Read Owen Rodbard on Three Things We Learned after Boro knocked out Championship side Watford in the Carabao Cup first round.

1 - It's been a positive start so far this season with two wins out of two, writes Owen Rodbard.

Boro always seen to start the season strong, but this isn't blind optimism this time. It really seems like we're building solid foundations going into our first League One campaign for nearly a decade.

New signings have gelled into the squad seamlessly and have clearly brought into 'Evans Ball' with aplomb. 

2 - Still a little light in areas-

It's obvious we still need to strengthen in areas. A new left back and striker are in order, and with Evans hinting at imminent signings, we could see these holes plugged before the weekend. Reece Hannam was on trial in pre-season, but I don't believe he will be signing as clearly Evans wasn't too impressed with his performances. 

3 -Solidity is the key-

Another impressive defensive showing lifted us into the second round on the cup.

It's even more astounding considering Watford made 1 change from their 4-0 romp of QPR on Saturday, and Boro were without defensive stalwart Carl Piergianni who apparently had picked up a knock. Nathan Thompson and Finley Burns are two class additions to a defence that already boasted a brilliant relationship. 

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