Rather than feel frustrated at having growing momentum halted, Middlesbrough head coach Michael Carrick is focusing on the positives that come with a mid-season stoppage.

Boro's players were given a week off after Saturday's win at Norwich City, a chance to refresh physically and mentally before attention turns to the resumption of Championship action next month.

Boro went into the break on a four game unbeaten run that has them looking up rather than over their shoulder and while the next game can't come soon enough when you're winning, Carrick is relishing the opportunity to spend some quality time on the training pitches.

It's been a frantic three weeks since Carrick's appointment, with five Championship games in quick succession affording the head coach little time to work with his players at Rockliffe. But now he plans to make the most of what he describes as "a second pre-season" for Middlesbrough.

Carrick said: “You can look at it in whatever way. I’ll take the positives and look at it as an opportunity. The boys will have a week or so off and freshen up, mentally as much as anything. Then we come back and we’ve got the three weeks building up to Luton.

"In some ways it’s the best of both worlds. It’s a chance to freshen up, but it’s a chance to have almost like a second pre-season. I’m not just meaning the fitness levels there but more importantly the kind of direction we want to go in, the principles and working on a few different things in training as well. So it’s a nice balance and we’ll make the best of the time we’ve got."

Carrick added: "It's an important time. It's about finding a balance and an opportunity to give the players real time off where they can enjoy family time and space away from football and clear their heads. It's more mentally than physically.

"Then we'll come back and have some good training, have a couple of games and do some work and look to improve a few things.

"It's a good opportunity to do that without having to prepare for real games, if you like. We want to keep this momentum, keep this buzz and keep getting better. We can't be happy with where we are in terms of the table. We'll keep improving and keep striving to be better."

As things stand, Boro have one friendly confirmed for the break, a trip to Hibs a week on Saturday.

Luton, currently without a manager after Nathan Jones left for Southampton, will then head for the Riverside on Saturday, December 10, when Championship action resumes.

As well as giving Carrick chance to look ahead, the break also presents the head coach with an opportunity to reflect on his first few weeks in charge.

He said: "I've loved every minute of it.

"The staff have been unbelievable. It feels like I've been here a lot longer, in terms of everyone knowing how things work and feeling comfortable in the surroundings. It really does feel like I've been a lot longer. It's been calm and focused.

"A lot of work has been done but we haven't been chasing our tails, it's all been good stuff and that's thanks mainly to the staff."