GRAEME Souness has called on his players to follow Middlesbrough's Scrooge-like example as the two sides prepare to meet in a crucial six-pointer at Ewood on Boxing Day.

While Rovers have leaked goals at an alarming rate this season, Boro have been positively miserly at the back in comparison.

Steve McClaren's side have stacked up a club record-equalling seven successive clean sheets during the last two months.

And that defensive meaness has helped to bring some much-needed stability to the Riverside following a sticky start to the campaign.

McClaren was beginning to feel the heat after Boro had taken just one point from their opening five Premiership matches.

But the former Manchester United coach refused to hit the panic button and reverted back to basics in a bid to revive his side's flagging fortunes.

That meant sacrificing some of the team's attacking tendencies in favour of a more rigid approach.

And, although the move has proved unpopular with certain fans, it has helped Boro to achieve the level of consistency required to ease themselves away from the bottom three.

A run of just two defeats from their last 11 games has been built on firm defensive foundations.

Boro last conceded a goal in the Premiership when they lost 1-0 to Newcastle on October 18.

And in their last 15 games in all competitions, Gareth Southgate and his defensive colleagues have been breached just five times.

Now Souness hopes his players can adopt a similar approach as he attempts to cure his side's defensive weaknesses.

"The first thing you must be in this game is difficult to beat and then hopefully your game will progress from there," said Souness.

"Middlesbrough are going to come here like Aston Villa, determined not to get beat, and we have to get back to that ourselves.

"We have to get back to being solid and we've also got to get back to wanting to win every single challenge.

"The first half of the season has been very disappointing.

"The players share that opinion and I can't fault them, other than Saturday, for the amount of effort they have put into games.

"I could blame them for some of the defending, which has been very disappointing, but in terms of effort, up until Saturday, I think they've given me everything I could have asked for, except perhaps a bit of concentration when it matters defensively.

"So we are looking to improve in all departments and I'm sure we will because I've still got great belief in this squad."

Souness described Saturday's 2-0 defeat at the hands of Villa as the worst performance during his three and a half years in charge.

Second half goals from Steffan Moore and Juan Pablo Angel condemned Rovers to their fifth home defeat in the Premiership, prompting Souness to accuse his players of lacking the necessary passion and aggression for a fight.

But the Blackburn boss was at a loss when it came to explaining why there was a sudden change in attitude, just six days after the same players had put up such a manful fight against Arsenal at Highbury.

"I wish I could put my finger on it. We think we have an understanding of what went wrong but whether it's as black and white as we think, we don't know," said Souness.

"So it's a case of putting that game behind us, drawing a line through it, and getting on with it.

"I'd settle for a performance like that once every three and a half years but I don't want to see another one this year."

Brazilian midfielder Doriva will miss out again as Middlesbrough travel to Blackburn on Boxing Day.

He damaged an ankle during the 1-0 win at Manchester City on November 30 and could be sidelined for a further fortnight.

Jonathan Greening has recovered from illness and will be in contention for a place, although keeper Carlo Nash is out with a hand injury.