LEO PERCOVICH feels his caretaker spell in charge of Middlesbrough has helped put the club back on the right track – and is hoping for further progress when the Championship’s bottom club, Huddersfield Town, visit the Riverside tomorrow afternoon.

Percovich, who is leading a temporary coaching team that now comprises Craig Liddle, Mark Tinkler and Grant Leadbitter, will take charge of his fifth game as interim boss tomorrow, with his record so far showing two wins and two defeats.

His 50 per cent win ratio is far superior to Chris Wilder’s record this season prior to his dismissal, with Wednesday’s 4-1 thrashing of Wigan Athletic having seen Boro clamber out of the relegation zone and climb to 20th position in the table.

Another success tomorrow would see the Teessiders start pushing back towards the top half of the table, and whatever happens in the next few days, with Michael Carrick seemingly poised to take over on a permanent basis, Percovich is proud to have played a pivotal role in steadying the ship.

“If you look back and think, when we started to do this caretaker (job), after 11 games, we had only got two wins,” said the Uruguayan, who has spoken of his desire to move into management permanently during his caretaker reign. “Now, in four games, we have already got two more wins.

“So, it is something that is getting good. It is getting better, and we have had the time to keep working, to allow the club to settle and find the right thing to be doing.”

Wednesday’s victory provided a major morale boost, with Boro coming from behind at the DW Stadium to claim their first away win of the season.

With Isaiah Jones, Duncan Watmore, Hayden Hackney and Chuba Akpom all finding the net, Boro produced their best attacking display of the campaign as they scored four goals in a game for only the third time in almost two years.

The Northern Echo: Chuba Akpom scores from the penalty spot against WiganChuba Akpom scores from the penalty spot against Wigan (Image: Tom Banks)

Percovich’s decision to switch to a flat back four clearly helped, with the South American also feeling that his players have been able to start playing more freely as their position at the wrong end of the table has improved.

“The players are more unleashed, and feel more free,” he said. “That is because the pressure is moving off their shoulders, and they produced much better. But we need to consolidate this. This is an important day to show that we have settled things down, and now we are starting to move back up again.

“We need consolidate what we have done on Wednesday. It is an important game, and there is trust in the whole squad. It is the third game in a week, and it was emotionally demanding in both of the last two games to try to come back after going behind, to try to be strong.

“It was physically demanding, and also takes a lot of mental strength to come back and get the result. We need to recover, and we will probably have to mix the squad to be the best and strongest for this game.”

Percovich will have to make at least one change for tomorrow’s game, with Matt Crooks suspended after picking up his fifth booking of the season at Wigan.

Paddy McNair is available though, having served his own one-match suspension at the DW Stadium, and Percovich was assessing his squad’s wellbeing this morning before settling on his starting line-up to face a Huddersfield side that are still looking for their first away win of the season.

“The win always brings you positives, and brings the high spirits back again, as well as the belief in what you are doing,” said Percovich. “But we need to check the players and see how they look.

“There was a lot of load, and it has been a demanding week, physically and mentally. We need to evaluate who is better to start. There is confidence in the whole squad, so we need to have a look.”

Middlesbrough (probable, 4-3-3): Steffen; McNair, Fry, Lenihan, Giles; Hackney, Howson, McGree; Jones, Akpom, Watmore.