A BUMP in the road typical of the unpredictable nature of the Championship and nothing to worry about, or a thoroughly deserved defeat from which lessons can be learned?

Probably more of the latter, though what is certain is that against Nottingham Forest on Saturday Middlesbrough put in their worst performance of the season so far.

Coming on a day they could have gone top of the table, their timing, just like Daniel Ayalya’s challenge before the first goal, was poor.

In second place and a point behind Leeds United at kick-off, by full-time Boro remained a point behind Leeds but had dropped to fourth after being beaten 2-0 by Aitor Karanka’s side.

Only over the course of the next few weeks and months will it become clear if Tony Pulis reflects on Saturday by wishing he’d done things differently.

Not that there has been a great deal wrong, of course, as illustrated by the league table and a number of statistics, such as keeping eight clean sheets in 11 games before Saturday, and conceding only once from open play.

Yet there are observers who would say that recently Boro have been unconvincing. The warning signs were there when drawing with Hull and Swansea, and losing to Norwich.

So maybe Saturday’s loss and uninspiring performance had been coming.

Pulis said otherwise: “I don't think anybody saw that performance coming, but that's the way the league is, we're not going to be perfect every week and it brings everybody down to earth in respect of the expectations.

“It's a tough league and everybody in every game turns up.”

He had stuck with a winning team, selecting the same starting XI that beat struggling Ipswich Town last Tuesday, and understandably so given that the manager had said his team, in the first half, played some of their best football of the season when winning 2-0 at Portman Road.

Yet, on reflection, Pulis may wish he had selected a different forward line because Jordan Hugill did little of note, and not recalling Adam Clayton following his one-match ban now appears an error.

Boro were lacking a midfield presence, someone to win the ball. George Saville’s abilities, on Saturday’s showing, are not best suited to such a role, while Lewis Wing’s continuing exclusion is also perplexing given the results enjoyed when he was in the starting XI.

A Pulis team is never a hurricane of creativity, but they were particularly blunt on Saturday, Forest’s defence dealing easily with Hugill and limiting Martin Braithwaite’s involvement to occasional flashes of trickery.

Braithwaite had his moments, however, and hit the bar before the break, finding a yard of space on the edge of the penalty area before getting in a shot that was deflected by Jack Colback.

After what had been a limp start during which time Forest had the upper hand, Boro improved in the final stages of the opening 45 minutes, Pulis admitting: “I thought we started really, really poorly, the first 20 minutes we were like a bag of potatoes, we were so sloppy and so on the back foot, we never, never got going.

“We picked it up a bit before half-time but they had by far the better chances but if you give a team a leg up at home, you can't do that in this league.”

Middlesbrough gave Forest a leg up early in the second half, whatever was said at half-time not having the desired effect.

Karanka was labelled as a manager with defence-first policy during his time at the Riverside, one that he is maybe attempting to alter as his Forest team blends defensive capabilities – Colback and Ben Watson hold the midfield together - with creative attacking players such as Lolley, Gil Dias and Joao Carvalho.

Lolley was the game’s standout performer and his 49th minute rocket put the visitors ahead, but a Boro midfield with Clayton involved would perhaps have prevented it.

It came following a pass through the middle, Darryl Murphy turning Ayala in the centre circle and with Ryan Shotton coming across to cover it left Lolley on the left to advance to the edge of the penalty area where he lashed the ball home.

“The goal was a dreadful goal and very unlike us,” said Pulis. “Then you need to score, you need to get back into the game as quickly as you can and the big, big point, the turning point was Britt's chance.

“I think if Britt scores then on, what was it, 60-odd minutes? Then it's a different atmosphere and a different approach from the team.

“It's about both ends of the pitch, as it always is. You have to defend properly, we didn't today, and when you get the chances you have to take them.

“Again, what's really disappointing, you look at the stats at the end, we've got 36 crosses in again today and not really had that many opportunities to get on the end of them.”

Britt's Assombalonga’s chance came not long after Pulis’ triple substitution, the striker entering the fray alongside Clayton and Rudy Gestede.

Jonny Howson fed former Forest striker Assombalonga in a central position, and had his second touch been as good as his first then he would have scored an equaliser, but his shot was too close to Costel Pantilimon, the former Sunderland goalkeeper.

In a game of few chances it would prove costly, Middlesbrough falling 2-0 behind on 77 minutes.

Lewis Grabban grabbed it, tapping in at close-range, ghosting unmarked into the six-yard box to meet Lolley’s pass from the left.

Boro were given slim hope when full-back Jack Robinson was red-carded having been shown a second yellow card for simulation, but, aside from Gestede having an effort header ruled out for a push on the goalkeeper the home side did not come close to an unlikely comeback.

Pulis’ frustration centred on not taking chances, not making the most of crosses, so it would not be a surprise if there is a change in the forward line when Boro line up at Sheffield Wednesday after the international break.

The manager said: “The two goals are poor goals and goals that we haven't been conceding, the second one we are chasing the game a little bit. But you can't keep relying on the back four to keep clean sheets.

“You've got to take chances, take opportunities and score. We were in some really, really good areas today and got some really, really good crosses in.

“We need to be much more clinical and we need to do something in that respect in the final third.

“I don't think it's just the strikers, I think it's everybody's responsibility to score goals.”