I’ll keep at it until things change, says loyal Leo

MIDDLESBROUGH’S goalless draw with Huddersfield Town is expected to have been Leo Percovich’s final game in charge, but the caretaker manager is ready to continue his role for as long as Boro need him.

The draw with the Terriers at the Riverside was the fifth of Percovich’s spell in charge of first-team affairs after Chris Wilder was sacked almost three weeks ago.

Boro’s search for a new manager appears to have been concluded with just final details to be sorted on a deal that will see Michael Carrick appointed new manager.

That is expected to be announced early next week, though with Percovich’s focus solely on preparing the players for yesterday’s game in the short turnaround since Wednesday’s win over Wigan Athletic, he’s not yet sure whether he will remain in charge or not when players return to Rockliffe tomorrow morning.

The popular coach said: “It’s been two weeks and a half since I got this role and it just seems like the games have come so quickly one after the other and so our focus has had to remain on that.

“I’ll just keep working at it until I hear differently.

“The players will have a rest over the weekend to reset for the

Preston game next weekend and we will just see what goes on next.

“I’m in service for the club and we just keep going as we have been until things change.”

Percovich has tended to speak with chairman Steve Gibson after every game, and expects to do so again in the next couple of days.

Gibson was absent from the Riverside Stadium for the Huddersfield game yesterday, with no sign of the impending new manager either.

Carrick has instead been doing his research away from grounds in the last two weeks, analysing the club’s medical data and watching games through videos that the club have access to for their in-house analyst work.

On the week ahead, Percovich said: “We [Gibson] always talk. I’m just waiting for when we regroup again before we can discuss the next step.

“Already we have the rest of the weekend off and then the players come back on Monday and our focus right now is only on how we want to prepare for the Preston game.

“The players are back in on Monday and we have all that week to work.

“They’ll have one day off during the week because one is not enough after three games in a week.

“We need to organise with our sports science department for what is best for the players in terms of regenerating and re-energising to give their best.”