Neil Warnock has ordered Boro stars to stop skipping breakfast – after blaming poor refuelling habits for last weekend's defeat.
The veteran boss was fuming last week after several players turned in “weak” and under-powered performances against Coventry during a 2-0 defeat.
He launched a review to find out why and discovered players had skipped evening snacks and breakfast on the day of the game – missing vital energy sources in a key period before exertion.
Stars have now been ordered to power up in advance of games by taking their diet seriously.... including porridge and carbs.
Warnock said: “I saw all the individuals that I thought let me down. I thought there was something wrong. I knew before the game one of them wasn't right, looking into his eyes. I know that sounds daft but...
“And I knew straight away within the first ten minutes that the other two were not on their game. So we had to look at it. I know it sounds silly, but we had to look at it.
“We get to the hotel and eat at six o'clock at night. Then we have snacks at nine o'clock, then we have breakfast and a pre-match.
“Well, some lads eat at night, then they don't come down for the snacks, they don't want to get up for breakfast, so they don't eat from 6pm to midday the next day.
“So you are going to be a bit weak. They have got to look into it a bit more professionally and I think that is what they have done now, since I found out all these little habits.
“I thought there has got to be something that makes them, they are not bad players, but at Coventry I didn't recognise them.
“You have to look at all sorts. People can have bad games but the players I am talking about, it was more than an off day.
“You tend not to want to get up for breakfast. “I'll stop in bed, and have lunch at 12.” But you don't realise you need stuff in your body between six at night and 12 the next day.
“You can't just overload. You need stuff in to make sure you've got that fitness. If we have to make them come down (for breakfast), we'd do that, but it should be voluntary.”
Boro bounced back to beat Nottingham Forest 2-0 on Wednesday, and face Blackpool on Saturday.
New signing James Lea Siliki is available and Warnock said: “It wasn't a knock. Cramp at 26 years of age! I went and said that in front of the lads. Cramp at 26, what you been doing? Unbelievable!”
But Warnock reckons he has a squad of “gems” lacking only a “long throw merchant” and a regular goalscorer from set pieces this season.
He added: “I am going to see if a couple of them have a long throw today! In terms of quality, the squad is right up there. We have some good lads in the dressing room. It's just we had goals from more places in my other clubs.
“But we didn't play as much football as these lads can. All the new lads have things to prove and have been discarded for us to pick them up. They are good players who have been wasting away and can give us a spark.”
