Karanka does not fear sack, focussed on Middlesbrough survival

Middlesbrough's defeat at relegation rivals Crystal Palace last weekend stretched their winless run in the league to nine games and they sit out of the bottom three only on goal difference with 12 games remaining.

(Reuters)

"I don't fear for my job. We have to trust each other, and the club trust me in my job. They know how I have been working since I arrived here. Every day I'm enjoying the challenge," Karanka told British media.

"The only thing I can control is my work. I can't control the chairman's decision. I am trying to do my best. Things out of my control, I don't care about. We all knew at the start of the season we'd be in this situation.

"I prefer to think positive. We have not been in the bottom three since the start of the season, so we do not mention relegation. We do not think about relegation. I prefer to think positive. We will be fighting until the end."

Middlesbrough travel to take on 10th-place Stoke City on Saturday.

(Reporting by Shravanth Vijayakumar in Bengaluru)