Boro spin king Lee Tomlin has hailed Aitor Karanka for shaping his squad into genuine promotion contenders.
The schemer put in an eye-catching show in Boro’s 2-0 FA Cup win at Manchester City, a game he says shows exactly how Karanka has transformed the team.
“I would say that for the half of last season the gaffer was in charge he didn’t have the players for how he wanted to play,” said Tomlin, a £1.5m buy from Peterborough last January.
“But now he has the right players to play the system he wants and you can see the results he’s getting.
“The manager has done everything. From the training to everything upstairs and behind the scenes I think the chairman has allowed him to do. He is unbelievable and all of the lads love him.
“Every single one of our players, even the ones on the bench, they could get in any Championship side they want.
“For a team like Middlesbrough to have a squad like that, 22 players, it is unbelievable.”
The squad size has left some players kicking their heels at times but Tomlin insists everyone buys into Karanka’s rotation policy.
“You’d probably think it would be hard to keep everyone happy, and there are players who aren’t playing who will not be happy,” he said.
“But the way the gaffer is, the way he makes you think, there’s no point in being unhappy.
“It won’t be very good for your career if you sulk or whatever. The best way is to move on together, there’s only one way to go that way and that’s up.
“Dean Whitehead and Jonathan Woodgate, two very experienced lads, have both said they wished they could have played with the gaffer ten years ago. That’s how well he is liked in the dressing room.
“I hope I’ll be playing under him for as long as he is here, I’m just happy and I really hope we go up this season.”
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