THE almost apologetic manner in which the downcast Boro players half-heartedly applauded the travelling supporters said it all.

While their Reading counterparts did a lap of honour, the Teessiders’ post-match acknowledgement of the fans’ backing was a perfectly regretful reflection of a sorry performance.

Boro fans had precious little to shout about as their team’s winless start to the season continued in Berkshire thanks to what manager Boro Chris Wilder described as “unacceptable” display.

Indeed, had the fans given the contrite players a piece of their mind after the final whistle there would have been no complaints from Wilder.

“A performance like stings for me, and, and I think it should sting the players as well,” Wilder said.

“We've taken a lot of plaudits and the supporters have been super-positive about what we're trying to achieve.

“But if I’m a Middlesbrough supporter I’m looking at that and going, ‘That’s unacceptable’ because I feel the same.”

While incoming Fulham striker Rodrigo Muniz watched from the stands, Wilder cut a frustrated figure on the touchline as Boro laboured despite seeing far more of the ball than their hosts.

Despite enjoying 73 per cent of possession and having 16 attempts on goal (including three on target), Boro seemed destined to return the North East empty-handed after going behind.

Thankfully, Wilder is the sort of manager who tells it as it and he rightly lamented how “slowly” Boro played and how “unambitious and ponderous” his players were.

“We lacked intensity and drive,” Wilder said during a damning post-match indictment of Boro’s overall performance.

It was a strange game because Boro enjoyed the upper for much of the first half with skipper Jonny Howson finding plenty of space to keep his team on the front foot.

But strikers Marcus Forss and Riley McGree kept having their paths to goal blocked by a well-organised defence to frustrate their opponents. If only that had been the case at the other end.

The game’s decisive blow was delivered in spectacular fashion when on-loan Nottingham Forest midfielder Tyrese Fornah brilliantly drove a half-volley past Zack Steffan from outside the penalty area in the 28th minute.

It might have been eye-catching but Wilder will rue the weak defending in the build-up to the goal that cost his team dearly as first Ryan Giles failed to cut out a cross and Marc Bola inadvertently headed the ball into Fornah’s path.

Too many players just weren’t at it and that passage of play betrayed lethargy throughout the Boro ranks.

It didn't help matters that former Boro skipper Paul Ince did his bit to bite the hand that used to feed him with a tactical set-up that impeded Boro’s attacking ambitions down the flanks.

Junior Hoilett and Andy Yiadom were detailed to thwart wing-backs Isaiah Jones down the right and Giles on the left and Ince explained how his plan worked to perfection.

“I watched Middlesbrough play all week and all their footage was about the wing-backs, Jones and Giles, with all their goals coming from those areas,” Ince said.

“I said to the guys if you can get on these two, don’t let them cross, you’ll win the game. Junior and Yids were immense and because of that they didn’t cause us many problems.

Ince was also spot-on when it came to assessing Boro’s overall threat and observed that the visitors only got his pulse racing “at the end when they were hitting long balls into the box in desperation”.

Wilder was quick to congratulate Ince on masterminding Reading’s second successive win following a harrowing 4-0 defeat at Rotherham and he now has to inspire a similar uplift in his squad ahead of Saturday’s visit of Swansea.

“I've got a big week ahead of me and the players certainly have a big week ahead of them as well," he said. "There's some big decisions to make."