STEVE McClaren was referring to the sunglasses weather that enveloped Southampton on Saturday, yet his comment provided Middlesbrough's drab Premiership curtain-raiser with the perfect epitaph.

"You should always book your holidays for the first day of the football season," he said.

The only surprise was that the assembled journalists did not burst into a chorus of "And so say all of us!"

The most entertaining league in the world? Do me a favour.

It would be harsh to say that Southampton and Middlesbrough were fortunate to score nil on Saturday - but it wouldn't be too far wide of the mark.

For Boro, the game amounted to the retelling of an oh-so-familiar story they thought had been consigned to the pages of last season's Premiership book; of a team that is almost impossible to break down, but finds it just as hard to penetrate opponents.

It will undoubtedly be a recurring theme as the weeks and months go by, and Juninho remains on the sidelines.

But that is not to say that panic should be coursing through the veins of Middlesbrough fans.

For while Boro's attacking thrust has been blunted by the absence of Juninho, the defensive shield that Gareth Southgate and Ugo Ehiogu erected last season is as strong as ever.

Players have come and gone at Middlesbrough over the summer, but the former Aston Villa centre-backs' impregnable partnership is the main reason why the club's long-suffering followers should be cheerful.

Instead of Paul Ince and Robbie Mustoe, there is George Boateng and Geremi; and Massimo Maccarone will add a cutting edge to Boro's strikeforce when he adjusts to life in England.

But Southgate and Ehiogu, the rock on which McClaren built his team last season are a reassuring constant.

With Middlesbrough lacking a real attacking thrust, it was their performance on Saturday that was the main contributing factor to the game ending goalless - and why many fans were left wishing they were on a Spanish beach rather than by the banks of the Solent.

Southgate in particular was imperious, and he is mighty unlucky that Rio Ferdinand and Sol Campbell block his way into the England team.

Ferdinand's injury may yet allow Southgate to make a compelling case for his permanent inclusion in the national side against Portugal on September 7.

But in the meantime, he is delighting Middlesbrough and frustrating their rivals in equal measure.

When he did make his solitary mistake on Saturday, and Marian Pahars looked to race through shortly after half time, Southgate produced a wonderfully-timed tackle to mop up.

When there was a header to win, he won it; when he needed to put boot to ball, or rob a Southampton player of possession, he provided the decisive challenge.

Ehiogu helped Southgate strangle the life out of Southampton's attacking threat, and his challenge on James Beattie six yards out forced the striker to head harmlessly over the crossbar when he should have scored.

And on the rare occasions that the Saints found a way through, Mark Schwarzer denied Anders Svensson and Chris Marsden.

No wonder Southampton manager Gordon Strachan said: "I thought Middlesbrough's two centre-halves were absolutely fantastic and the goalkeeper did very well, too.

"We wanted to make sure that if the game was going to be drawn, their keeper and centre-halves would have had to play at their best.

"There were some great last-gasp tackles and saves, and they played at their international best.

"On a good day, we would have won the game. We certainly did enough to win - but we couldn't break through their defence."

In handing out bouquets to Southgate and Ehiogu, one must also dish out brickbats to the Middlesbrough players charged with the responsibility of creating and scoring goals.

There were precious few moments that stirred the senses of the large Boro travelling contingent at the St Mary's Stadium on Saturday.

Maccarone almost had a storybook start, but Paul Jones raced off his goalline to smother the ball inside two minutes.

Jones saved from the Italian just before half time, while the Italian's neat pass set Carlos Marinelli free in the 72nd minute, only for Southampton to snuff out that danger.

Indeed, it was Alen Boksic - Maccarone's replacement - who went closest to snatching the three points for Middlesbrough. But with Jones stranded, he could not quite get his head to Marinelli's teasing centre.

And to be honest, a win would have been more than Boro deserved. They were on the back foot for much of the first half, only for Szilard Nemeth's introduction at the interval to add urgency to their play.

That Middlesbrough were still on level terms at half time was mainly due to Southgate and Ehiogu. One expects to be repeating that story ad nauseam before the season is out.