According to the club's official website, Middlesbrough manager Garry Monk said that his side's 1-0 home defeat to high-flying Cardiff City on Saturday was " really harsh."
A Joe Ralls penalty six minutes from the end of the match saw Boro's patchy run continue but Monk is remaining positive and maintains that there were a lot of good things on show.
He said: "I think it was a really harsh result. I think we’re in a period which is being very harsh to us. Today there was a lot of really good things out there and I appreciate that is difficult to see right now.
"We understand the frustration of the fans and trust me we all feel that frustration too. You can see how much they want to win.
“It was never going to be a game where we would get lots and lots of chances. Not the way Cardiff play, not the way they set up so we knew we were going to have to show patience.
"But for a lot of the game we were on the front foot and doing what we wanted to do. We were in the ascendency and if anyone was going to win, it looked like us.
"Then of course the harsh reality hits again, things are going against us. Equally the run Cardiff are on, things are going for them. What we will do is stick together, work hard and come through this period. A period where we’re punished for everything."
Monk refused to criticise the referee for his decision to award a penalty. He admitted: “It was a penalty, there might be a debate about the lad coming from off the pitch, but it was a penalty.
The Verdict
Six games without a clean sheet and in 11th place in the league despite being pre-season title favourites - Garry Monk has a lot of issues to resolve right now.
However, one of his strengths, and it might come from working under Brendan Rodgers at Swansea, is remaining positive under pressure and while it may frustrate the fans, there is little value in becoming despondent so it is the right approach to take.
The Boro fans will just be hoping that his positivity translates into a performance across 90 minutes where their side finally underline their promotion credentials and get their confidence back.
Boro fans - what do you make of Monk's assessment of proceedings? Let us know in the comments below...
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