MIDDLESBROUGH head coach Aitor Karanka has called for some perspective after his side missed the chance to reclaim top spot in the Championship.

Boro’s automatic promotion hopes took a hit at Sheffield Wednesday on Saturday after goals from Atdhe Nuhiu and Will Keane inflicted a second defeat in three games on Karanka’s men.

The Teessiders could have gone top with a win after leaders Derby also lost at Fulham, but concerns are growing that the pressure of a promotion race is beginning to set in at the Riverside Stadium.

Karanka isn’t worried, though, and called on those who are concerned about Boro’s recent form to remember where the club was when he was appointed in November 2013.

“I can’t imagine why the crowd is concerned,” said the head coach, whose side take on Millwall at the Riverside tomorrow night. “The club was two points above the relegation zone when I arrived 15 months ago and now we are second in the table so I can’t understand why the crowd is concerned.

“I am very happy with the progress we have made so I don’t know why anyone would be concerned.”

Boro struggled from the start on a difficult pitch at Hillsborough and the Owls took control when Nuhiu converted a penalty after Kenneth Omeruo handled inside the box.

The breakthrough came in the 52nd minute leaving the Teessiders plenty of time to get back into the game, but two minutes later the game was all but over when Keane headed in.

With the standings incredibly tight at the top of the table every dropped point will be highlighted, but Karanka insists the pressure is not getting to his squad.

He said: “The defeat wasn’t about the pressure. This game was 11 against 11 and they have won all the 50-50 balls and won all the fights on the pitch. We have to learn. The players are intelligent and they know what happened.”

In recent matches the Spaniard has bemoaned his team’s lack of cutting edge in front of goal and they didn’t exert any pressure on Keiren Westwood in the Owls goal.

“After the penalty we had another 35 minutes to score and to have a chance,” Karanka said. “I think we didn’t test the goalkeeper enough and that’s frustrating for me, but we have to think about the future and I hope everybody has learned from the game.”

Karanka made the bold decision to leave out Grant Leadbitter along with George Friend and Lee Tomlin as part of five changes.

The coach admitted he made mistakes which led to the defeat in South Yorkshire, but he insisted the number of changes weren’t the problem.

He said: “I made mistakes and we have lost the game.

“The performance was bad for everybody and we’ve lost three points. I came here to win the game and to win three points but I have learned a lot of things from the last two or three games and I have to think about the future.

“I can’t say what mistakes I made. I have to learn from them and I have to improve in the following games.

“I don’t think it was the changes to the team because at Blackpool I used six different players from the previous game and we beat them.”

There was some controversy in the second half when Leadbitter was involved in an altercation with Jose Semedo with claims the Owls captain spat in the Boro skipper’s face.

Semedo was booked following a melee just outside Wednesday’s box straight after the incident, but both manager’s claimed not to have seen the incident.