Aitor Karanka has expressed his frustration with his players after they conceded goals against Nottingham Forest that he claims they had prepared for.

Boro missed out on the chance to retake top spot in the Championship as they threw away a lead at the City Ground in a 2-1 defeat.

Speaking to reporters afterwards, Karanka said: "We knew this was the way the game would be played, but they scored the goals exactly how they normally do and exactly how we had prepared the players for.

"We have one week now to think about this game and what has happened. We have to learn from it.

"We did not play well, we did not do the things that we said we had to do and we lost. This season will go right to the end, it will be close. But we have to be intelligent and we have to learn from this."

Boro are one of four sides on 66 points at the top of the Championship, with fifth-placed Norwich City, the only top-six side to win today, a further point back.