GARRY MONK is thankful and appreciative of the Steve Gibson-effect at Middlesbrough, even if he thinks it will count for very little if his Middlesbrough squad don’t put the graft in to achieve success for the man at the top.

Monk has made no secret of the fact he was attracted to takeover the managerial reins at the Riverside Stadium because of Gibson’s reputation for standing by his appointments and the club’s healthy position.

That has been vindicated by Gibson’s backing on the transfer front during the summer window, when the manager was given the freedom to spend approaching £50m on ten new players – even if a large chunk of that was brought back in via sales.

Now Monk is challenged with the task of leading Middlesbrough to promotion and he knows the wishes of the chairman and his own will not be fulfilled if he can’t maintain the working mentality to improve from within the dressing room which he has witnessed so far.

The former Leeds and Swansea boss said: “Coming to this club, one of the biggest appeals was the owner, the stability, everything is here to be able to perform and for the players to be able to perform in. That was the big appeal for me.

“What that doesn’t guarantee is the hard work, that’s what gets you there in the end. Having a stable environment to work in on a daily basis is going to be more positive than not.”

Middlesbrough head to Bolton today with Monk pondering whether to introduce latest signings Ryan Shotton and Marvin Johnson into the match-day squad.

Those acquisitions were the final pieces of summer business, but the manager is just as satisfied at keeping some of the players he inherited as much as signing new boys.

Monk said: “I’m very happy with Ryan and Marvin. Important positions to help strengthen the squad. They have come in to a good group of lads, a good squad. It’s nice to have had that level of transition we have had.

“Keeping hold of players sometimes is more important as the incomings are. We have been clear from the start, we have been clear, honest, open, especially the owner as well.

“It’s nothing we didn’t expect. We have been looking to the season ahead and we are now focused on showing what we can do on the pitch.”

Now the aim is to start to win more games in the Championship, after a solid but unspectacular start which has seen Middlesbrough win just two of their opening five league games – and the last result was a surprise goalless home draw with Preston.

Monk, without strikers Rudy Gestede and Martin Braithwaite at Bolton because of injury, said: “There have been improvements all along, having that sustained period on the training ground during the international break ahead of a really hectic period of games has been nice.

“We reflected on the Preston game, we have used the break to focus on the improvements we need to make. We have many games coming up now in a short period of time, to really focus on, so we are looking at this game now, not what has gone on before.

“Every other team will be thinking the same as us, we have to show what we are capable of and respect who we are up against.

“We want to go and win them all, we will try to do that, but this break has helped us to recap on everything. The players have worked extremely hard.”