MICHAEL CARRICK is more than satisfied with Middlesbrough’s pre-season programme, claiming he was able to “tick off” the vast majority of the things he wanted to over the course of the last month.

Boro completed their friendly schedule on Saturday as they claimed a 2-2 draw with French side Auxerre at the Riverside.

Carrick took his players to Portugal for a warm-weather training camp at the start of the summer break, and has also overseen matches against Hartlepool, York, Rotherham, Real Betis and Bradford as part of his side’s preparations.

He has integrated a host of new signings into the first-team squad, and is happy with where his side are at ahead of the real action beginning with a home game against Millwall on Saturday afternoon.

“It’s been good,” said the Boro boss, who will be hoping to improve on last season’s fourth-placed finish over the course of the next nine months. “Pre-season is what it is really – it’s that bit before the start of the season where you look to put things in place and try to get the boys in a place where they’re ready for next week.

“That was part of the game (against Auxerre) as well, getting the minutes and getting the balance right. We wanted to get some boys on the pitch who hadn’t played here before, and we managed to do that.

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“There’s a lot of things over the summer we were able to tick off, and hopefully it leaves us in a good place for the start of the season. That’s when the real work starts, so we’ll look forward to that.”

Boro’s transfer work is not finished yet, with the addition of a left-back and a new centre-forward still key priorities in the final month of the window.

With Ryan Giles having joined Luton Town and Cameron Archer seemingly set to remain at Aston Villa for at least the first half of the new season, the Teessiders will have to move on from last season’s loanees.

Alternative targets are being discussed, but as things stand, it looks unlikely that a deal will be completed in time for a new signing to feature in the starting line-up at the weekend.

Carrick is having to work with what he has, and while he accepts there is plenty of room for improvement as the season progresses, he is confident his side is ready to get going on Saturday.

“We wanted to be better at certain things (against Auxerre), and we want to be better next week as we go through training during the week to then take that into the game at the weekend,” said the Boro boss.

“That’s what it’s always like. We’re always a work in progress, and we’re always trying to strive for more. But as it stands at the moment, with the pre-season we’ve had, then with the fitness of the boys and the new boys integrating into the squad, I’m happy with where we’re at.”