Twelve months on, and Middlesbrough look much better placed as August ends

Scrambling around to assemble a squad in the final few weeks of last year’s summer transfer window, Karanka watched his players slump to three defeats from their first five league matches. When Boro headed into the September international break last season, they did so with six points to their name and in 16th position in the table.

Fast forward 12 months, and while things might not have been perfect in the opening month of the current campaign, Boro’s start has been markedly more successful. Saturday’s 3-1 victory at Sheffield Wednesday, which represented only a second league win at Hillsborough in the space of 21 years, means the Teessiders have claimed eight points from five games and sit in sixth position as international football takes over.

Will that two-point improvement count for much in the final reckoning? Given that it represents half the tally that separated Boro from the top two at the end of last season, it might.

Points wise, Karanka’s side are in a better place than they were 12 months ago, and perhaps more importantly, this time around the crucial bedding-in process is already largely complete.

There might be another arrival before the transfer window closes tomorrow, with further loan additions still possible later in the campaign, but unlike last season, when Ryan Fredericks, Yanic Wildschut, Jelle Vossen and Patrick Bamford were all signed in the final three days of the window, the current squad was assembled without the need for a last-minute panic.

Diego Fabbrini and Cristhian Stuani, who both scored in Saturday’s win, have long since settled. Stewart Downing, who dominated the first half at Hillsborough, was signed halfway through the summer. Even David Nugent, the most recent big-money arrival, already boasts three appearances.

As a result, and barring a home blip against Bristol City, Boro have been able to hit the ground running, and on the evidence of Saturday’s hugely accomplished display, they have already begun to find their groove.

“We have two more points than last season, and that is good, but the more important thing is that we have a better squad now,” said Karanka. “This season, our squad is much better than it was at the same time last year.

“When I was standing on the sidelines at Sheffield Wednesday, I was able to take three players off and bring on (Adam) Forshaw, Nugent and Stuani – that says a lot. People like that can make the difference and that’s why I have been saying we have a much better squad now.”

The challenge, of course, is to utilise it effectively, and while Karanka will no doubt continue to make regular changes in the weeks and months to come, the make-up of his strongest line-up is beginning to become apparent.

Kike played for the opening 58 minutes at Hillsborough, but it was telling that he was never able to provide the kind of link-up play that Nugent found himself at the heart of in the final half-an-hour.

Nugent, who is adept at playing with his back to goal, set up Boro’s final two goals with an intelligent lay-off and a deft flicked header, and it will surely not be long before he becomes a much more regular fixture in the starting line-up.

Downing’s move to the right-hand side might not have been what he anticipated when he agreed to return to Teesside from West Ham, but his ability to cut inside onto his left foot and astute threaded through balls were a key factor in Boro’s first-half dominance.

On the other flank, Adam Reach remains a player of huge promise, and having started brightly last season, only to fade away in the second half of the campaign, the 22-year-old is beginning to show some welcome signs of consistency.

He should probably have opened the scoring on the half-hour mark, only to drill a low shot too close to goalkeeper Lewis Price, but made amends two minutes before the interval as he drilled home a powerful low finish after the Wednesday defence failed to deal with Grant Leadbitter’s corner.

“I know what Adam can do,” said Karanka. “His numbers last season, in terms of what he produced, were good. Maybe he could have scored more goals, but he is a player who is still just 22, and last season he played with us in more than 30 games. That means he is a good player, and now he is getting more mature.”

The major surprise before the interval had been the absence of Wednesday striker Atdhe Nuhui, who had scored in both of last season’s games against Boro.

He was thrown on at the interval, and his physical presence helped sparked an Owls revival that culminated in a fortuitous equaliser when Marcos Matias’ shot deflected off Ben Gibson to leave Dimi Konstantopoulos helpless.

Within three minutes, however, Boro reclaimed their lead, with the effervescent Fabbrini claiming the goal his inventive attacking display deserved.

Fabbrini has been the biggest revelation of the opening month of the season, with his technical excellence and poise in possession enabling him to more than compensate for the departure of Lee Tomlin, who was so important last term.

Played in by Nugent in the 67th minute, he strode into the area before sliding a polished finish across Price and in at the far post.

“When he has the ball, things happen,” said Karanka. “He showed everybody he has really good pace to score the second goal, and that can be key. With him on the pitch, it is easier for us to keep the ball.”

Stuani, who could hardly have done more in the last two games, added the third goal, latching on to Nugent’s flick on to fire home, and there was still time for another substitute, Forshaw, to hit the post with a stoppage-time header.