Karanka will not quit, despite fan protest

Cape Town - Aitor Karanka insists he will not quit as Middlesbrough boss, despite supporters calling for his head.

Karanka is the favourite to be the next Premier League manager to lose his job after Boro have endured a 10-game winless run, which has left them three points adrift of safety.

Travelling fans turned on Karanka in last weekend’s 2-0 defeat at Stoke, although chairman Steve Gibson is reportedly backing the ex-Real Madrid defender at present.

Ahead of Boro’s FA Cup quarter-final against Manchester City on Saturday, Karanka admits he has been stung by the criticism, but has vowed not to walk away from the job.

'As long as I feel one player here is supporting me, I will fight for him. I will be fighting because I have players who have been with me since I arrived, and I will do more than my best to stay with them until the last moment,' he said.

'I can’t be afraid of something [being sacked] that I can’t control. The decision is out of my hands. My only concern is to prepare the team to compete on Saturday.

'When someone told me what they were singing, as a person you can feel something hard. As a coach you understand, but you have to separate the person and the coach.'

Kick off is at 14:30.