Four key talking points from Middlesbrough's draw - plus Aitor Karanka's reaction

But what were the key issues to emerge from the game at the Riverside?

• REPORT: Middlesbrough 1 Stoke City 1

FOUR KEY TALKING POINTS

RAMPANT RAMIREZ

Ramirez was one of five summer signings to appear in Aitor Karanka’s starting line-up, and while the Uruguayan was the only one not to be making his debut following last season’s loan spell, he could hardly have asked for a better start to life as a permanent Boro player.

Four years ago, Ramirez was regarded as a £12m player when he joined Southampton from Bologna, and he looked worth that money and more as he repeatedly tore Stoke apart in the opening hour.

He set up Alvaro Negredo’s opener with an excellent looping header, and struck the woodwork on two separate occasions before the break, first with a sharp low shot and then direct from a corner.

Not only that, but he also produced a superb defensive header to prevent Mame Diouf from converting Bojan’s first-half cross and headed off his own goalline after Victor Valdes punched the ball against Negredo’s head in his own box.

WHY DID BORO RUN OUT OF STEAM?

Having dominated the game for the opening hour, Boro faded in the final 30 minutes as Stoke rallied and claimed an equaliser.

Was that an inevitable consequence of stepping up a level to the Premier League, or might Aitor Karanka have done more to refresh a side that looked to be tiring markedly in the closing stages?

It’s hard to be too critical, and Karanka’s room for manoeuvre was badly affected by the first-half injury that saw Adam Forshaw come on for Marten de Roon. With Forshaw already on the pitch, Karanka didn’t really have any defensive options left on the bench.

But he could have brought on David Nugent at an earlier stage or introduced winger Viktor Fischer in an attempt to stretch the play. Having been relatively inflexible in the Championship, perhaps Karanka will have to be more adaptable in the top-flight.

THE BIG TIMES ARE BACK AT THE RIVERSIDE

It wasn’t just on the pitch that things went Boro’s way – off the pitch, the club were able to celebrate a hugely successful return to the Premier League too.

There wasn’t a spare seat in sight in the home end as the attendance passed the 32,000 mark, with the atmosphere building long before kick off as Teesside celebrated the return of Premier League football after a seven-year absence.

The ‘Red Faction’ ensured a lively afternoon – the ‘Icelandic hand-clapping chant’ they were perfecting years before Euro 2016 received an outing shortly before the interval – and two new banners were passed around the ground before kick-off.

It was fitting, though, that the first song after kick-off was a tribute to Steve Gibson – sitting in his seat at the front of the directors’ box, the Boro chairman must have been the proudest man on Teesside.  

WILL ADAM FORSHAW AND JULIEN DE SART BE ABLE TO COVER IN CENTRAL MIDFIELD?

Karanka claimed it was too early to put a timescale on Marten de Roon’s anticipated absence, but if the Dutchman has damaged his hamstring, he is likely to be sidelined for a month or so.

Grant Leadbitter is also expected to be absent for another four weeks, so Boro face a reasonably lengthy spell with Adam Clayton, Adam Forshaw and Julien de Sart as their only available central midfielders.

Forshaw did well against Stoke, passing the ball neatly and chasing and harrying when Stoke were in possession. Given he was a relatively peripheral figure last season though, will Karanka want to expose him to a prolonged spell in the top-flight.

De Sart did fairly well in pre-season, but last week, the background noises were suggesting the Dutchman could be sent away on loan. That is now unlikely, but is he ready to step up to the Premier League?

MANAGER REACTION

Middlesbrough boss Aitor Karanka said:

“This is the first step. We played well for the first 45 (minutes), but the second half was only moments. The game was broken and we don’t like to play that way.

“This club and the supporters deserve to be in this league – we showed that today. I can’t be disappointed, especially with the performance and attitude of the team.

“Maybe we should have won, but we can’t forget that three months ago, we were playing in the Championship and Stoke were ninth in the Premier League for the third year in a row.”

Stoke boss Mark Hughes said:

“I thought we acquitted ourselves well and tried to create things. We finished strongly, so that’s encouraging.

“On another day, with a little more care, we could have scored more goals.

“Overall, we restricted them as a home side. We calmed the crowd and didn’t allow Middlesbrough to build any momentum.”

TEAMS:

Middlesbrough (4-2-3-1): Valdes; Nsue, Barragan, Gibson, Friend; Clayton, de Roon (Forshaw 22); Adomah, Ramirez (Nugent 87), Downing; Negredo.

Subs (not used): Konstantopoulos (gk), Baptiste, Fischer, Stuani, Rhodes.

Stoke (4-2-3-1): Given; Bardsley, Shawcross, Wollscheid, Pieters; Whelan, Imbula; Shaqiri, Bojan (Allen 78), Arnautovic; Diouf (Walters 68).

Subs (not used): Haugaard (gk), Muniesa, Adam, Cameron, Crouch.