FRANK LAMPARD’S visit with Derby County to the Riverside provided a flashback to more enjoyable times for Middlesbrough, his first steps in management reminiscent of the excitement that surrounded Bryan Robson becoming Boro boss in the mid-1990s.

The Teessiders revelled in the spotlight that appointing a former England midfielder attracts, the new man harnessing the energy created and immediately launching a promotion charge.

A quarter of a century later and Derby are doing likewise.

While sat in the perishing Riverside Stadium on Saturday, perhaps casting their minds back to Robson’s early days and drawing comparisons with Derby, Boro supporters of 2018 may have felt a touch envious of the visiting team’s fans.

While Lampard’s Rams zipped around creating a glut of first-half chances, a very ordinary Middlesbrough side, though third in the table, continues to plod along without a hint of excitement.

They did not have a shot on target and after a drab 0-0 with struggling Rotherham United last Tuesday – a third successive home game without scoring – came another uninspiring display by a team lacking in pace and a goalscorer. Such issues will surely be addressed in January.

Of course, in a meeting of the pragmatist and the apprentice, there was only going to be one winner in the eyes of the purists.

Tony Pulis versus Lampard, an old school gaffer taking on a rookie manager, meant two styles pitted against one another: Boro’s defence-first policy against an attack-minded Derby.

Ultimately, despite their differences, the contest ended 1-1, each team scoring an own goal.

Middlesbrough trailed for most of the game to George Friend’s own goal, scored during a first half in which the Rams ripped Boro apart, pinning Pulis’ men in their own half.

Pulis would point out, of course, points matter more than passing percentages, which is just as well as Derby held 75 per cent of the possession by the half hour mark.

Lampard admitted: “I think that half hour was the best football we’ve played in terms of how we played on the ball against a very good team.

“Middlesbrough defensively are the best team in the league, they don’t really concede and they probably could have conceded two or three on another day.”

Derby’s dynamic team features creative talents such as Harry Wilson, on loan from Liverpool, and the left-sided Tom Lawrence, very easy on the eye, all short passes and attacking at pace.

They took the lead their play merited on 19 minutes. A cross by left-back Scott Malone, who had dispossessed Stewart Downing, saw the ball delivered to the far post where Friend, under pressure from Martyn Waghorn, bundled the ball over the line.

It was only the second time Boro have conceded in the first half of a league game this season, and from the restart the rampant Rams went looking for another, this time Wilson hitting the post.

Sky Sports viewers will have enjoyed the spectacle, whereas frustrated Middlesbrough supporters booed their team.

Pulis admitted: “In the first half we started really, really poor, really on the back foot.

“We did some work this week about getting up to the ball and we started really on the back foot. We got really sloppy.

“Aden Flint plays a ball out to Paddy McNair, he flicks one out. We get Mo Besic doing a Cruyff turn on the edge of the box and then Adam Clayton has three or four touches, it just gave them the momentum.

“Randolph has kept us in the game and at 1-0 you’ve always got an opportunity and a chance.”

Pulis, accepting he had got his initial tactics wrong, switched from 3-5-2 to four at the back and this stemmed the tide, and Boro deserve praise, particularly Randolph who pushed away a Wilson volley, for showing resolve to keep it to 1-0 at the break.

Soon after the restart Pulis took decisive action, making three substitutions, sending on Rudy Gestede, George Saville, and Martin Braithwaite, who again showed glimpses of his talent and ability to open up a defence. If Pulis could get the best out of the Dane then Boro would have a major asset.

However, Assombalonga may be the team’s top scorer, but he looked deeply out of sorts. His most notable moment came in the first half when he dallied on a chance with Derby goalkeeper Scott Carson out of position.

But his replacement, Gestede, missed a free header after a corner during a second half in which Boro at least competed and scrapped.

Pulis said: “The big thing is, we cannot buy a goal at home. If you have a look at Britt’s chance in the first half and Rudy’s header. There are two chances there.

“One, Britt wants to get it on his right foot so he takes a step around the ball. If he hits it with his left foot, the keeper gets nowhere near it and Rudy’s header is two yards out, you’ve got to be taking those opportunities.

“Britt has been given his opportunity and has had chances to score goals. We have created those chances and he will be disappointed that he hasn’t scored more goals.”

Another Randolph save in the final stages from David Nugent proved crucial, because Boro avoided defeat thanks to an almighty cock-up by Jayden Bogle with six minutes to go.

After Flint headed the ball into the penalty area, the Derby defender lost track of the ball and managed to volley it into his own net.

Lampard said: “I spoke to him straight away on the pitch and he shouldn’t be down at all.

“It’s no reflection on him at all, it was a freak goal. All of the players were outstanding it was just unfortunate for Jayden Bogle.

“He’s quietly upset as you can imagine. It was just a combination of long balls into the box and it’s unfortunate for him.”

Had Derby taken another of their first-half chances then it would have been game over, but Pulis deserves some credit for finding a way to stop the onslaught and save a point from a game in which they looked very likely to lose when it was one-way traffic.

Give a managerial post to Pulis and, as his track record illustrates, he will likely provide a team that will achieve its objective, whether that be avoid relegation or push for promotion.

He added: “Life is about up and downs, football reflects life. You have good times and bad times. You need someone there who is pointing the ship in the right direction, who doesn’t get too high when you are winning and too low when you are losing.

“You’d think the mist had really covered the ship and we didn’t know where we were going. But the lads were good after the game. They understood where we were coming from and where we are. It was a good point and they never stopped in the second half.”