FOUR league games into a season when Middlesbrough are being tipped to be challenging for an automatic promotion spot they have won just once.

It was not supposed to be like this.

There is certainly no sign of panic while Aitor Karanka’s summer signings gel with the old guard, but a further failure to collect a win against a dangerous Sheffield Wednesday team this weekend will heighten concerns that history could repeat itself.

It was during this period 12 months ago when promotion hopes took a real battering, even if it might not have seemed so at the time. Collecting six points from the first 15 proved costly as they missed out on a top two spot by four points.

This time around a narrow defeat to Bristol City, who successfully held on to a lead secured by Joe Bryan in the eighth minute, inflicted a first defeat on new-look Middlesbrough.

If Boro cannot return from Hillsborough with three points then they will have collected less after five games than they did during the same run last season.

But could the defeat to Bristol City have been avoided? Karanka swears by tinkering, it has been extremely rare for him to stick with the same starting line-up throughout his 21 months in charge.

Whenever Boro have lost, his tendency to mix things up that provides a stick to beat the head coach with. That was the case when his adjustments to a performing frontline backfired.

Rather than hear supporters sing about promotion, the second half was about the chants calling for the introduction of the players left out. Kike, after three goals in two games, eventually came on with 14 minutes remaining and Albert Adomah was used just after the hour.

By that time Diego Fabbrini, the other surprise change, had been brought on as a half-time substitute but Boro could not find that elusive breakthrough. It is more than a year – August 19 – since they last came from behind to win a game.

Karanka, defending his selection, said: “Sometimes the crowd think if they sing a player’s name I will put him on. I always try to choose my best eleven. We have to try to choose the best team and to change the players in the right way between games.

“I always try to put the players on the pitch at the time, who I think are the best at the moment and that’s why I made the four changes I made before the start of the game.

“Some players were tired, some players deserved their chance. This result is disappointing for us. We hoped to have more points on the board at this stage.

“But Bristol City did not surprise us. We have played two League One teams - because we have also played Preston - and not beaten either. So we don’t underestimate them.”

Middlesbrough had plenty of possession against the Robins, but the early goal changed things when Bryan picked out the far corner after meeting a lovely lay-off from Aaron Wilbraham first time with the side of his foot.

After that Bristol City also had the best other chances of the half too. They would have had a second had Bobby Reid not blasted over from six yards after reaching a rebound following Dimi Konstantopoulos’ save from Wilbraham at his near post.

The Greek goalkeeper made an even better stop after half an hour when he somehow got a strong hand to a powerful drive from Jonathan Kodjia.

“I have to analyse the display,” said Karanka, whose side travel to Burton tomorrow in the Capital One Cup. “It’s difficult for me to understand how our last home performance was an amazing performance against Bolton but in this game we couldn’t play and didn’t play in the way we should have done.

“The team improved in the second half and we had plenty of chances but you have to take these chances and no matter what we did, it didn’t work. This defeat is important.

“Last season we had six points at the international break and had dropped points that came back to haunt us at the end of the season. This season we have five points and a difficult trip to Sheffield Wednesday coming up. It is important we analyse this defeat quickly and work out how we can improve.”

When Stewart Downing was moved out to the left to replace Yanic Wildschut, who got himself into good areas but wasted the final ball, Middlesbrough were more dangerous. There is no-one else in the squad with the £7m man’s quality from the flanks and he teed up great chances for Cristhian Stuani and Daniel Ayala.

But City goalkeeper Ben Hamer, who also made a brilliant low save to deny Grant Leadbitter, was in brilliant form and kept Middlesbrough at bay.

Karanka needs to find a way of winning consistently or hopes of a top two finish could become distant.