Rob Edwards not getting carried away by Middlesbrough’s perfect start to season

New Middlesbrough manager Rob Edwards was keeping his feet firmly on the ground after seeing his side win 2-1 at Norwich to maintain their perfect start to the new season.

Goals just before the break from Finn Azaz and Tommy Conway set up a third straight Championship win for Edwards’ side and pushed them up to second in the embryonic league table, with only Stoke above them on goal difference.

Edwards said: “Obviously we are all delighted with the start we have made, and let’s enjoy it, but nobody here is getting carried because that’s all it is, a good start.

“Since I’ve come in I have been impressed with the spirit of the players and how they are buying in to what we are trying to achieve here but there is obviously a long way to go.

“Norwich are a good team and this is a difficult place to come to and when they started to get on top we had to make a few adjustments to our game.

“In the end it was our pressing that got us the goals. High press regains can be as good as having a top quality number 10 and after winning the ball back I thought we scored two really good goals.

“After the sending off we should really have seen it out comfortably but we made some poor decisions and credit to them they kept going and got one back.

“It was a bit nervy at the end but we got the win.”

Norwich enjoyed the better of the first half but found themselves behind on 43 minutes when the visitors worked the ball across the pitch to Azaz, who cut inside before producing an emphatic finish.

Then, in their next attack, Mirko Topic was caught in possession and Aidan Morris crossed from the byline for Tommy Conway to apply the finishing touch from close range.

Norwich had Jacob Wright dismissed just before the hour mark for a lunge on Morris.

But they stuck to their task and pulled one back on 85 minutes when Josh Sargent latched onto Kenny McLean’s through ball to lob Sol Brynn for his fourth goal of the season.

It was a second straight home defeat for new coach Liam Manning after an encouraging 2-1 win at Portsmouth last week.

“Forget about systems and strategy, when you give the ball away cheaply like we did today these sort of things can happen,” he said.

“After an even first 15 minutes I thought we controlled the first half and created some good chances.

“But then we shot ourselves in the foot twice and all of a sudden it’s 2-0. You can’t afford to do that at this level.

“To be fair we fought to the end, even when we went down to 10. That sort of thing should be non-negotiable but you don’t always see it when teams are up against it.

“At lot of things are moving in the right direction here but unfortunately not the results (at Carrow Road).”