TONY MOWBRAY admitted that Middlesbrough will miss the experience and nous of Barry Robson if the midfielder fails to recover from injury ahead of his side's trip to Bristol City.

Robson missed Boro's midweek defeat to West Ham United with a tight thigh, and his chances of making the starting line-up at Ashton Gate tonight are 50-50.

Mowbray looks on 33-year-old Robson as Boro's catalyst, and highlighted his importance to his side as they negotiate their way through an assault on the upper reaches of the Championship.

He said: "Undoubtedly we missed Barry, he's the catalyst for our team. You look back to the Peterborough game, the Doncaster game, our best chances generally were from Barry winning the ball back in midfield, sticking the striker in and going from there.

"I spoke about the experience and the nous that West Ham brought this week. Barry's got that and I don't think West Ham would have had as comfortable a first 20 minutes if Barry had been on the pitch.

"But that's why you have squads of players and you have to get on with it."

Robson's contract is up for renewal at the end of the season, and while Mowbray will be hopeful that the funds will be available to renegotiate terms with the former Celtic man, Boro's manager has hinted that the financial problems which have beset many teams in the Championship will prove to be testing times.

He said: "Money in the Championship, it's a bit like the world economy, outside the Premier League is finding it difficult.

"You see the reports of the average wages across the divisions compared to the Premier League, it's there before your eyes. You don't need me to tell you how hard it can be.

"Yet there are a few teams that buck the trend, there are always teams that have a go and spend the money, regain their Premier League place. But when that fails there are tough times for them some way down the line."

Boro's climb to fourth place in the table owes a lot to a fine away record as opposed to their home form. However, Mowbray is confident that their Riverside record will improve.

He said: "We've been fine away from home, we've won a lot of games, and yet I'm pretty sure by the end of the season the points tally will be greater at home than away.

"Most good teams feel their way into it. It is good if you can get off on a win-win-win situation at home but I'm pretty sure we'll find our rhythm at home and after the New Year, when we have to win our home games, we will be strong.

"If we're at the top end, the numbers will increase in the stadium and the atmosphere will increase and we will get on a roll.

"I've got no major concerns about it at the moment, we're doing OK. We're in a decent position, if we can find some form where we get back-to-back wins for a few weeks we'll be in or around the top six for most of the time."

Bristol City beat Southampton 2-0 at Ashton Gate a week ago and a draw at Watford in midweek continued an unbeaten run which stretches back six games.

However, Mowbray is mindful of Boro's 4-0 win in the South-West in January, and is keen for his team to start hurting their opposition.

He said: "I've studied Bristol City, although the personnel hasn't changed much since last season. They've got Albert (Adomah) out on the right wing damaging teams, Maynard up front, who is an obvious threat in this league with his goals, Stephen Pearson, who has good athleticism and legs, and young Neil Kilkenny, who has always been a good football player who can pass it and knit it and link it.

"I'm not sure what the difference is now. I wasn't studying them when they'd only won one out of 13.

"Looking at the stats, I don't think we've really hurt a team this season, we haven't put them to the sword and this is a concern for me.

"We should be scoring goals from everywhere. I think the goals against have been sloppy goals, individual scenarios, but I don't think the team have looked vulnerable. They were isolated incidents, but we need to address it.

"Our defence is good on the whole but if you look at the top of the table, we've scored nowhere near as much as the other teams."

Defeat at Bristol would be the first time this season and the first time since February that Boro have suffered back to back defeats. But Mowbray believes that his team's form away from home gives them great confidence.

He said: "I've spoken of my frustration at the draws, a win is massive in this league and we have to go to Bristol believing we can do it.

"The confidence we're in away from home, the rhythm that we're in, the way we play gives the team the confidence that we can win."