Hull City's Liam Rosenior cites Middlesbrough FC's Michael Carrick as he preaches patience

Rosenior admits keeping things in perspective is easier said than done, but having seen Michael Carrick hold his nerve in a difficult start to the season, he plans to do the same.

Led by exciting young managers, both are genuine Championship play-off contenders despite not currently being in the top six, and both having lost their last two games.

Middlesbrough can point to the quality of the opposition – Leeds United and Ipswich Town – whereas Hull coach Rosenior is keen to stress his side deserved more against Watford and Queens Park Rangers.

"I think it's part of the Championship when you're going through a 46-game season against 46 good teams, very similar (in quality)," he reasoned.

"Leicester, Ipswich and Leeds are doing really well but they're finding it so difficult because of the standard of the league so for us it's about staying calm.

"Our performance levels have been very consistent and I feel exactly the same as straight after when you can be a bit more emotional.

"We were the better team. What we didn't do was take advantage of our moments and what we did do is gift QPR their moments. (Chris) Willock's goal was great but there's three players around him that can keep him outside.

"We have to learn on the job a little bit this year.

"If we make a mistake it's only a mistake if we do it again so it's part of a journey. I'm really happy with a lot of the elements of the game.

"I don't think you hear it as much when you win but here we don't get carried away when we win and we don't get carried away when we lose. We focus on what we can improve.

"It's disappointing to lose the last two games but the Watford game the performance was outstanding and the lad scored an absolute wonder goal.

"It can happen in the Championship. If you're not switched on for 90 minutes you can concede at any moment. We conceded two poor goals on Saturday."

Rosenior's words will chime with Carrick, whose side waited until their eighth league game of the season for a first victory, then won six on the bounce.

"I think Michael's doing a fantastic job," said his opposite number. "I always enjoy watching his team play. Analysing them this week they play with very similar principles to what we do.

"At the start of the season it was a difficult time in terms of results. The performances watching a lot those games were very good.

"When you lose the likes of (Chuba) Akpom, (Cameron) Archer, Ryan Giles, (Jacob) Ramsey – any Championship side's going to find that difficult but what was key, and Michael spoke about this a lot, was their performances were really consistent.

"They lost a few games in a row but their performances were really good. If you stay with that mindset you can get more consistent results."

Although what Rosenior says is commonsense, sticking to it is easier said than done in a division where managers are regularly dispensed with after a handful of bad results.

"It's so hard," acknowledged Rosenior. "I want to win. Michael Carrick's a winner, he's won as a player and he had an amazing season last season.

"Losing hurts deeply but why you wake up every day is to improve and get better. That pain is always there but I have to be as objective as possible in looking where we can improve.

"If I felt we were miles away or another team was better than us on the day I'd hold my hands up.

"The only instance when I could have walked over and said, 'Do you know what? You were miles better than us' was Ipswich and you look where they are in the league.

"Other than that we've been consistent in our performances and we've been in every game, it's just fine margins in the Championship."

Middlesbrough have it worse at the moment in terms of injuries but Hull lost Jaden Philogene to a knee injury against QPR, a match fellow winger Jason Lokilo missed with a hamstring strain. Neither will feature at the Riverside on Wednesday.

Again, Rosenior meets it with a shrug.

"That's part of my job," he says. "We're without Jaden and Jason and we've missed Ozan (Tufan), who started the season like a house on fire, and Aaron Connolly but it's the same for any Championship manager.

"I've got Regan Slater coming back into the equation, Harry Vaughan's training really well, I've got Ozan and Aaron Connolly waiting to come back in after their injuries.

"My job is to not look at the negatives but to look at the positives.

"Every player brings different qualities to each position. You have a clear style of play but you can adapt your shape to make it work.

"It's my job and the staff's job to find the right recipe, if you will, for the game on Wednesday."