Tony Pulis needs comfort at home as Middlesbrough championship continues to collapse

Tony Pulis is under pressure to revive Boro's form, as their hopes of playing diminish.

The boss of Teesside has only overseen two wins at Riverside Stadium since mid-November.

The club lost momentum after a successful start to the season and a risk of falling from the top six.

Defender George Friend has insisted that his men can defend themselves from their discomfort and stay in the race for promotion.

He said, "It's in our hands. Are we in danger of giving up? It would sit at the same level as the teams below us.

"I think we are still in a good position, with three points in advance.

"We look up, forward, not behind us."

Pulis wants Boro to be more ruthless, but the club admits that even after 14 months at the helm of his team, his team is not ideal for his methods.

Pulis said, "We are in the top six, we had two mediocre results. We must take our risks. We could have had five against Preston.

Friend added, "The more we talk about it, the more pressure we get."

Boro is now facing a tough trip to Aston Villa on weekends. They will be without defender Daniel Ayala, who was sent off in Wednesday's loss to Preston.

"It's a bit of a problem, that's the problem," said Friend. "It's a gray area. It's like the rule of handball.

"When there is a tackle like that and everyone says 'what a great tackle' and the referee speaks so thoroughly, then draws a red card, it's so disappointing for everyone.

"I even talked to the boy who was approached and he thought it was a good tackle to be fair. He thought it was powerful but fair. "