Rob Edwards sends clear message to his Middlesbrough players after unbeaten run ended by Portsmouth
Middlesbrough boss Rob Edwards sent a clear message to his players after Portsmouth ended their unbeaten league run.
Prior to Middlesbrough’s trip to Fratton Park, they had not lost a single league game and sat top of the Championship table.
However, a 1-0 loss on the road coupled with a 5-0 win for Coventry City against Sheffield Wednesday has pushed them into second.
Edwards did not read the riot act after the first defeat of the season, although did warn his side they have do so something with the lion’s share of possession.
Rob Edwards message
He said: “We showed a lot of puff and got into a lot of good areas, but the final product wasn’t good enough.
“It’s all well and good having a lot more of the ball, but you’ve got to do something with it. One shot on target is not enough, ultimately.
“They didn’t have much either, but they did enough to win. Once they got the goal, the onus is not on them to come out and onto us.
“We tried, and it wasn’t through lack of effort and I saw a lot of good things, but the final little bit was lacking.
“Today is a frustrating day. The first defeat was going to happen at some stage. Because we’ve made a good start we are building something. So today, we’ve got to take it on the chin and then continue to try and improve.”
Portsmouth head coach’s verdict
Pompey head coach John Mousinho, on the other hand, hailed a “brilliant” performance from his side.
He said: “I thought it was a brilliant performance and two different halves. We played very well in the first half and deserved the lead, and maybe could have got another one with a couple of chances that we created.
“The second half was different and probably a lot more difficult. We were a little bit too deep. It was difficult to get pressure on the ball without giving up too much in behind, so we had to defend in a different way. We did it very, very well.
“The only criticism would be that we didn’t catch Middlesbrough enough on the counter. We didn’t create any pressure towards the front end.
“But they’re an excellent side who had been top of the league for a reason, so we’re delighted with the three points. A win today feels like it’s been a pretty good start to the season.
“One game shouldn’t have that much of an impact, but it just did today. That’s the way it feels in the Championship at the moment.”