It's all about confidence. You only have to suffer a couple of defeats and confidence can take a dent, and that is what has happened in our situation in the last couple of weeks. But it changes with a good performance and a good result.