AITOR KARANKA has explained how high praise from the Premier League’s top brass has fuelled belief that his methods will be good enough to keep Middlesbrough up this season.

But the Boro boss is keen to build on backing from Chelsea’s Antonio Conte and some of the best bosses in the top-flight by earning more points than plaudits in the remaining weeks of the season.

Boro are faced with an intriguing test at fellow strugglers Crystal Palace tomorrow, when victory for visitors will increase the chances of staying in the Premier League.

Defeat, on the other hand, would see the second from bottom Eagles climb level on points with Boro with 12 matches remaining – even though Karanka has made his team one of the most well organised and tightest in the division.

Despite sitting just above the relegation zone, Boro have the best defensive record in the division outside of the Champions League hunting top six after conceding just 27 times in 25 games.

They have made life difficult for Chelsea, Manchester City, Arsenal, Tottenham and Everton already this season, although if their goalscoring record at the other end has prevented them from climbing higher up the table.

Karanka said: “I would enjoy it more if we had beaten them. But the main thing for me is, after the games, especially at home when you have time with the other manager, from Tony Pulis or Ronaldo Koeman or Jose Mourinho, all of them are telling us how difficult it is to be play against us.

“Even when we played against Chelsea, and Chelsea are the best team so far, I was speaking with Antonio and he said we had been really difficult to prepare against and to play against. We can be proud of this – stopping these kind of teams. Now when we have to play against our opponents, we need to take advantage.”

West Ham’s victory at the Riverside aside since the turn of the year, Boro have an effective in claiming points by being miserly. They have continued to struggle to score goals, though.

There were signs in the goalless draw with Everton – before the 3-2 win over Oxford United in the FA Cup – Karanka had worked on making improvements in the final third; and the return of Gaston Ramirez to the mix should help things.

Ramirez, after the uncertainty surrounding his future in January, will be a key player in the remaining three months of the campaign. Karanka accepts that idea, which is why he left him out of the Oxford game over fears he will pick up a two-match ban sooner rather than later for collecting ten cautions.

Karanka said: “The reason that he didn't play against Oxford from the beginning is because he has eight yellow cards and I didn't want to risk him getting another yellow card. I thought it was more important for him to play in the league than at the beginning of that game.

“When Oxford equalised I put him on the pitch because I didn't care about the yellow cards, I wanted to win the game. He is training really well and he knows that one day he will have his opportunity and he's going to show everybody how good and how important he is.

“I've been speaking with him but when you have that character and you want to win – he's from Uruguay and he has that character where you want to win. He's the kind of player who wants to win every single ball, to score every single goal, to win every single game and the kind of character which I like.”

Ramirez’s compatriot Cristhian Stuani is also shaping up to be an important figure in the relegation fight. He scored for the fifth time this season when he hit the winner against Oxford last weekend.

Karanka said: “He has my recognition because I am responsible for putting him on the pitch. As a coach I have to show him my confidence putting him on the pitch.

“Last season, for example, the last game against Brighton, everybody was expecting Jordan Rhodes and Stewart Downing and I played with David Nugent and Cristhian Stuani because I thought that at that moment he could be good for the team and he scored that goal.

“Last Saturday, when we conceded the second goal, he went to the pitch because at that time I thought that we needed goals and he scored a goal. The most important thing is the coach recognises him.

“Players who play in his position who have played many more games than him didn't score the same goals, didn't have the same assists, so I know it's not massive numbers, but comparing him with other players in this squad in the same position, the difference is massive.”

Boro will head to Palace with defensive concerns too. George Friend has suffered a set-back in his recovery from a calf problem and has not trained this week, neither has Calum Chambers because of a stress fracture.

And with Antonio Barragan already sidelined, Karanka only has Fabio da Silva as a recognised full-back certain to play at Selhurst Park. Ben Gibson could be asked to switch to left-back.