TUNCAY SANLI'S failure to impress at the start of his Middlesbrough career has led to him being vilified in his Turkish homeland.

Before moving to the Riverside Stadium in June, Tuncay was the golden boy of Turkish football after scoring more than 60 goals for Fenerbahce.

But he has failed to find his goalscoring touch at Middlesbrough in his ten appearances and his lack of confidence appears to have had a negative affect on his displays for his country.

He was criticised last week for below-par showings in internationals with Moldova and Greece and those fans who worshipped him are now starting to question his decision to move to Middlesbrough.

"After those two matches there was a really bad reaction to Tuncay and the way he played," said an Istanbul source close to the Turkish Football Association.

"When he allowed his contract to expire everyone thought he was going to move to a club like Milan or Real Madrid, but everyone hoped he would do well for Middlesbrough.

"Now, though, the press, the public and coaches over here are furious. Everyone is worried for him and that he will not return to the same type of player we all know he is.

"When he returned to Turkey for those internationals the general opinion is that he must be having problems because he turned in some terrible performances."

It has not been a case of Middlesbrough being criticised in Istanbul, more a case of hoping Tuncay proves he has not moved to England purely for the increase in wage.

When he signed for Boro on a Bosman one newspaper in Turkey placed his head on English banknotes to highlight that he has moved to the North-East for a reputed £60,000-a-week contract.

But Turkish fans do not blame Middlesbrough. Instead they want Tuncay to start to prove to manager Gareth Southgate that he deserves to be one of the highest paid players at the club.

"There has certainly been no criticism of Gareth Southgate or Middlesbrough," said the source, knowing how Turkey now need to beat Norway on November 17 if they are to stand a chance of qualifying for Euro 2008 after defeat to Greece.

"People over here know Tuncay was such a key player for Fenerbahce and they can't understand how he has dropped so low in his performances - mainly for his country.

"Initially it was thought that Tuncay has not been playing in his right position because he played as a striker in a couple of games. He is certainly not a striker.

"He is an attacking midfielder who can play between midfield and attack. He can also play on either wing. But I know that Middlesbrough's manager has played him there, so it's just about getting his form back."

It is not just Turkey, for whom he has 43 caps, that need Tuncay to recapture his best, with Middlesbrough sitting at the wrong end of the Premier League table.

Defeat to Chelsea on Saturday has left Boro hovering just above the relegation zone after losing four of their last five league matches.

And with Saturday's aunting trip to Manchester United fast approaching, Southgate could do with Tuncay sparkling alongside Mido in attack.

Adam Johnson, meanwhile, continues to make his name in the Championship, where he has proven that he deserves a chance at Middlesbrough.

The young winger has scored four goals in seven starts on loan at Watford - the latest was in Tuesday's 3-0 win at Coventry - and Hornets boss Aidy Boothroyd is understandably keen to retain his services.

"Adam is really improving and as well as scoring he is providing plenty for the rest of the team," said Boothroyd. "He was great to watch on Tuesday, full of energy, full of tricks and he is keeping good players out of the side."

Emanuel Pogatetz is the guest speaker at Monday night's meeting of the Middlesbrough Supporters' Club. The event takes place in the Hardwick Suite in the Riverside Stadium's East Stand, starting at 7.45pm