LEROY LITA has described the response to Tuesday night’s defeat to Leicester City as “harsh”, and urged Middlesbrough supporters not to voice their frustrations during this afternoon’s game at Reading.

A large section of the Riverside crowd booed Boro’s players from the field on Tuesday, and while much of their ire was directed at the club’s manager, Gareth Southgate, the efforts of the team also came in for severe criticism.

Lita, who was a second-half substitute against the Foxes, accepts that Middlesbrough’s last two home displays have been unacceptable.

But, as he prepares to make his first return to Reading’s Madejski Stadium since leaving the club at the end of last season, the striker has urged Boro’s supporters to devote their undivided support to the team.

“The criticism from the supporters has been harsh,”

said Lita.

“We are not looking for sympathy, but it has been harsh. We know we were not good enough on Tuesday but it would be better for us if they got behind the team.

“The away fans have been superb, but at home there is more expectation.

“But we are a young team that is still learning and the best thing is to get behind us, because it is not going to be perfect every time. It is important we stick together, and the fans have to stick with us as well.”

This week’s criticism has come at the end of a threegame run that has seen Boro claim just one point from a possible nine.

The Teessiders have slipped to fourth place in the table, a decent enough position after the opening ten games but one that represents a fall from the middle of last month.

Lita claims that just as too much was being made of Boro’s strong start to the season, so too much emphasis is now being placed on their current blip.

The Championship season is a marathon, not a sprint, and with 36 games to go this one has not even passed the three-mile mark.

“I don’t understand why people are even talking about promotion,” said Lita. “There is a long way to go yet. There are 36 games still to play, so you can’t be thinking about anything like that.

“You have to take it one game at a time. Promotion cannot happen until May anyway.

This league is tough, and people have to stop talking about promotion in October because you won’t get it this month. A win on Saturday is our only focus.”

Lita’s personal focus in recent weeks has also been on reclaiming a place in the starting line-up, and having made an immediate impression when he replaced Marvin Emnes in the 62nd minute of Tuesday’s defeat, the former England Under-21 international has every chance of starting today’s game.

The striker has scored just once in the opening ten matches of his Boro career, but with both Emnes and Jeremie Aliadiere having failed to impress in games against West Brom, Coventry and Leicester, he is likely to be charged with the task of finding the target at a ground he once called home.

Lita scored 32 goals in 100 games during his four seasons with Reading, but while he played an integral role as the Royals won promotion to the Premier League for the first time in their history, he will be treating today’s game just like any other.

“I know the place, but it is just another game we need to win,” he said. “It is not about individuals. I never single myself out, no matter what is happening.

“From what I have seen, Reading’s new manager has got them passing more and playing. We will have to close them down quickly because they are a young side, in fact I think they are even younger than us. We will have to be right at it to get three points.”