MIDDLESBROUGH may have to reassess their aspirations this season if they cannot establish home rule, according to defender Chris Riggott.

Riggott has spent five months on the sidelines with a frustrating knee injury but played his part in sealing an otherwise disappointing point against Portsmouth on Saturday.

Boss Steve McClaren opted for the same 4-5-1 formation that garnered three points in a 3-2 win at Aston Villa in Boro's last Premiership outing.

However, the decision did not go down well with the 26,551 fans who turned out for the 5.15pm kick off and, after the opening skirmishes, it was clear it didn't sit comfortably with the players either.

Coming on the back of Riverside defeats to Charlton and Sunderland, the point against Alain Perrin's also-rans did little to bolster Boro's bid for a hat-trick of European adventures. Something that was not lost on Riggott.

"If you look at the Premiership it's wide open and places are there for the taking," he said, presumably leaving runaway leaders Chelsea out of that equation. "Lots of teams are on an even keel and I thought that we needed to be above that level.

"After the UEFA Cup last time I thought we should maybe be pushing for a Champions League place this season, but how can you be doing that when you are dropping points at home?"

On paper, a match against an under-pressure Pompey side on home territory should have maximum haul written all over it. And, while full of respect for the opposition, Riggott concurred.

"You never assume that a game is going to be three points but you looked at this game and said 'these are the games we have got to win'," he said.

"(But) I looked at (Portsmouth) after 70 or 80 minutes, bandaged up and blood all over the place, and I thought how well they had played."

The only consistent thing about Boro is their inconsistency and it's something that Riggott says needs to be addressed immediately, especially with Saturday's game heralding the start of seven games in 21 days, encompassing Premiership and the UEFA and Carling Cups.

"One home win from five Premiership games is not good enough and we need to address it," he said.

"We can go and get away wins at Villa and Birmingham and beat Arsenal here but we need to be winning home games to make those away wins count.

"Maybe it's bit of apprehension at home, I don't know. I can understand how frustrating it is for the fans.

"We can't be a bad side. You don't get those two away wins and beat Arsenal at home if you are. So we know what we are capable of, we have just got to go away and work it out."

Riggott is determined to do all he can to rectify the situation after his enforced absence.

"I enjoyed being back myself. It's been very frustrating being out for five months," he said. "I am here to make the position my own. I know Ugo (Ehiogu) is coming back and there will be competition for places but I want to concentrate on my own performances.''

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