Middlesbrough manager Steve McClaren is more concerned with getting the club out of trouble than improving his dwindling reputation with the fans.

Boro have slipped to 19th in the Barclays Premiership after just one league win - against rock-bottom Sunderland last week - since November 20.

Saturday's embarrassing 4-0 home defeat to Aston Villa was followed by a chorus of boos and one fan even stormed on to the pitch to hurl his season ticket at McClaren in the dugout.

However, the Boro boss is only focused on one thing - winning matches.

"Why aren't I popular now? What do you mean 'now'. I don't know," he told The Sun. "It doesn't bother me whether they chant my name or not - the only thing that bothers me is that we have bring them a winning team.

"The fans are the ones we are playing for. Three months ago I was voted the club's best manager in a poll of fans. It would be interesting to see it now.

"But my job is to win football matches and, when we're getting results and going well, we accept the praise. When we're not, we accept the criticism.

"Maybe I could have done more to win over the fans. Maybe we'll look at that."