Howard questions`desire' after Boro defeat

Anthony Smith • Published 5 Oct 2009 16:00 0 Comments

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BRIAN Howard has blasted his Reading team-mates for lacking "desire" following another dose of Mad Stad misery.

Brendan Rodgers' side were comfortably beaten 2-0 by Middlesbrough at the Madejski Stadium on Saturday with former Reading striker Leroy Lita claiming both goals.

It means Royals have not won at home in the league in a staggering 15 Championship games and they have only scored a paltry five goals in that dreadful run.

Ironically, the Boro setback came just a few days after Royals had put in their best display of the season when they ended high-flying Preston's unbeaten home record with a 2-1 victory at Deepdale.

And Howard fumed: "It's not good enough when you perform like we did at Preston then come back home and be lacklustre.

"We're not getting on the end of things in the box, that's our problem. We're one of the best teams in the middle of pitch. But when it comes to either end I don't think we have the desire to get on the end of things.

"But we've got to keep believing and working hard, though to be rolled over like that on our own patch is disappointing after such a great result at Preston."

Royals, who slipped to 21st in the table, were booed off at the final whistle as the pressure mounts on Rodgers and his players.

"I don't think we need it (the crowd booing)," added Howard. "Different players take it in different ways. It's just a part of football you have to get used to.

"The fans pay their money to come and watch the game. To be fair, if I had been watching that I would have booed us off as well.

"It wasn't good enough and we know that. We have two weeks to put it right now. A lot of lads will go away for international games and the rest of us will stay and work hard."

Reading's last home win in the league came against Wolves in January and Howard knows that reversing the trend will not be easy.

"We need to work a lot harder, that's for sure," he declared. "The run has been going on a long time - longer than I've been here - so it's not something that has happened overnight.

"I'm not sure why it is, I can't put my finger on it. We've played well enough in the past to get a home win so we need to put that right as quickly as possible and climb up that league table.

"But it's gone on so long now there is a pressure around the place. If something goes wrong the crowd go low and it sucks it out of the players too.

"It does effect you but we are professional footballers and we're paid to play games. We need to put that behind us and win the game."

MICHAIL Antonio, 19, has joined ex-Reading manager Alan Pardew at Southampton on a one-month loan deal.

The former Tooting and Mitcham player could make his debut against Torquay on Tuesday night in the Johnstone's Paint Trophy.

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