Middlesbrough boss Garry Monk has called on his side to improve their ‘focus and application’ in order to move back up the table.

Having seemingly turned the corner towards the end of October, where they recorded three successive wins, Boro have since lost two in three. That includes Saturday’s heavy defeat at home to play-off rivals Derby County.

Monk’s men are now three points away from sixth and face a tough trip to Bristol City this weekend. The pressure is building on the ex-Leeds manager after his big summer spend.

However, Monk remains confident there’s not much that needs to change. “It’s about focus and application, focusing on what you need to do in those moments. We’re the best in the league in terms of our defensive shape and our set-up, but you can’t have the lack of focus at crucial moments amongst that,” he told the Northern Echo.

“We’ve been heavily punished as well, but the response from the group showing them what happens when they are fully focused has been good. That’s really the only thing that is holding us back.”

The Verdict

Middlesbrough spent considerably more than Wolves in the summer and they really should be aiming to be near the top two, but it looks a long way off now.

Garry Monk deserves criticism for that and whilst the Championship is a really tough league, he has been supported more than most.

His assessment is generous and Boro fans will feel that there’s a lot more that needs to change if they are to fulfil their season objectives.

Thoughts, Boro fans? Let us know in the comments below.