‘IF it ain’t broke don’t fix it’ or so the saying goes, and Middlesbrough’s league position, sitting second in the Championship despite allowing a healthy lead at the top to slip, suggests there can’t be too much wrong at the Riverside. Can there?

This is shaping up to be a monumental month for Aitor Karanka, who had not foreseen the sort of dip in form that has seen a six-point lead disappear in a week.

Hull have now reclaimed top spot in the promotion race courtesy of the first back-to-back defeats suffered by Boro since April 2014, while the gap to third could be down to three points if Derby beat Burnley tonight.

But it is a sign of the progress made – and the importance of promotion to the Premier League this season being placed on everyone – that whenever Boro lose there is a completely different atmosphere in and around the players and coaching staff.

Whatever was said in the home dressing room after Nottingham Forest left the Riverside with three points will remain a closely guarded secret, but it was clear frustrations and tempers must have been high.

Karanka, who stood in the tunnel staring at the floor on his own seemingly to compose himself for a good 30 seconds before conducting his post-match interviews, clearly does not take defeat lightly.

"I know the reason for the problem but I prefer to fix it on the training ground. I know the reason and I can fix it,” he said. “The problem is when you're in a bad run and don't know why but I know the reason.

"With these players we're at the top of the table. We've been together the last six months. We've got two weeks to work before the next game and I want to transmit a positive message. It's not by chance we're near the top of the table.”

Karanka did not want to explain exactly what he thinks needs to be fixed, although he did then go onto suggest he was unhappy with the options he had on the bench. He did not feel he had every area of his team covered, highlighted when he had to ask centre-back Fernando Amorebieta to play left-back when George Friend was forced off through injury.

It is safe to assume he is desperate for reinforcements to arrive during the last week of the transfer window, with Ross McCormack’s goals and creativity his preferred option before the visit of Blackburn on February 6. At least one new midfielder and a winger is also wanted.

Karanka’s feelings could well have been exacerbated after Saturday’s surprise decision to take off Stewart Downing at half-time. Downing might not have been at his best in the No 10 role during a frustrating opening 45 minutes, but his natural left foot could have been an option out wide.

It will be hoped the pair are on the same wavelength going forward for that is a relationship which could significantly influence team morale in the final few months of the promotion run-in, particularly given Downing’s Premier League quality to unlock defences.

Skipper Grant Leadbitter, himself disappointed with the way Jamie Ward’s 70th minute curling effort ended a run of 921 minutes without conceding in the league at the Riverside, wants everyone to remember where Boro are.

“We don’t want lose back-to-back, that was one of our targets this season, but we have done that now and we can’t change that,” said Leadbitter, frustrated with the defeat at struggling Bristol City a week earlier.

“But we are still in a good position. Everyone in the stadium at the start of the season would have taken this position at this stage. We have good players and we all want the same for this football club.

“We will have to learn quickly, everyone is learning and I believe the defeats are always something to look on in how you can do better. As players we want to do better, we want to do more. We have two weeks and it will be a good break.”

Boro, who have struggled to hit top gear in their last four matches, were unable to really test Forest goalkeeper Dorus de Vries having tended to spray the ball out wide too often rather than look for a ball in behind the back four.

Leadbitter crashed a stinging volley against the bar when he flicked up Albert Adomah’s short free-kick himself before striking on goal, while Emilio Nsue somehow headed over from inside six yards when he arrived to meet Adomah’s cross unmarked at the back post.

Other than that, though, there was very little to concern de Vries and Forest got their reward when Ward played a lovely reverse pass down the line for Ben Osborn to chase.

The winger rolled a pass inside for Ward, who took a touch on the edge of the box before curling low and powerfully inside the net to become the first player to score past Dimi Konstantopoulos at the Riverside since Lasse Vibe on September 15.

“Maybe a bad result was always going to come, but we don’t want the message to be that a result like this can come along, that’s not our aim,” said Leadbitter. “We move on, we are all hurting. As captain I have to trust the players in the dressing room and we all have to stick together and move on.”