Darren Sarll has spoken about how two wins on the bounce has lifted the mood at the football club ahead of Saturday's trip to Carlisle.
With a number of players either back or on their way back from injury, Sarll also says that the competition for places is fierce.
“Everyone is happy. Everyone is in a good place. We are starting to get back to the point where people are struggling to get onto the bench which is lovely, I like that competition. It is the worst time of probably every manager’s week, that conversation they have got to have on a Thursday or Friday when a player is left out but I really do want that problem.
“I want to make sure that I can endorse that competition on a Monday to Friday in order to earn that spot on a Saturday.
“The expectation is going to be that we make obvious improvements again to take to Carlisle. It doesn’t always work like that and I know at some point there will be a plateau in the performance, but there are absolutely no signs of us letting up in terms of our training performances."
When asked about what he thinks has changed that has meant an improvement in performances, Sarll says that it is the mentality of the squad.
“I think it is the mentality. I think the mentality of the place has changed. Not better or worse but changed, different.
“I think the group has been galvanised by a common cause and a common mentality. I think realism has hit home that we are where we are and we have had to make necessary changes to address that.
“Ultimately, the players have to respond, the players have to buy-in and the players have to go and perform. They have done that so well and everyone knows they have done that so well.”
Carlisle United hasn’t been much of a happy hunting ground for Boro over the years but Sarll is looking forward to the challenge.
“Every win that we attempt to achieve is going to be hard fought and very hard earned. It starts on the Monday morning and it finishes at 5 o’clock on Saturday. We know that there is a massive process that goes behind winning and we know that there is a huge amount of time in preparing your mind and body to win.
“I think the players of this league are very honest and humble and they work very, very hard for their football clubs to try and achieve and earn their teams points.
“Keith Curle has done a terrific job and the people I speak to about Keith have always spoken so highly of his technical and tactic qualities. It is a great test for me to go up against someone like Keith Curle and have that battle of wits with him.
“I think it is a real good test now for the players to see where they have come. We laid down the challenge of playing against 10th placed Cambridge and I thought we were great, I thought we were really great that day. Now we have got to play someone in-and-around Cambridge again and it is going to be a completely different beast to the one we faced last Saturday.
“All these challenges are great to see where they players are mentally and where they are in terms of trying to find that consistency. I think that is really important that we keep constantly challenge the players into stepping up to the mark."
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