MARTEN DE ROON is delighted the transfer window is now closed, and feels Middlesbrough will benefit from some increased stability in the next few weeks.

It has been a tempestuous last seven days on Teesside, with the club’s failure to recruit Aitor Karanka’s leading targets ahead of Tuesday’s transfer deadline revealing tensions that boiled over in the build up to Boro’s 2-2 draw with West Brom.

Adlene Guedioura arrived in a £4m deadline-day deal, while Jordan Rhodes left Teesside to move to Sheffield Wednesday, but Karanka was clearly infuriated at Boro’s failure to land Bojan Krkic, Robert Snodgrass or Jese Rodriguez.

The Spaniard has sought to smooth over the cracks in his relationship with those above him in the build up to today’s game at Tottenham, and de Roon admits it has been difficult to operate with so much speculation about potential transfer dealings.

“I think for everyone, it is better if you know what your team and your squad is,” said the Dutch midfielder. “What are the squads you will be playing against? It is crazy thing in the middle of the season to have a period where people can move.

“It is finished now, and I think that is always better. It is good for the manager too because he knows the players he has and the people he is going to be working with. Hopefully, better results will come now.”

Boro showed signs of attacking improvement against West Brom on Tuesday, and they were unable to claim all three points against Tony Pulis’ side, de Roon will be urging his team-mates to adopt a positive approach when they travel to White Hart Lane.

“The positive from the West Brom game was that we created five or six good opportunities,” he said. “There was more movement than in some of the previous games, especially in the second part of their half, and that is a good thing.

“If you are making that kind of movement, things will happen, you will get a goal or a penalty or a free-kick that might go in.

“I think we had more players in the box in the last game. The coaches have said to the midfielders that if you want to score goals, or make it more difficult for the opposition, then you have to arrive into the box.

“If you get more bodies there, then it is more dangerous if you get a cross in. It is a good thing that we are showing more attacking skills. In another game, I am sure the goals will come and we will get the three points.”

Tottenham claimed a 2-1 win at the Riverside in September and threatened to run riot as they scored two goals in the opening 23 minutes, and de Roon admits his side will have to produce a vastly-improved performance if they want to spring a surprise this afternoon.

“It was an unbelievable first half,” he said. “I remember it very well because I was dead after the first half. They were so quick. We were still playing with a number ten, and we struggled because their midfield players were moving so well.

“It will be a tough match, but we have shown before that if we are well organised, we can take points off anyone. We are improving and learning all the time, but we have to learn quicker and start winning games again.”