AITOR KARANKA has geared up for his 150th game in charge of Middlesbrough tomorrow by urging everyone to build on the success of his first three years and maintain the standards they have set.

Boro are still searching for a second win of the season since returning to the Premier League but he remains convinced his approach is the way forward for the club.

It will be his third anniversary as head coach at the Riverside Stadium on November 13 and by that time Middlesbrough will have followed up Saturday’s visit of Bournemouth with a trip to Manchester City.

Both fixtures will be tough tests for Karanka and his players for different reasons, but he is certain even greater times can lie ahead on Teesside if they continue to work hard and listen to the methods he has preached since taking over.

“I don't know what is possible in another three years,” said Karanka, speaking at Rockliffe Park yesterday. “It is difficult now, we are close to the relegation positions so it is just to keep going and to keep trusting each other.

“That is the only way we got into the Premier League, even when we had bad moments last season or when we lost the play-off final two seasons ago and the club was going to League One, the main thing is to work together, as a crowd, as a team, as a club and in three years’ time anything can happen.

“If we keep doing the right things, I think we can emulate other Premier League teams, but we have to keep doing the right things and one of the most important things is to keep working together.”

Karanka took over from Tony Mowbray and Mark Venus in November 2013 when Middlesbrough were closer to the Championship relegation zone than the Premier League.

He said: “I didn't realise how difficult it would be because if I had known I wouldn't have said the things that I said three years ago! When you are new, you are sometimes brave because you are inexperienced.

“Sometimes that braveness is difficult ... but, again, we have worked a lot from that day and we are in the position we wanted to be. These moments are amazing now.”

Karanka – who would become the first Middlesbrough manager to hit a 50 per cent win ratio from his first 150 games if he wins tomorrow – has already been linked with a number of jobs since leading Middlesbrough to promotion.

But when he was asked where he might be after another 150 games, he said: “I don't know and in football it is difficult to think ahead. The only thing I have in my head is Bournemouth. After 150 games maybe, if I am going to be a coach or whether I am going home with my family (laughs)!”

But Karanka, preparing to take on Eddie Howe at the Riverside, is loving being in the English top-flight and is determined for it to become a long term thing.

He said: “I am enjoying it, especially in the Premier League. It's been really tough to get into this position and when you go to play against Arsenal last weekend and you show everybody that you have a proper team, proper players and a proper club behind you, and after the game you can spend a few minutes or half an hour with Arsene Wenger, it is really good and I am enjoying it every single day.

“It's improving in the town too after a performance like we had against Arsenal. We had good performances against Manchester United and Manchester City and Liverpool in the cups but now it's different because now we are having good performances against teams like Arsenal and once again I think the crowd was waiting for this moment for a long time.”

Middlesbrough expect to have Grant Leadbitter available again soon. The captain is recovering well from hernia surgery and could figure against Newcastle Under-23s on Monday to continue his rehabilitation.

There are no other injury problems, however, and Karanka is determined for his side to improve their Riverside form having yet to win any of their opening four home games.

“I hope and I think we are going to win more games at home than away,” he said. “Because the day that we start to score goals – we are now playing with our normal consistency and we are adding confidence, especially after our last performance against Arsenal – for sure we are going to win more games at home.”