HAVING previously only seen them on DVD, Aitor Karanka has been impressed with the standard of his Middlesbrough players during the first full week of his reign.

Karanka has spent the last seven days overseeing a taxing training regime that has regularly featured two sessions a day, and will take charge of his first game as Middlesbrough manager when his side travel to Leeds tomorrow.

The Spaniard, who yesterday confirmed the appointment of Carlos Cachada as fitness coach, is still putting the finishing touches to his backroom staff amid continued speculation linking former Manchester United assistant Mike Phelan with a possible role as Boro’s number two.

Jamie Clapham will be alongside Karanka in the dug-out at Elland Road, and after putting Boro’s players through their paces this week, the pair have been delighted with the squad’s response.

“I have been impressed with the quality of the players in training,” said Karanka, who drew his opening game as both a player and an assistant boss. “I’ve watched quite a lot of Middlesbrough games now, but you can’t always see everything you want to see on television.

“You often can’t see what the players are doing when they are not on the screen, but when you are at training, you can see the full 100 per cent of what they are doing. I have had a very good surprise from most of the players, and seen things I couldn’t see on the TV.

“I came here just over a week ago and was very happy, and have become even more happy with each day that has gone by in training. You can see that everyone working here is happy, and the players have been excited every day. They have shown a very good attitude to their training and I am pleased with that.”

Karanka is still to settle on his first starting line-up, and expects to make his final decision after overseeing training this morning.

The Northern Echo: New Middlesbrough head coach Aitor Karanka is ready to make his mark

Albert Adomah trained yesterday after returning from international duty with Ghana, but Rhys Williams is not due to return from Australia until this morning and is unlikely to start at Elland Road.

In his three years as Jose Mourinho’s assistant at Real Madrid, Karanka could leave the awkward job of delivering bad news to his boss. Now, he is responsible for telling his players who is in and out of the team, and while he is hardly relishing the task, he accepts it is part and parcel of his new role.

“I will have to make some tough decisions, and that is one of the things that is totally different when you become a head coach,” he said. “As an assistant, you are always helping the coach and giving them advice. As a head coach, you are the one making the decisions.

“It is a new beginning for everybody, but I like to think I am an honest coach. I was as a player, and as an assistant with Jose at Real Madrid, and I believe that honesty is an important thing for a coach. On the pitch, I will select the best XI players to win the game.”

It will be interesting to see how Karanka’s first side compares to the team that Mark Venus picked for his final game in charge, but it is expected that Boro will line up tomorrow in something resembling a 4-3-3 formation with a high degree of fluidity in attack.

Jonathan Woodgate will retain the captain’s armband as he returns to Leeds some 13 years after representing the West Yorkshire club in the Champions League.

The Northern Echo: Jonathan Woodgate

Karanka can also recall a Champions League night at Elland Road, as he was an unused substitute in November 2000 as Real Madrid secured a 2-0 win over a Leeds side that featured Woodgate at centre-half.

The 2000-01 season saw both Real Madrid and Leeds suffer defeat in a Champions League semi-final, but while the former remain one of the leading sides in Europe, the latter have suffered a dramatic fall from grace in the last decade.

They have not played in the top-flight since 2004, but with more than 30,000 fans expected tomorrow, Karanka could hardly have asked for a much tougher start to life as Boro boss.

“The first game will be hard,” he said. “Leeds are a very strong team, but it is our first chance to show what we can do and put into practice what we have been working on.

“I know there is rivalry between the clubs, and I know a lot of people from Middlesbrough will be going to the game. It is a very important game for us to win.”