Aitor far from cranky at Middlesbrough

After taking four points from the opening two games, Middlesbrough have crashed back down to Earth in recent weeks but even back-to-back defeats cannot wipe the smile off manager Aitor Karanka’s face.

A home reverse at the hands of Crystal Palace followed by a fruitless trip to Everton leave Boro in the bottom half of the table with unbeaten Tottenham Hotspur their next opponents.

That fixture is followed by a trip to the top-flight’s newest ground to take on West Ham United in front of a crowd in excess of 50,000.

But, having battled so hard for their place in the Premier League, Karanka insists he will not be put off by a couple of adverse results.

(Stu Forster/Getty Images)

“It’s the Premier League, it’s the place we wanted to be,” said Karanka, who took charge at the Riverside Stadium in November 2013.

“We’ve been working hard for two-and-a-half years to be here. For me and the club, it’s amazing to come to Goodison Park, to face Tottenham next weekend, to go the following week to the Olympic Stadium.

“We’ve been working a lot to live in these moments, but we know how difficult it will be.”