OCTOBER is often perceived to be the month when the league table begins to take shape, but after entering the tenth month of the year Jonathan Woodgate is staying positive in his belief that Middlesbrough have the players to finish strongly this season.

Having had a chat with Preston manager Alex Neil in midweek, when he was told by the Scot that the Lilywhites only had five points from the opening ten matches a year ago, Woodgate knows how quickly things can change.

This was the weekend Preston, who Boro created more chances than but were unable to collect three points from on Tuesday, turned things around to embark on a mid-season run that put them in touch with the play-off places before fading away.

How Middlesbrough, with just two wins from ten league games, could do with a similar run to get things moving under Woodgate, who is desperate to deliver good times back to his hometown club he supported as a boy.

Middlesbrough head to Birmingham City tonight in need of building on an improved display against Preston which still only heralded a point. After the trip to St Andrew’s, there is a run of fixtures that look more difficult than they have faced already.

Woodgate’s team face West Brom, Huddersfield (who have struggled since coming down from the Premier League), Fulham and Derby before coming up against an improving QPR and Hull.

“It's not the type of thing I study to be honest,” said Woodgate, speaking at his pre-match press conference when Middlesbrough’s 20th placing was the biggest talking point of the morning.

“I'm not worried about it because I know we'll get the victories because I've got the players to do that, I've got a good group in there and I believe in what we're doing.

“I don't look down the table. I prefer to look up the table and see how close we are to different positions. If you put a run of results together in this league you ramp straight up. I think we are only three off 13th, it’s only early days.”

Woodgate couldn’t “envisage” his players taking much notice of the standings at this point either, although that will all change if the results don’t follow soon.

The 39-year-old has taken over in difficult circumstances, given the financial realignment that has had to take place at the Riverside.

After years of investing in the squad, his additions amounted to around the £3m mark with Marc Bola, Marcus Browne (who had been on loan at Oxford from West Ham) and Anfernee Dijksteel all stepping up having spent most of their careers at a lower level.

Woodgate said: “In this league you have to work and in this league if you don't turn up on a Saturday you will get beat, you've got to turn up every Saturday and give everything. If you give everything you've got a chance of winning, especially in this league.”

Dijksteel and Browne are both likely to keep their place against Birmingham having contributed to the draw in midweek. The former, in particular, has looked better after a shaky debut in the Carabao Cup.

Woodgate said: “He is growing as a player. He needs to be a louder than he is. We can give a few pointers as to what he needs to do at times. He needs to be more aggressive at times too. The most important thing is his manager rates him. I rate him. I think he is a good player and he will get better. That’s why he is playing.

“Anfernee has done well. He has not had a settled defence all season either considering the different players who have come in. We haven’t had a settled back four unit because when he gets that, and the leaders alongside him like Daniel Ayala, Ryan Shotton and Dael Fry, talking to him than even better.

“If you look at players dropping down from the Premier League, into the Championship, then they can struggle a bit. Stoke, Huddersfield … players who are more suited to the Premier League because they are different types of players. I wouldn’t say Anfernee has struggled, far from it.

“But I would say you need to give players a bit of time to adjust to the standards you set in training, the speed of the game. I would say in the Premier League everyone is stronger, fitter, everyone can pass the ball with a better weight. Everything. It jumps and jumps with every division. There is a bit of a difference from League One to the Championship.

“I thought Browne did really well the other night too. He has shown a willingness to train and knuckle down, no moaning, sulking. He has shown a good attitude.”

While Middlesbrough’s new-boys are taking time to adapt, Woodgate also accepts £15m man Britt Assombalonga will not always be the man who finds the net. He has been the club’s top scorer since arriving from Nottingham Forest two summers ago, and looks to have lost a bit of confidence in recent matches.

“I think a striker will go through a period where they don't score but then they knock one in and then the next game it's another two and they go on streaky runs. That's how it is and that's how it will be, I haven't lost one bit of confidence in Britt,” said Woodgate.

“It's not just Britt's goals we need, it's everyone's goals. How many goals can Dani get from centre-back? Can he get six? That's what you look at. Can your midfielders get you ten? Paddy McNair's got two already. People always need to chip in, it can't just be the striker.

“Just like you defend as a team, the keeper gets the trophy for the most clean sheets but it starts at the front and works back from there. It's not just Britt, everyone has got to score goals. Britt'll do that this season, he'll score goals again, he'll keep on scoring goals for us.”