Jonathon Taylor: 'Victory against Leeds would be a major milestone for Karanka's Boro'

When Aitor Karanka steps out at the Riverside tomorrow he will be a man on a mission.

Victory over Leeds United will see Boro go four points clear at the top of the Championship, ahead of the 3pm kick-offs.

But the three points would also end Karanka’s own personal drought over Boro’s Yorkshire rivals.

It may only be a minor detail, but one that the meticulous Spaniard will be eager to rectify.

Since he arrived on Teesside in November 2013, Karanka has transformed Boro from a lethargic, mid-table scrapper to a title-chasing machine.

Aitor Karanka after being appointed Boro manager in November 2013

It’s been a phenomenal campaign to witness so far and it’s a long time since Teesside has been so proud of its team. And most excitingly of all, the final chapter - the glorious final part- is yet to be written.

But underneath that bubbling excitement, there’s no doubt that Karanka will be irked by his personal record against Leeds.

Rewind to his first game in charge and 10-man Boro, crippled by the dismissal of goalkeeper Jason Steele, limped to a 2-1 defeat at Elland Road.

The new Boro boss put on a brave face afterwards, claiming his team had “shown a good attitude” and “performed well in the second half”.

But deep down, he will have been unhappy. Anyone who spends two years at Real Madrid and rubs shoulders with the giants of world football do not tolerate defeat.

Anyone who graces the corridors of football’s pantheon, the Santiago Bernabeu, has a winning mentality drilled into their subconscious. Karanka’s acceptance in defeat was merely a face - in reality, he knew his work on Teesside was just about to begin.

Aitor Karanka urges Boro on during his first game in charge

Then came his first home match against Leeds in February 2014. It was only 12 months ago, but that match seems a distant memory.

It was a defining moment in Karanka’s Boro stewardship. Another goalless draw at the Riverside stretched the team’s goal drought to six games - and broke a club record in the process.

The 0-0 draw meant Boro passed the 10-hour milestone without scoring. Karanka remained calm - but was already counting down the days until the summer.

From his starting line-up that day, only three are likely to feature tomorrow - Kenneth Omeruo, George Friend and Grant Leadbitter.

Aitor Karanka was left frustrated as Boro drew 0-0 with Leeds in February 2014

As soon as Boro kicked the final ball of the season at Yeovil back in May, the Spaniard had already turned over the page. A summer clear out was needed. He had sorted out the team’s leaky defence - now extra firepower was needed.

Boro’s summer transfer dealings did frustrate Karanka in some ways. It was his first real experience of the hustle and bustle of a summer window, and some transfers proved to be long, drawn-out affairs.

He landed his number nine, bringing Kike Garcia to the Riverside for £2.7m, while Lee Tomlin’s loan deal was made permanent.

But with youngsters Bradley Fewster and Luke Williams as back-up, it was clear that Boro were woefully short in the final third.

After starting the season with a 2-0 win over Birmingham, during which Kike and Tomlin impressed, Boro travelled to Elland Road. For Karanka, it was a return to the ground where it all started.

Nine months had passed since tasting defeat in his opening game, and Boro were a completely different animal.

They bossed the game for large periods against their Yorkshire rivals, and Albert Adomah wrongly saw his acrobatic effort ruled out.

But Boro toiled in front of goal, and a late mistake from Spanish stopper Tomas Mejias allowed Billy Sharp to clinch a last-gasp victory for Leeds. It was another defeat at Elland Road for Karanka.

Action Images / John Clifton

Billy Sharp scores a late winner against Boro in August.

That result sparked Boro’s recruitment drive into life. Back-to-back home defeats against Reading and Sheffield Wednesday only confirmed the Spaniard’s stance - the team were still short of options up front.

By the time the transfer window closed days later, Boro had recruited Patrick Bamford, Jelle Vossen and Yanic Wildschut.

And Boro haven’t looked back ever since - remaining unbeaten at home since August.

Karanka’s side have been transformed in his image, evolving into a promotion-chasing machine that shows no sign of stopping.

Three points over Leeds tomorrow would be Boro’s sixth straight victory at home. Karanka’s side are unbeaten in their last nine league matches, losing only two of their last 18.

If you look at the list of current Championship teams that Karanka has yet to taste victory against, it is rapidly diminishing.

Karanka’s record against Leeds remains his worst - with two defeats and one draw.

Aitor Karanka

Bournemouth (two draws), Wigan (two draws), Blackburn (three draws), Watford (one defeat and one draw), Sheffield Wednesday (two defeats) and Wolves (one defeat) make up that list.

So when Karanka steps out at the Riverside against Leeds, he will be a man on a mission.

Not only because Boro could go four points clear at the summit, but because the Spaniard will want to right the wrongs of his previous matches against the Yorkshire side.

If Boro do win, it would be a special milestone. Not only because we could cross Leeds off Karanka’s ‘to do list’, but because we can also start to believe that this may be the year.

Boro have been away from football’s top table for too long. It’s time to put that right.