Boro supporters have every right to criticise admits Pulis

Boro supporters roundly booed the outcome on Boxing Day when Pulis’ first anniversary in charge ended in a 1-0 defeat to Sheffield Wednesday.

Adam Reach scored against his old club in the 20th minute to make it two wins in a row since Jos Luhakay’s exit last week, with talk of Steve Bruce being primed to replace him.

Reach’s strike meant it was the seventh time this season Boro have not won on home soil, intensifying the mood around the Riverside after Middlesbrough fell nine points behind the top two.

There were also sarcastic chants of “attack, attack, attack” directed at the home team after the winner because they are in danger of falling out of the play-off places after a run of one win in eight at home.

But Pulis, who wants to add to the squad in January, said: “For me, the best place to play is at home, showing the home support what you can or can’t do. I find it difficult to explain.

“It’s a big club, big expectations, people want results, we all do. If the players are not delivering that then the people in the stands have the right to criticise. As a player, person, you have to prove you are good enough to play for this club and accept criticism at times.

“Whether you like it or not, you’ve got home support who are going to get behind you if you do things well, if you don’t they’re going to let you know, you have to accept that. The supporters of this club, it’s a big club, expect and demand a certain level.”

After an early effort from Stewart Downing had to be saved by Keiren Westwood in the first half, Middlesbrough fell behind and struggled to test the Wednesday goalkeeper again until deep in the second half.

But the best move of the match from the hosts came when substitute Lewis Wing drilled a low effort from distance narrowly wide after a good move with Mo Besic. Otherwise set pieces tended to be the order of the day, and they weren’t fruitful.

He said: “We started bright enough for the first ten minutes, we got into some great positions. Then they get the goals with their first shot on target, Dael Fry got caught a bit, he ran inside Dael and got the goal.

“I was really disappointed from there until the end of the half, one or two let their heads drop and didn’t play with brightness and confidence that they should. Second half we had a go.

“We had 30 crosses again into the box, whether they are good, indifferent or bad, it is still 30 crosses. We are talking about the same thing. We gave it everything, one or two misplaced. The majority of them showed character and kept going.

“It’s there for everyone to see, irrespective of who we will play.

“There were players not playing who played against Burton, Braithwaites, people like that, people, will say you have to change this or that, we have to find a way but it is difficult at the moment.”

But Pulis is determined to lead his players out of this and into a successful second half of the season, with firm ideas in mind on how to strengthen his squad.

“I think we need a couple of wins to dust everything down. The away form has been excellent but it’s been here that’s cost us,” he said.

“We need to keep the lads going as much as they can. They’re frustrated as much as anything else.

“There was opportunities in the second half we could do better with, the quality of passes and final pass (let us down). But we had a right go in the second half. Darren touched the ball two or three times. But it’s that quality in the final third.”

And Pulis explained why he opted for the wing-back system, which he scrapped at half-time when he replaced Fry with Jordan Hugill.

He said: “To be honest I thought when we played Sheffield Wednesday last time we created a lot of opportunist by pushing two wing-backs on.

“We haven’t got wingers with real pace, sometimes it suits us to play with wing-backs.

“Up until the goal, George has got three or four crosses in, Paddy has got three our four in, there are seven or eight crosses.”