FOR all the talk about rebuilding the forward line, replacing Chuba Akpom and "evolving" in attack, Middlesbrough received a stark reminder that the need for a major improvement isn't limited to the front end of the pitch.

After losing the 40 goals of Akpom and Cameron Archer and only managing to score one in their first three goals of the season, a lot of the focus on Teesside has been understandably aimed in the direction of Boro's new-look attack, very much a work in progress.

But it was their defensive frailties that came under the microscope after Saturday's 4-2 defeat at West Brom, a loss that was very much self-inflicted. Two of West Brom's goals were entirely avoidable, with Boro's defensive horror show capped by Tommy Smith's return to the side lasting just 51 minutes before he was sent off. Smith had a torrid afternoon.

That's now nine goals Boro have conceded in their first four games, seven of them away from home, where Carrick's side clearly need to address their soft centre.

It should be pointed out here that Boro were by no means perfect defensively last season, when only two teams in the top 14 conceded more goals. But the difference then was Boro were hammering them in at the other end. Boro only kept two clean sheets in their last 16 outings last season but only failed to score in two games as well, scoring three five times, hitting four against Preston and putting five past Reading and Norwich.

As things stand, they can't rely on the current attack - still a work in progress - to dismantle the defence of other teams, so there's more emphasis on their own backline standing firm.

Carrick tried to strike a balance in his analysis of the Hawthorns defeat, and that's clearly what his side need to do on the pitch.

Despite a third defeat in four games and a defensive disasterclass, you can understand why Carrick was actually encouraged by some of what he saw on Saturday. That's what made the soft goals all the more frustrating, this was a game Boro could - should - have taken something from. But an upturn is results is going to be all the more difficult if Boro keep shooting themselves in the foot like they did on Saturday.

"Listen, I don't like it. We can't accept it in terms of conceding that many goals, it's not all right," said Carrick.

"But again, there's a lot of good things going on there, to come here and [only allow] four shots on target, one from outside the box, one was a foul that led to a goal. There's a lot of things to take from it, so it's not rip it up or a disaster by any stretch.

"I'm trying to balance it off because I'm fully aware what it looks like, but from our point of view, I know what the boys are doing within games and it is a hell of a lot better than the scoreline suggests. It's up to us to put that right, fix the issues, the silly goals and the little mistakes that lead to goals. We need to nip that in the bud, of course we do."

By the time Boro next take to the pitch in the Championship when QPR head for the Riverside next Saturday, the transfer window will have closed. The days ahead are crucial and while arrivals in the next week can't be expected to completely solve the problems of the opening stages of the season, the squad clearly still needs strengthening and it will help Carrick to have clarity. Boro will then hopefully benefit from two weeks on the training pitch during the international break. There's plenty of work to do.

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Carrick thought the goal that set West Brom on the road to victory on Saturday shouldn't have stood, with Cedric Kipre giving Jonny Howson a shove before lashing home, but Boro only had themselves to blame for the home side's second goal seven minutes later, John Swift driving to the box unopposed and untouched, allowed to pick his spot.

Boro responded well and were very much in the game at half-time after Emmanuel Latte Lath's first goal for the club. The striker built on his fine Huddersfield debut and his display was a plus point at the Hawthorns. But the hope that came with Latte Lath's goal disappeared in a horror spell at the start of the second half.

Lukas Engel gifted West Brom their third goal when he played a pass-back straight into the path of the grateful Brandon Thomas-Asante, who beat Seny Dieng and rolled into an empty net, before Smith picked up his second yellow card for a foul on Matt Phillips.

Making his first start of the season after injury, Smith never settled and was given the runaround by Phillips and Swift.

Boro deserve credit for the way they responded to losing a man and Carrick's substitutes, particularly Isaiah Jones made a difference. Jones hit the post before fellow sub Marcus Forss gave Boro a lifeline from the spot. But as the visitors committed bodies in search of an unlikely equaliser, West Brom wrapped up their victory in stoppage time through substitute Jeremy Sarmiento.