GARRY MONK wants new-look Middlesbrough to make the most of the faith being shown in his rebuilding process in the stands by delivering that winning feeling at the Riverside this evening.

The TV cameras will be on Teesside tonight to see Sheffield United, promoted from League One last season, take on a Boro team trying to make a swift recovery from the scars of Premier League relegation.

Chairman Steve Gibson promised to back Monk on the transfer front when he took over and he has done that, spending more than £45m on new players even if they have brought in approaching £40m on sales so far.

And, together with appointing a young and exciting manager like Monk, the supporters have shown they are prepared to stick with the team despite a quick return to the second tier of English football.

Almost 20,000 season tickets have been sold and a crowd of around the 28,000-mark will be inside the Riverside for the first home game of the campaign later today.

Monk is not thinking about the balance sheets, and is merely focused on putting his own stamp on the way the side play and he hopes it will bring the results to put the smiles back on the faces of supporters.

He said: “I know what I want and how to plan it and put into place. I have to respect what went before because there has been success that way, but if you are trying to change something - something very different - there’s a lot of things you have to change.

“It’s not just the football, it’s the mindset, the physicality and the understanding from fans. The landscape has to change.

“The players have been great since I arrived, their attitude towards it is has been very good but it needs to get even stronger.

“We’ve already seen in pre-season what we are trying to do. It’s just about getting better levels every time and correcting little mistakes. It takes time but you don’t get the luxury of time.”

While it will take time for Middlesbrough – who have not signed Chelsea youngster Lewis Baker in time to figure against the Blades – to find full flow under the new boss, it is important they deliver results as they strive to get there.

It would give everyone a lift, players and fans, if they can get things up and running at the first attempt on home turf.

Monk said: “Home form is always massively important. It is your bedrock, your points, picking up points on the road, the full focus is trying to get maximum from one game. We want to make it a fortress and we will try to put that right.”

He added: “I’m fully aware that we want to pick up the numbers of fans while the results are improving. It’s about managing it and trying to get it right. It’s not an easy job to do that and not easy for the players.

“There’s been a lot of elements to try to help get it right. Credit to the club. When I spoke to the owner I talked about what the club needs going forward, what needs to change in terms of the image.

“Not just the club but the team in terms of being more dynamic, more attacking, more on the front foot, which is how I like to play, and he was all for it.

“It doesn’t just happen like that - it takes time. But we are also trying to work short term to say ‘how can we win this game?’ or ‘make a performance and get the result we want’. There’s a fine balance because we are pushing that side really strongly while getting them ready for each game.”

Despite investing heavily in bringing a number of new players in over the summer, Monk also knows how important some of the players he has inherited will be over this period.

Key men such as Adam Clayton, Ben Gibson and George Friend are having to completely change the way they have played over the last few years, given Monk’s style of play and tactics.

Monk said: “I knew the core would be good here. I looked at the players who were here from a few seasons ago and when they’ve been here they’ve been fantastic. The new ones haven’t got the baggage from before either, the relegation, but they all have to gel. It’s been a big transition.”

Middlesbrough could easily have claimed a positive result at Wolves last weekend, without hitting top gear. Monk would, obviously, have preferred to have avoided defeat on the opening weekend, but he is far from concerned.

He said: “A lot of it is linked to confidence. These are good players with experience at this level and Premier League experience but it’s confidence.

“First half at Wolves I corrected a few positional things that were wrong that I was disappointed with. You correct that and make the players know that clearly and in the second half we were better without being at our best.

“We were able to dictate a little bit more. You have to get that replicated and keep reaching for a higher level. It was the same situation when I went into Leeds and they just need that one game when it clicks and you see it.

“It will be a good thing for the group if they can see the benefit of what they are doing.

“Sheffield United will come up from another league with a determination to prove themselves, the manager did an excellent job there last season, they got a good result in first game and they’ll be confident so we have to be wary. We just need to get the ball rolling.”