It was a bitterly disappointing afternoon for Middlesbrough on Saturday, as they were defeated 3-0 by promotion rivals Aston Villa at the Riverside Stadium.

It was shaping up to a fiery clash in the North East, with both sides looking to galvanise a win that cements their position at the top of the table, with Boro looking the favourites after being impressive at home this campaign.

But Villa look a revitalised unit under Dean Smith and Pulis' men were made to pay after some rare, lacklustre defending as strikes from James Chester, Tammy Abraham and Glenn Whelan sealed all three points for the West Midlands side.

Boro had conceded just three goals and had lost just one game in the league this season at the Riverside, so it came as a shock to many as they slipped out of the automatic promotion places.

One Middlesbrough man who came under criticism was club legend George Friend - the defender was terrorised by Anwar El Ghazi all game and didn't have the greatest of nights in a Boro shirt.

Here, we take a look at Boro fans' reactions to the 31-year old's performance at the weekend...

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