JONATHAN WOODGATE pulled no punches as he picked through the wreckage of Middlesbrough’s 4-1 home defeat to Sheffield Wednesday, branding his side’s first-half defending as “terrible”.

Boro conceded four goals before the interval as they crashed to their heaviest defeat of the season, with Sheffield Wednesday causing problems whenever they crossed the ball into the box.

Adam Clayton put through his own net in the opening five minutes, with Dominic Iorfa, Adam Reach and Steven Fletcher also finding the target for a Sheffield Wednesday side led by former Boro boss Garry Monk.

Woodgate felt unable to defend his players’ efforts before the break, admitting the lack of determination and application left him extremely frustrated.

Woodgate said: “It was sloppy, I’m not going to sit up here and say it was good, it was terrible, it wasn’t good enough.

“I played a few games at centre-half as you know, and you pride yourself by winning aerial battles, no matter who you are up against. I played against a lot of different players who are big units, but you find a way to beat them in the air, getting yourself in the right position, it’s about determination, who wants it more. We didn’t want it enough in that first half.

“I’m from this area and know what it’s like to play for this club, and everything I’ve done in my career is through hard work and determination. I’m from Middlesbrough, and that’s what people are like from Middlesbrough, we need more of that in our changing room, to know what it’s like to play for this club.

“This is a really good club, and it’s driven through hard work and determination, and that in the first half wasn’t good enough. We didn’t have that hard work and determination, and that’s what the disappointing thing was.”

The result means Middlesbrough have taken nine points from their opening nine matches, a haul Woodgate feels is a fair reflection of where his team currently stands.

He said: “Is that where we are? Yes, it is, yes. We're not good enough at the minute, but we'll look to improve and we'll keep on going.”

When asked whether the current group of players was capable of improving their results and performances, he added: “It has to, it has to. And they will do, they will improve and get better because I know what type of characters they are in that changing room.

“They want it badly, but they need to show it more, they've got to show it on the pitch, they've got to give the fans something to come back to the Riverside for.”

Monk was able to enjoy a winning return to the Riverside, having been dismissed as Boro boss after just 26 matches in December 2017.

He was delighted with his players’ attacking efforts in the first half, but insists he has drawn a line under his unsuccessful spell on Teesside.

Monk said: “That chapter is closed. All I care about is these players and this club, and to give that fanbase, fantastic travel, something to shout about.

“We did that well today. That's my job. My job isn't about me, it's about who you're working with and who you represent and giving them everything you've got.

“That's all I've ever done, every job I've ever done I've been 100 per cent committed, nobody can ever say I haven't. That's my job and that's what I'll always try and do.”