MACCA BACKS HIS FLOPS TO SURVIVE
Freefall Hoops in loss No.7
STEVE McCLAREN is adamant his Queens Park Rangers side can turn things around after slipping to a club record seventh straight defeat.
The former Boro boss, who got a decent enough reception after returning to the club he left in 2006 to take over England, was left frustrated by two costly mistakes in the first half that Rangers failed to recover from.
With less than two minutes on the clock, Boro took the lead when Jonny Howson was left in too much space to make the most of Mo Besic’s pass.
Then, in the 32nd minute, Ashley Fletcher added a second when he fired into the top corner of the net after another Besic pass picked him out.
Despite a couple of strong saves from goalkeeper Darren Randolph, QPR could not get back into it and they are now nine points above the relegation zone.
McClaren said: “We lost the game in the first 30 minutes to two errors, two goals and then against a very good Middlesbrough team, who have conceded the least goals in the Football League. It was going to be uphill.
“We couldn’t get the goal in the second half. The lesson is we can’t start a game and, within two minutes, be one down.
“This is a tough week, Leeds on Tuesday, a great atmosphere, another top team and we have to keep fighting and show perseverance like we have been doing and get the first win of the year. We are very close, we need to really have a go on Tuesday against Leeds and then Brentford.
“The errors we are making can be rectified on the training field, we need to be back on there because you can’t do anything on the training ground when you play seven games in 21 days.”
Middlesbrough march on and have a seven-point gap now to seventh spot, while they are chasing Leeds in second spot by the same number of points.
Tony Pulis, whose side have now won three of their last 13 at the Riverside, said: “Pleased, obviously to win at home. There’s good momentum at the club.
“We’ve only lost one game this calendar year and that was to Sheffield Untied with 10 men. We’ve had too many draws at the Riverside, we’ve got to turn them into wins.
“It was a great run from Jonny. I thought Besic in the first half was excellent, that was like him last year. We’ve got to get him up to that level.
“There’s 13 games left, that’s a lot of games. And if we can get Besic up to that level he was at last year, him and John Obi Mikel, that’s an awesome pair in midfield.
“I thought we gave the fans a really good show in the first half. The movement was good, second half, one or two looked a bit weary. Fletcher looked a bit tired, it was second-half syndrome. First game you’re pumped up. Britt Assombalonga tired off a bit as well.
“One or two didn’t have the energy in the second half to stretch the game and that’s what we needed to do.”