Winning ugly the key

Middlesbrough midfielder Grant Leadbitter says their recent improvement is down to being able to “win ugly”.

Boro’s excellent run of late under new head coach Aitor Karanka has witnessed them collecting sixteen points from an available eighteen after five wins in six games.

That has in turn moved them from glancing nervously over their shoulders at the relegation places to now just five points outside the play-offs.

“We’ve become street-wise, that’s the biggest change recently,” Leadbitter told BBC Radio Tees. “I don’t want to win ugly every week, but successful teams manage to win without playing great.

“Six matches is nothing given how the last two seasons tailed off,” he added. “But hopefully our performances pick up as the last couple of weeks we’ve just dug out wins.”