A WEEK before football in the English league begins and Middlesbrough opened up their new campaign by progressing through to the second round of the Capital One Cup.

A narrow victory over Bury is not the perfect opener, but it will have given manager Tony Mowbray plenty of things to consider ahead of a 46-game Championship season.

Mowbray's new-look squad could take time to gel. With seven new faces added to a squad that has lost nine of last season's first team squad, the next few weeks will be about getting to know one another.

But if Mowbray can bring in the extra striker he is looking for as well as promising Chelsea midfielder Josh McEachran then he will feel confident he has a squad capable of competing in the top six.

At Gigg Lane, Bury, there were enough reasons to be optimistic already.

Mustapha Carayol, a recent purchase from Bristol Rovers, was particularly lively down the flanks in his 45 minute run-out before feeling his hamstring tighten.

And former Walsall forward Emmanuel Ledesma got off the mark with his first goal for the club, even if his willingness to attack defenders was often let down by poor decision making at the end of it. 

In the middle there was ex-Sunderland and Ipswich man Grant Leadbitter running the show alongside Kevin Thomson, which could be an indication of things to come if the latter maintains his fitness after a nightmare first two years on Teesside.

And Jonathan Woodgate, another free agent following his decision to leave Stoke City, was comfortable at the heart of the defence with new skipper Rhys Williams, as Justin Hoyte and George Friend provided the width on day one from full-back.

There will be plenty of changes along the way to the Boro team, Mowbray has already admitted as much. But at least this year he appears to have plenty options going in to the new season.

So if McEachran can complete a loan move from the European champions in the coming days followed by a new striker capable of leading the line then Mowbray will be satisfied.

Strength in numbers with enough quality to stay in the promotion mix will be key over the coming months and the bargain basement business already carried out offers reason for Middlesbrough fans to be hopeful.