GRANT LEADBITTER does not expect his former boss, Mick McCarthy, to be springing any tactical surprises this weekend, but is confident his Middlesbrough team-mates can cope with the Ipswich manager’s no-nonsense approach.

Leadbitter started his professional career playing under McCarthy at Sunderland, and while he had left Portman Road by the time the former Republic of Ireland boss took over, he is well versed in his preferred approach.

In his two decades in management, McCarthy has developed a reputation for building well-organised, athletic teams who do not shirk a physical challenge, and with the likes of Christophe Berra, Daryl Murphy and David McGoldrick playing major roles, his methods have taken Ipswich to within a point of the Championship summit.

Middlesbrough tend to adopt a more cultured approach, but with the likes of Daniel Ayala, George Friend and Adam Clayton in the side, not to mention himself, Leadbitter is confident the Teessiders can handle whatever is thrown at them this weekend.

“Mick has done a very good job down there,” said the midfielder, who recently signed a new three-and-a-half year deal with Boro. “We know it’s going to be a very difficult game, but we’ll go there full of confidence and looking to get a good result.

“You know what you’re going to get from one of Mick McCarthy’s sides, and we know it’s going to be tough. But let’s concentrate on ourselves and hopefully come away with something.”

In their last away game, Boro travelled to the New Den and successfully overcame a Millwall side who also have a reputation for a somewhat rudimentary approach.

While last weekend’s victory over Derby showcased their slick counter-attacking capabilities, the last few months have proved that Karanka’s side are not afraid to mix it physically when the situation demands.

When he was appointed, the Spaniard initially envisaged bringing over a number of young players from his homeland who could help introduce a continental-style approach based on possession and short passing.

Within a couple of weeks, he realised the attritional demands of the Championship would render such an attitude unworkable, and the squad he has subsequently assembled reflects both his own ideas about football and the culture of life in the Football League.

“Most of the managers we come up against are typical British managers, so the football reflects that,” said Karanka. “Steve McClaren was maybe a little bit different, but Blackburn two weeks ago and then Millwall after that pretty much had the same philosophy.

“You have to admire the way that British teams tend to play and you have to learn how to deal with that. I have been here for one year, but I am still trying to learn from everybody.

“Having said that though, whether you are talking about Mick McCarthy’s style or Steve McClaren’s style or Aitor Karanka’s style, I am sure that all of us just want to win the games.”

In the last two seasons, Boro have not come close to winning at Portman Road, with last season’s 3-1 defeat following a similar pattern to the previous campaign’s 4-0 reverse.

Last season’s defeat came prior to Karanka’s appointment, and saw McGoldrick score twice as a Boro defence featuring Rhys Williams and Jonathan Woodgate at centre-half failed to cope with the intensity of their opponents’ play.

With Ipswich having lost just one of their last 17 matches – Boro’s current record stands at one defeat in their last 16 – tomorrow’s game is unlikely to be any easier, and Karanka expects the Tractor Boys to maintain their challenge at the top end of the table throughout the second half of the season.

“They are a typical Championship team – strong, powerful and with quality,” he said. “When you mix that power with the quality they have, especially up front, it is going to be a difficult game. But we have to think about ourselves, and our focus is always our team.”

Karanka has made a decision on the futures of Jamal Blackman and Milos Veljkovic, but will not be revealing it until he has had a chance to have a detailed conversation with both players.

The duo are on loan until the start of the new year, and given their lack of first-team involvement at the Riverside it is unlikely that either will be retained in the second half of the season.

“I know what I am going to do, but I prefer to speak with them first,” said Karanka. “I am very pleased with both of them. They are both good lads and very good professionals and both of them have a very good future.”

Lee Tomlin and Jonathan Woodgate are available for Saturday’s game, but Karanka has warned the latter not to expect to walk straight back into the first team.

“Jonathan is fit and training with the team, and he is happy,” he said. “But he knows and understands how difficult it will be to get back in the team because the team is playing really well.

“He is one more player though and he is supporting the team. He is the first one to understand his position and he’s important for us.”