MIDDLESBROUGH head coach Aitor Karanka insists there is a world of difference between the team that lost to Reading in August and the one that will walk out at the Madjeski Stadium tomorrow.

Boro suffered one of only five league defeats so far this season to the Royals when Simon Cox hit a seventh-minute winner at the Riverside Stadium.

Then, there were two days left in the transfer window and Karanka hinted his squad wasn’t complete. Deadline day saw Patrick Bamford, Jelle Vossen and Yanic Wildschut arrive, but the Boro boss, who was nominated for the Sky Bet Football League’s December Manager of the Month, believes the extra personnel isn’t the main reason why his squad will offer a bigger threat to Reading than they did four months ago.

“We are a much different team,” said Karanka, who is hopeful Tomas Kalas’ loan deal is confirmed in time for the Chelsea youngster to play tomorrow. “After that game we had lost and I said we'd lost our consistency, maybe not our identity but we made a lot of mistakes.

“Now we are a completely different team. Some players came but the spirit of the game is the same that we had last season. We have recovered our consistency and now we're a different team.

“More than the names (of the new players) was the spirit and the feeling within the squad. Now we have three or four different players, but the main thing is the spirit.

“I know all of them were important players for me but my biggest concern that day was to recover our intensity and consistency, because the past season we were a consistent team without those players.

“Now we've recovered that and we have to score more goals.”

One defeat throughout December has earned the Spaniard a second manager of the month nomination this term, but whether he wins or not, Karanka insists he would trade personal accolades for the Championship trophy at the end of the season.

An impressive start to management hasn’t gone unnoticed with the former Real Madrid assistant mentioned as a possible candidate for the vacant job at Newcastle United. His odds to take over at St James’ Park tumbled last weekend, but the Boro boss reiterated he is not interested in leaving Teesside.

“It's good for me (to be nominated for the award), but it's happening because I'm working with the best players, I'm working with the best people.

“I need to learn and improve a lot but when you're working in the best place with the best people it's easier.

“The award I want is to come here at the end of the season with the Championship award. If I haven't been manager of the month for any month, for me, it would be perfect.

“It's difficult (to be flattered by Premier League interest) when you're already working at the best place. It's easy for me to answer.”

Tomorrow, Karanka comes up against another of Jose Mourinho’s former assistants in Steve Clarke, who recently took over after Nigel Adkins was sacked.

The Spaniard has enlisted the Chelsea boss’ help to find out more ahead of tomorrow’s game, but admits it will be a difficult game regardless of the 14-point gap between the sides.

“Reading beat us here so it will be a difficult game but we have had all week to work and I'm confident about the game,” said Karanka, who insists he is not in the market for a goalkeeper despite Jamal Blackman’s return to Stamford Bridge.

“I don't know the manager but he worked with Jose (Mourinho) and Jose told me he's a good person, and the team are improving under him.

“They are more organised but I think we can take advantage as (Glenn) Murray isn't with them now and he's a good player.

“We need to keep the pressure on teams at the top but I'm not thinking about them, I'm thinking about us.”

Karanka is without four right-backs for the trip south, while Adam Clayton is suspended following his red card at Barnsley.

Damia Abella, Ryan Fredericks, Rhys Williams and Emilio Nsue are all unavailable and their absence will more than likely see Milos Veljkovic and Dean Whitehead feature in Karanka’s starting line-up.

Kalas could make his debut provided the paperwork for his loan deal is completed in time, but if not Whitehead is ready to step in. The midfielder started at right-back against Blackburn Rovers and Karanka has no qualms over playing him there again.

He said: “Deano is the kind of player who you can always expect his best. If you put Deano as a goalkeeper you are going to expect 100 per cent from him.

“He's the kind of player who gives everything on the pitch but not just on the game, he not just a midfielder or a right-back on the training session or training room.

“He is the kind of player who is very important in the squad because he's someone who isn't playing often, but he is always ready to play whenever the manager tells him.

“Milos is improving and I have to think. I don't know at the moment if he is going to play but he's playing well and we have to think about his future as well.”