Charlie Mulgrew believes there are improvements to be made at both ends of the pitch as Rovers try and arrest their dip in form.

Defeat at Reading in midweek was their third in a row, which comes on the back of a four game winning streak in January.

Rovers have shipped eight goals in their last three matches, and have dropped to 14th ahead of today’s visit of Middlesbrough.

The skipper felt the performance level at the Madejski Stadium was good, but a failure to take advantage of their opportunities in attack, and not dealing with the Reading’s rare forays forward , proved costly.

“The fine margins are the difference between the top of the table, the middle and the teams at the bottom,” said the 32-year-old.

“It’s something we’re aware of, we know, but we have to sort out and put right.

“In between both boxes we’ve been great, but in both boxes we’ve not been good enough.”

Boss Tony Mowbray was at a loss to explain how Rovers came away from the game in Berkshire with no points, a view shared by the Scotland international.

He added: “I thought we played really well in spells, won the ball in the right areas, as was the game-plan, and created lots of opportunities.

“But we weren’t clinical and the couple of chances they had they scored them.

“It was a difficult one, but down to us not being clinical and then not defending their chances in the box.”

Rovers haven’t lost four consecutive league games since December 2016 in the latter part of Owen Coyle’s time in charge.

They responded from losing three straight matches at the end of 2018, with four wins in a row in January.

They will hope to start a similar turnaround with three points against Tony Pulis’s side.

Though with Boro arriving in sixth place, Mulgrew knows that will be no easy task.

“Like every game it will be difficult, physical, and one we’ll need to be ready for,” he said.

“It’s another three points to play for. Every game is different and each team provides a different challenge.

“We know what they will bring but it’s about being ready for it and imposing ourselves on them with our game-plan and hopefully we can get a result.”