IN his two-and-a-half weeks in charge of Middlesbrough, Chris Wilder has identified a number of things he would like to change.

There have been tweaks to the training programme, with Wilder keen to ensure his players are better able to maintain their fitness levels in the closing stages of matches. There will be personnel changes in January, both in terms of new players arriving and some of the existing squad heading elsewhere. Tactically, the new Boro boss has already made a number of major stylistic shifts from the policies that were being adopted under Neil Warnock.

In one key area, however, Wilder has not felt the need to step in and make radical alterations. Often, when a new manager is appointed, it is because the mood in the dressing room had become so poisonous or divided that the previous boss was unable to hold things together. The old adage of ‘losing the dressing room’ is often the precursor to a managerial change.

From the moment he walked through the door at Rockliffe Park, Wilder sensed that was not a problem at Boro. Results might have nosedived in the latter stages of the Warnock era, but Boro’s faltering form was not the result of dressing-room cliques or deep-rooted issues relating to the make-up of the squad.

In terms of unity and morale, Wilder is more than happy with the group of players he has inherited.

“There’s certain things you notice when you first walk in, but I have to say the mentality of the group is really good,” said the Boro boss. “There’s not really a lot of work needs to be done with that. Their attitude to everything has been great. That allows you to tick that box off a little bit.

“There’s no problems behind the scenes here. The players have been good as gold, they’re a good group to work with.

"I wouldn’t have that at all anyway, but in terms of the dressing room, I haven’t really got any concerns.

“Competitive? Yeah. Different characters? Yeah. Younger guys, experienced guys, extroverts, introverts, all okay. Idiots? Probably the majority of them, but that’s fine. I would quickly stamp things out if I felt they were there.

“I’m always on the lookout for disrupters in the changing room, people who just want to disrupt and wreck things.

"There’s no disrupters in the changing room here. And if I discover any, they’ll be quickly removed.

“The harmony and unity of the changing room is very important for me. That doesn’t mean I want mutes, and people just saying, ‘Yes boss’ or ‘Yes Chris’ or whatever. It’s opinions because they want to do well.

"As long as it’s coming from the heart and an honest place, I’ll always encourage them to speak up and have a voice. I believe I’ve got that here.”

Similarly, Wilder is confident he will be able to cultivate a constructive relationship with Kieran Scott, Boro’s head of football, and Neil Bausor, the club’s chief executive.

The pair will play a crucial role in planning for January’s transfer window and delivering the signings Wilder feels are required, and whereas Neil Warnock’s relationship with the duo had clearly frayed significantly by the time he moved on, his successor is confident of being able to make things work.

Again, that does not necessarily mean there will not be disagreements and challenging conversations, but having spoken to both at length prior to his appointment, Wilder is happy with the executive-level environment he will be operating within.

“It’s a healthy environment,” he said. “I’m going to ask questions to make the club better, 24-7. I’m going to voice my opinion, not in an arrogant way, but I am because I want us all to be better.

"Every aspect of this football club, I want to raise the bar with. That’s what I’ve always tried to do.

“There’ll be fallouts, and there’ll be disagreements, I understand that. Through myself, Neil Bausor, Kieran and the owner, we’re all after the same result.

"We’ll all have different ways of going about it, and different opinions. I’ll respect there’s, and I’m sure they’ll respect mine, because it’s an honest one, and it’s to make the club better.”