A YEAR ago this week Aitor Karanka’s tenure as Middlesbrough’s head coach appeared to be over. This time, unlike when Steve Gibson’s diplomacy smoothed things over, there is no going back.

Gibson’s decision to part company with Karanka will not have been easy. The mere fact he has stood by him for so long during growing tensions and poor results suggested there was still belief that the project outlined three-and-a-half years ago would still succeed.

But every story has an end. Karanka’s time is finally up after a period when his reign has had the sense for months that it had reached its nadir.

While Gibson’s decision will be welcomed by the vast majority of supporters after increased criticism and frustration of his tactics, Middlesbrough will be grateful for what he achieved during his time on Teesside.

The ending, the bust-ups and a lack of adventure going forward will not be fondly remembered, but he was the man who delivered Premier League football back to the Riverside Stadium after an absence of seven years.

MIDDLESBROUGH were in a rut when he took over. Even though a degree of Karanka’s success in the Championship was assisted by the restructuring his predecessor Tony Mowbray oversaw, the club's first foreign boss still had to improve things quickly.

Boro sat just five points above the relegation zone when he accepted the challenge over a Premier League job at Crystal Palace in November 2013. By the end of that initial campaign he had led them to within five points of the play-offs.

During that turnaround Middlesbrough kept 13 clean sheets and only lost nine of their remaining matches, offering an indication of what he was capable of achieving.

HIS first full season saw the first flaws in his character, when he ended up sacking his assistant Craig Hignett, who had served as his assistant and was well liked by everyone else at the club.

Hignett’s departure followed a bust-up at the end of Middlesbrough’s home draw with Blackburn as December approached in 2014, when there was a disagreement over tactics and it became very heated inside the manager’s office.

Nevertheless Middlesbrough won ten of their next 13 games – including memorably defeating Manchester City at the Etihad in the FA Cup – and his stock had risen rapidly.

A failure to avoid defeat at promotion rivals Bournemouth and Watford in the April, however, proved costly in the league. They ended up finishing the campaign with a defeat at Fulham and a draw with Brighton which left them in the play-offs.

A defeat to Norwich at Wembley ensured Middlesbrough had to plan for another season in the Championship. Karanka left himself wide open for severe criticism after selecting a clearly unfit Patrick Bamford to lead the line, while the team coach arrived at Wembley late for the play-off final.

AFTER that game Gibson outlined how he was going to back the head coach to ensure his beloved Middlesbrough went up the following year – and he achieved that goal.

Yet, despite making Middlesbrough extremely hard to beat in the second tier, there was further evidence of Karanka’s man-management having its weaknesses, even if he was well respected for his coaching methods.

Lee Tomlin and Albert Adomah – two key players during his first full season - had disputes, while Stewart Downing would have another later in the year. Middlesbrough still maintained decent form to stay right in the mix for an automatic promotion push.

It was the inconsistent start to 2015 which exposed Karanka the most. A run of three wins from nine had seriously threatened the promotion push and pressure really took its toll on someone used to success.

Then Middlesbrough went to Rotherham on a Tuesday in March and lost.  Substitute Downing was rolled out for interview – despite growing in frustration with him – for the sake of it, while Karanka seethed yards away.

And on the Friday he infamously stormed out of that training ground meeting and never took charge of the game at Charlton; when the players thought he had gone for good.

Karanka was back for the following game and won at home to Hull; starting a ten match unbeaten run which got Middlesbrough over the line. 

Looking back on the events since, it is now easier to suggest that the team spirit within the squad was an ever bigger factor in eventually seeing the job through.

THE scenes after the Brighton game in May, when Karanka celebrated on the pitch with thousands of fans, will live with him forever. 

He can also take heart from the fact he made Middlesbrough so hard to beat in that opening first four months of his first season in the Premier League.

Boasting the best defensive record outside the top seven is no mean feat, even if it ultimately contributed to his downfall.

Supporters and his own players – even some of those he signed from Spain in the summer – became fed up with his tactics and approach. There have been a lot of frank words spoken as Middlesbrough failed to win any of their last ten games under him, dating back to before Christmas.

Karanka’s relationship with those around him has taken a battering too for his criticism of fans, certain players and even the boardroom after a failure to bring in Jese Rodriguez or Bojan Krkic in January - yet still spent more than £15m. 

He had effectively run out of allies at Rockliffe and the Riverside.

The most publicised and recent exchange was with Downing; the local lad who feels he has a lot to give to help Middlesbrough’s cause.

It is no longer a cause Karanka needs to worry about. He will get another job, probably in England, but for him to fulfil the ambition he clearly has he will need to change his ways. By his own admission he is still learning.

Karanka leaves with his team boasting the fewest wins, fewest goals and fewest shots this season under his watch. Middlesbrough will at least remember, despite the memorable highs and the crucial lows, how he also departs the Riverside as a promotion winner.