Middlesbrough fans are being urged to be patient over the form of new record signing Afonso Alves.

Boro boss Gareth Southgate told the Evening Gazette: "It will do him the world of good to have dipped his toes in the water and to have had a feel and see what the Premier League can be like. It will be very different for him, everything will be very different. He has had a couple of weeks that have been quite mad with all the to-ing and fro-ing and waiting for visas and training for the first time with the team.

"He has had a tiring spell and in an ideal scenario you bring a player in and allow him to train for a few weeks and get up to speed but we didn't have the privilege of that position on Saturday.

"I felt he would give us a lift. I knew he would struggle physically because he is not ready, but I had to counter that with the lift it would give the crowd for 15, 20 minutes and the fact that he might pinch something on the break for us.

"I think he will be better probably playing alongside somebody, we asked a lot of him as a lone striker."

Southgate added: "We've not really had that big an opportunity to monitor his fitness.

"We did little bits and pieces with him last week, we know there is still a lot to do. Even if he was match fit, coming from Holland he would still have to adjust to the Premier League and the speed of it and everything.

"So on two counts we've got to get him up to speed but it was good to give him half an hour.

"But we won't rush him because the last thing we want is him breaking down or put him under unnecessary pressure."