Clearing the air could help galvanize everybody

So, he is staying on. That’s the huge (and welcome) news from Boro this evening.

Aitor Karanka and indeed officials at the club are said to have been warmed by the show of support for Karanka over the weekend.

Well done Steve Gibson, once more proving that his best intentions for the club are behind the making of every decision. It’s been a period of uncertainty and despair for Boro fans over the past few days, with Aitor Karanka’s full scale eruption being overshadowed only by the complete capitulation from his team on Sunday against a very poor Charlton outfit. Some angry fans felt this was vindication for AK as it appeared the players ‘bottled’ it and didn’t show enough of the desire that the manager alluded to. I’m sure Karanka wouldn’t have wanted them to lose and I still believe that all parties want the same thing, to be promoted. It’s definitely what the fans want and they are-along with Steve Gibson-the unfortunate and unfair losers in all of this.

However, that said if we take a step back and look at the figures, we are in second place with a game in hand on Burnley with games against our two rivals to come. It’s still on and with this untimely episode of horrors seemingly having some sort of conclusion, then it may just be a catalyst, sometimes things happen and it can galvanize the whole club, the fans and the area. Some frank, transparent exchanges of opinion could be healthy.

There was a strong suggestion that most fans didn’t want Karanka to leave and why would they? He has a great record and has done a great job. It was always difficult to believe that he would walk away after being so single minded and determined in his pursuit of his goal to once again deliver premier league football to Middlesbrough.

Boro can still go up. A positive outcome from talks and one of those famous cauldron-like evenings at the Riverside to welcome Hull (who themselves are enduring difficulties) could set us up for a barn-storming finish to the season.

• Is Britt Assombalonga’s time at Middlesbrough coming to an end?
• Lewis Wing’s future at Middlesbrough uncertain

It remains to be seen whether there will still be resulting potholes on our rocky road until the season end but we now have what most fans considered to be the best outcome from all of this. Onto the Hull encounter with fire in our belly and a point or three to prove!!