It's been an eventful week at Boro, but Grant Leadbitter insists the entire dressing room is behind Aitor Karanka.
The head coach was charged with improper behaviour by the FA on Tuesday after allegedly pushing the fourth official during last weekend’s 1-1 draw with Blackburn Rovers.
Karanka was sent to the stands by referee Mark Clattenburg, who included the incident in his matchday report.
Confirmation of the charge came just hours after it was announced by Boro that Craig Hignett had left his position of assistant head coach.
Leadbitter, who agreed a new three-and-a-half-year contract on Thursday, doesn’t think there be a negative reaction to either of this week’s incidents.
He said: “The manager makes all the decisions at the club so regardless of who’s here, the manager does all the training and everyone buys into the manager.
“One thing I do know is everyone is behind the manager. Everyone is buying into his philosophy and that’s what you need to be a successful team.
“At the moment we are winning games and doing okay in the league, we need to keep doing that.”
The skipper won’t allow the events that took place over the past few days to affect his team-mates going into this afternoon’s game at Millwall, adding: “This is football - 24 hours is a long time in football and decisions are made.
“Things go against you and then they go for you. I don’t want the club, the fans or the town moping about because of the referee’s decision last week.
“That’s gone, we can’t let it affect our season. I don’t want people to turn around at the end of the season and say Mark Clattenburg’s decision was a turning point.”
Leadbitter, 29 next month, has in all likelihood committed the best years of his career to Boro by penning a contract that doesn’t lapse until July 2018. Desperate to play again in the Premier League, there are two major reasons why he agreed to sign in the dotted line: Karanka and chairman Steve Gibson.
“It’s not a decision I took lightly and you never know what happens in football, but I believe in this club and I believe in the chairman,” said the midfielder.
“He’s one of the best in the country. I’ve spoken to him a few times and I’ve bought into his philosophy and the manager’s philosophy.
“It’s a good place to be. I think players that have left this club over the years thought the grass is greener, but it’s not, this is a great football club.
“The manager’s plan for the club was one of the big points when I made my decision. I’ve always felt since the manager came in that he’s shrewd with his ideas.
“He gets his points across and players in the dressing room buy into it. He makes all the big decisions and he makes all the right ones in my opinion. Everything at a football club revolves around the manager.
“Everyone wants the same thing and that’s what we all want to see this football club. We want to see the team win games.
“I want Premier League football and I believe this club is capable of that with the squad we’ve got,” Leadbitter added.
“We’ve got some good players and characters in the dressing room and I’m looking forward to the next few months ahead.”
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