Leo Percovich tells Middlesbrough to switch on from the start as caretaker-manager hits on weak point

The caretaker-manager does not feel he is in a position to overhaul the team with a new manager – looking increasingly likely to be Michael Carrick – set to take over sooner rather than later.

Instead he is concentrating on details he can fix, and has hit on a glaringly obvious one.

Forty-six per cent of the goals Boro have conceded this season have come in the first half-hour of matches.

"When you are fixing, we have to take the positives and focus on the improvements," said the Uruguayan, who has been in charge for three matches.

"We were better on the ball (in Saturday’s 2-1 defeat to Blackburn Rovers), created more and had more penetration, and now we need to fix the moments in which we switch off in games.

"Especially early, it is a pattern that has happened here from the beginning (of the season) and something that we really need to improve on."