No home comforts for beaten Boro

18 October 2009 14:49
Middlesbrough must overcome their nerves at the Riverside to earn promotion, according to manager Gareth Southgate. Tom Cleverley gave visitors Watford a first-half lead and the Hornets then dug in for the 1-0 win as Boro squandered a string of good chances. Boro have now lost three in a row at home and were booed off after a disappointing display. "There is a pressure in playing at home but we must deal with it," said Southgate. "How we perform at home between now and the end of the season will determine where we finish. "Away we are scoring in every game and there is an expectation and confidence in the team we will do well. We start home games like that too but as soon as we go a goal behind that feeling goes and we start to make the wrong decisions all across the pitch. "We do not help each other and that is what we must change. But whether there is pressure from the crowd or not we must deal with it. We have to step up to the mark. We know the crowd have expectations. The crowd have come to see us win at home and that is three games on the bounce we haven`t scored and we've been poor."

Source: Eurosport