HURT and disappointment are two words easily associated with Middlesbrough at the moment. Tony Mowbray, therefore, is relieved to see that his squad are staying strong in the face of such adversity.

Inability to beat Peterborough United saw Boro fluff their chance of cutting the six-point gap between themselves and the play-off spots and, with the odds stacked against them today at Hull City, Mowbray's side go into the game as distinct underdogs.

That said, Mowbray paid tribute to his squad in the wake of Tuesday's disappointing 0-0 draw against The Posh.

“The team spirit is there. The team took it upon themselves to have a huddle the other day which was noticed,” said Mowbray. “It wasn't prompted by me. I think the group are hurting as much as we're all hurting, the fans, the management, the players – if there was an easy answer it would have been addressed and dealt with.

“Generally the group of players are a good set, they've had both sides of the coin this season, doing exceptionally well in the first half of the campaign. Team spirit, camaraderie, togetherness, is always much easier when you're winning. The last few months has been more difficult for them, yet it's pleasing to hear players talking about keeping the faith, keeping going.

“Ultimately it has to be done on the pitch. You win points on the pitch, our inability to score in the last home games has not allowed us to pick up the points like we'd want to. Starting this weekend we have to go away from home and do something we hadn't done in a while, which is win.”

Mowbray is known for rotating his starting XI on a constant basis - “You pick a team to win a football match” - admitting that such squad management is a difficult task, but the Boro manager has no qualms in making the ruthless decisions.

He said: “Football club dressing rooms are easy to manage when you're winning. Nobody listens to the boys not playing if that makes sense.

“As a manager I can only pick 11 players and seven subs. When you're losing of course, the boys who aren't playing think they should be playing, especially when you don't win a game, the players can't understand why they're not involved and ultimately that can cause some discontent. I can understand that.

“You try to deal with it, I talk to my players as much as I feel is necessary, if I see a problem I like to deal with it.

“Yet, bottom line, they have to deal with it. If they're not in the team, it's because somebody in their position is doing a decent job, or they've been in themselves and not done the job.

“Football is a harsh business. Football management is a harsh business. I can only pick 11+7. Can I keep everyone happy, no. Don't try to keep them happy, pick a team that can win. So when you're winning, the dressing room looks after itself and the senior players have a huge part to play.”