Middlesbrough make winning start to Championship season leaving Rob Edwards “delighted”

National World - LocalTV

Daniel Wales reports as Middlesbrough win 1-0 against Swansea City to claim three points in their opening Championship fixture of the season.

Transcript

00:00Middlesbrough began their championship campaign and their first match under Robert Edwards

00:05with a victory over Welsh side Swansea City.

00:081-0 was the final score with Dale Fry, a local lad from Teesside,

00:12scoring in the second half to give the borough all three points.

00:17It was, of course, a repeat of the fixture that began last season's championship

00:20for both clubs at the Riverside, with that game also ending 1-0 to Middlesbrough.

00:25So, from Edwards has done what Michael Carrick did this time last year.

00:30However, following that, of course, Michael Carrick failed to get Middlesbrough into the playoffs

00:34come the end of last season.

00:36Robert Edwards will be looking to be different when it comes to the outcome of this season.

00:40Will he do it?

00:41Well, there's a lot of football still to be played, but it certainly was a good start

00:45with Dale Fry heading in the winner for Borough.

00:48Let's hear from Robert Edwards following the full-time whistle to hear his thoughts after the game,

00:53as well as the thoughts of match winner Dale Fry, who also gave his reaction.

01:00Delighted for the supporters, you know, yeah, really good day.

01:04Must be a lot of good stuff in that first half that you were pleased with going into the half-time break as well.

01:07Yeah, yeah, I know.

01:09Yeah, I know.

01:09I mean, I thought we showed good moments.

01:11I thought we showed good control at times, but then they were winning the duels.

01:16So, when they went a little bit more direct, they were picking up and landing on more second balls,

01:20which made the game a little bit more 50-50.

01:22So, we talked about that, talked a little bit around how we can help ourselves when we've got the ball as well.

01:27I thought the boys implemented things really well.

01:30Half-time, second half, they didn't have a shot, they were shot on target.

01:35So, yeah, really good, really good day for us.

01:38But we can play better, we all know that.

01:41But I think everyone will be the same first day of the season.

01:44It's just a great way for us to get off and running.

01:47The goal that won the game came from a set-piece again,

01:49and you must be delighted with how rewarding those situations are at the moment.

01:52Yeah, work hard on them.

01:53You see how important they are.

01:54It's won us three points today, as well as a lot of other things.

01:58But, yeah, really, really pleased.

02:00Dale just reminded me.

02:01I said, was it you, Bill?

02:01And he said, no, no, it was me, Dale.

02:03Dale said that.

02:04So, it's good.

02:04He's got a couple of goals in pre-season.

02:05He's got another one first day.

02:07So, he's a big boy.

02:08He should be getting on the end of things.

02:09And when he wants to attack it like that,

02:10and the delivery is as good as Morgan's was,

02:12then we've got a chance.

02:14Made some changes in that second half as well.

02:15How important were they to kind of keep that momentum going?

02:17They were.

02:19Dale, I thought, was really good in the second half.

02:22He won the corner that we got the goal from,

02:27once it went the other side.

02:29So, he played his part,

02:30but just felt then bringing Alfa's energy on

02:33and an ability to land on things was the right call.

02:38I thought he was brilliant when he came on.

02:40You can see he's a fan's favourite already, which is nice.

02:42Everyone's welcomed him in well.

02:44It's quite, well, it was quite rare for us

02:46to actually win a game by a set piece

02:48over the years.

02:49We managed to get one today.

02:51That's a target of mine from the start of the season

02:52to get more goals.

02:53I'm a big six foot four.

02:55I should be getting on a lot more.

02:56I managed to get across from a man today

02:58and get a goal, and I was over the moon.

03:00You scored twice in pre-season as well,

03:02so you must feel a lot of confidence,

03:03that sort of thing now.

03:04Yeah, I've been telling the lads

03:05I'm the most informed player in Europe,

03:06so a few assists in there as well.

03:09But no, like I say,

03:10my target was to get more goals

03:11and to win a game

03:13and a set piece is fantastic.

03:15The game itself today,

03:16what did you make of it?

03:18Yeah, it was good.

03:18Obviously, a lot of ideas have been put on to us

03:21in a short space of time.

03:23And we have to work hard,

03:24and it was out there as well.

03:25The pitch got a little bit sticky

03:25towards the end.

03:27But no, the lads fought,

03:28the lads ran at the ground.

03:29I think Sammy Silvera

03:30was fantastic today.

03:31I think he put a real shift in

03:32since his comeback.

03:33He's been fantastic.

03:34So at the end,

03:35the connection that's grown with the fans

03:37as well,

03:37how important is that for you?

03:38Yeah, it is, yeah.

03:40The fans are absolutely fantastic

03:41from the get-go.

03:43They work hard all waiting

03:45and they come watch us on a weekend.

03:46It's big for the town.

03:48I think that's what the manager wants,

03:50to engage with the fans

03:51and get the togetherness together.

03:52Because we want people

03:53to come to the Riverside

03:54and find it really tough

03:55and the fans really help us with that.

03:57And then even at the end,

03:58Alpha joined in with the fans

03:59and that's fantastic.

04:01They were brilliant all game.

04:02Next up for Middlesbrough

04:03is the first round

04:04of this season's Carabao Cup.

04:07They're at home,

04:07once again,

04:08this time to Doncaster Rovers.

04:11And of course,

04:11Rob Edwards will be looking

04:12to progress

04:13in this cup competition.

04:15Middlesbrough were semi-finalists

04:17in the Carabao Cup

04:18just two years ago.

04:19And a cup run

04:20would do Rob Edwards' reputation

04:22no harm on Teesside.

04:24But of course,

04:25the league will remain

04:26his priority

04:27for the campaign ahead.

04:29Obviously,

04:30a good start for Borough,

04:31but the campaign

04:32is a long one

04:33and so lots of football

04:34still to be played.

04:35But I think Rob Edwards

04:35certainly,

04:36given his reaction

04:37at the end of the game,

04:39you could say just what

04:39it meant to him

04:40to get off to a winning start

04:41and set the tone

04:42at the club.

04:43And I think that's it for sure.

04:46And I think that's it for you.

04:48I know it's not very well.

04:49I think that's it for us.

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