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Aitor Karanka has refused to apologise to Boro fans - and said his outburst was targeted at the club's new Premier League fans.

The Boro boss says he will “never regret” defending his players against what he believed was impatience on the terraces, and a stadium that was emptying.

Karanka stood firm by saying the “Red Army” of loyalists who have followed Boro for his three-year tenure were different from the “18,000” new fans who have arrived for the Premier League campaign.

The Boro boss had a dinner with owner Steve Gibson over the weekend to discuss the issue.

Karanka said: “Regret? No. I have been a coach for just three years but I will never regret something I said to defend the players.

(Image: Alex Livesey)

“The only thing I said is that I wanted respect for the players.

“The people who have been going to the stadium for the last three years know me. I can’t say any more good things about them.

“When I came here there were 12,000 people. I can’t say anything bad about the Red Army or the people who are travelling every day to support us - the people who went to Yeovil, for instance, in our first season.

(Image: Action Images via Reuters)

“It’s just the people who think they have always been supporting us, they have to know that three years ago they weren’t there.

“The fans last year were supporting us until the last minute. I ask them to stay patient.

“When we were fighting to get to the Premier League we played in one style. The people who are coming now are demanding them to play another style.

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“The last 10 minutes of the game were the best example - we conceded a goal and didn’t create one chance.

“We have scored so many goals in the last minute by playing in our same style.

“We got promotion and got to the play-off final playing this style. The people who weren’t going to the stadium have to know that we had a plan to get promotion. It has been successful for us.”