Despite Middlesbrough’s slow start to the season, there is little doubt that Aitor Karanka has done an impressive job at the club.
The Spaniard joined them in 2013, and it didn’t take him long to bring them back to the Premier League.
Middlesbrough have 11 points from 11 matches so far, but have won points at the Emirates and Etihad against Arsenal and Manchester City most recently.
Karanka has been speaking to Spanish newspaper Marca, and the Spaniard believes showing too much respect to their opponents has cost them so far.
Speaking about coming back against Manchester City, Karanka said they’d approached the game wrong in the first place: “We tried to convey tranquility and, above all, the confidence that we had demonstrated two weeks before against Arsenal. I think we showed too much respect and that made us not be ourselves.”
Karanka insists his Middlesbrough team have always done well when facing big teams even during their time in the Championship, and can’t be broken down so easily.
He added: “It’s no coincidence that in three years, even being in the Championship, we have played against rivals such as Liverpool, United, City, Arsenal and Everton, and the team has always been on the front foot and has never broken down.”
Middlesbrough face another difficult test when they host Chelsea on Sunday, Karanka will hope they don’t retreat into their shell.
