CHRIS Wilder has been implementing an overhaul at Middlesbrough since his appointment and his early impact is there for all to see. However, the boss is adamant there is still so much left to do after just over a month in charge as he speaks about ‘burning the midnight oil’ at Rockliffe.

The Boro boss has been casting a close eye on everything at the football club since the beginning of November. Including everything from fortunes on the pitch, the medical department to plans the January transfer window. It’s fair to say that if Boro can pull off the signings they are hoping to make, then they could look a completely different prospect by the end of next month.

Elsewhere, improvements in performances and results on the pitch are there for all to see as Boro saw off promotion contenders Bournemouth at the weekend with Andraz Sporar scoring a decisive penalty in a 1-0 win.

Some of Boro’s key players, including Paddy McNair and Duncan Watmore, have waxed lyrical about the training sessions under the new boss. McNair believes it can become a side capable of pushing for the Premier League and by Watmore’s admission, the style of play and the work ethic suits him down to the ground.

Wilder has built himself a reputation on managing a hard working side that is very fitness heavy and difficult for teams to cope with. While the finished article isn’t quite there, the structure in place at Boro has given signs of encouragement to the fans that the season is far from over.

“I just want to keep it moving forward” said Wilder.

“A lot of things off the pitch that need to be dealt with, things on the training ground that need to be dealt with as well so it’s a 24/7 operation.

“We’re trying to affect all of the football club and put our stamp on it and our view and opinion on what we need to do to make it better.

“It’s far too early after a month to say we are exactly where we are but we’d like to think we are moving it forward in terms of performances and in terms of results.

“In terms of a little bit of the culture around the place as well.

“I’ve said it before and I will continue to say it, I think there is a decent statement to go on how we really want it to look like.

“It’s moving in the right direction. Some days, you take a couple of steps forward and then you have to take a couple of steps back. Things happen in football clubs that you’re not really too happy about.

“You try to affect them and then it’s something you maybe don’t have to affect going forward.”

Wilder and his staff appear to be working around the clock to change the fortunes of the football club and turn them into a Championship force for the second half of the season.

At the moment, there is still a certain amount of intrigue surrounding whether Boro can mount a late push for the play-offs but sweeping change is still required in the eyes of the manager.

While he makes no promises about being near the top six come the end of the season, there is a determination to change the look about the team, the culture at the training ground and the feeling around the club. Wilder sees that as a job that requires a lot of extra hours.

“We’re in early and we leave late” he added.

“That’s a situation that has arose because of the amount of work we think we need to do.

“In an ideal world when they’ve (managers) got it all sorted, they don’t need to come in a seven o’clock and not leave until nine o’clock. I never used to get that. You’re sat around having a coffee and waiting for people to come in.

“At this particular moment, there is so much to go through and you are working your way through.

“It might not be seven, it might be half seven, it might be eight. It might come to a stage where I come in at half eight or nine o’clock.

“That’s how it is and I’m loving life at Middlesbrough working at a really good club and trying to get through a lot of work and doing it in the shortest possible time.”