'Earn your place'

STRONG MESSAGE TO FORWARDS FROM BOSS EDWARDS

- By CRAIG JOHNS

ROB Edwards has thrown down the gauntlet to his Middlesbrough forwards, telling them to make themselves undroppable in the search for attacking quality.

The Boro boss accepts that some consistency in team selection might help Middlesbrough's attacking woes - but insists the onus is on the players to nail down their starting positions.

Defeat at Watford on Saturday once again highlighted Boro's profligacy in attack as they failed to make their possessional and territorial first-half advantages count and found themselves 2-0 down at the interval.