"We know the qualities Steven Gerrard has and he can change games with his shots from distance," said the Liverpool boss.
"He did just that for the first goal and that was the key to victory. We know Gerrard is happier when he is playing in the middle but he knows that sometimes I have to play him on the right side for the good of the team.
"I thought we deserved to win but we had to be patient and we had to work hard. Middlesbrough came to play on the counter attack and get men behind the ball and sometimes it can be difficult to create clear chances when the opposition play so deep.
"We now want to beat Wigan on Saturday and hopefully make sure of a top four finish. Then we can start thinking about the Champions League semi-final."