The ink is still drying on Michael Carrick’s Middlesbrough contract but his fingerprints are already visible on the side. His message is quickly getting through and the signs are positive.

He wasn’t able to celebrate a victory against Bristol City on Saturday in his first home game in charge but the frustrations of not turning a dominant display into three points won’t have resulted in lost sleep for the head coach, for the overriding emotion was satisfaction at the way his side played.

From the get-go, Boro were positive and played with a vibrancy, the chance created for Hayden Hackney from the impressive Marcus Forss inside the first 60 seconds setting the tone for the action that followed. Hackney’s effort was the first of 23 shots on goal. Boro enjoyed more than 70% of possession.

The only stat that wasn’t weighted in their favour at full-time was goals scored, a result of some wayward finishing but more so the inspired display of visiting keeper Max O’Leary, who was hailed by visiting boss Nigel Pearson afterwards.

Pearson praised the resilience of his side for clinging on. “It was a fighting point,” he said. “This is a tough place to come.”

That’s what Carrick spoke about on the eve of his first home game in charge, turning the Riverside into a feared place for visitors. If this was an indication of performances to come under the former Manchester United midfielder’s watch, trips to Teesside certainly won’t be relished by rivals.

What must be most pleasing for Carrick is the speed in which the players have taken his messages on board. His tenure is not yet a fortnight old but Boro are already showing signs of the team the head coach wants them to become. That’s especially impressive when you consider the lack of training time since Carrick’s appointment, Rockliffe sessions interrupted by three games in eight days, followed by two more to come this week.

“It’s a huge positive, credit to the boys for the way they’ve gone about the week training,” said Carrick, keen to shift the credit from himself to the players.

“You can’t do all sorts on the grass when you’re preparing for games. There are physical limits but we have found ways to learn other strategies, if you like.

“They’ve taken the information on board. It isn’t always easy. Results haven’t backed that up but nevertheless I’m sitting here positive about what we can do.”

One of plenty of positives to come from the game for Carrick was the continued fine form of Chuba Akpom, the striker getting his third goal in as many games to finally draw Boro level early in the second half against the Robins. He swept home a cross from the impressive Riley McGree, the Australian much improved and at the heart of much of Boro’s good play.

What must have been particularly pleasing for Carrick was the manner in which Boro responded to the Bristol City goal. The hosts had been on top in the early exchanges but were stunned by a counter-attack opener, started and finished by Andreas Weimann. Home heads didn’t drop, though, and Boro simply continued as they’d started: pushing, probing, attacking.

Hackney again impressed in the middle, another mature display, while fellow Teessider Dael Fry was outstanding at the heart of the defence, winning header after header.

Another Teessider at the Riverside on Saturday was Chris Kamara, who was given a hero's welcome by fans when he was introduced at half-time. Kamara, who is battling apraxia of speech, returned to the Riverside to thank fans for their show of support against Rotherham earlier this season. “Thank you from the bottom of my heart,” said Kammy. “Once a Boro lad, always a Boro lad.”

Before the game, Carrick was applauded by fans and his players received the same treatment at half-time and full-time, recognition of a fine display, despite the disappointment at two dropped points.

Boro don’t play again at the Riverside until December 10, when Luton visit. Boro have won just three of 10 home games this season but asked how he goes about improving that record, Carrick’s response told of how pleased he was with the Bristol City display.

“I think play pretty much like that,” he said.

“No game is ever the same so it’s never a case of just doing the same again, but we’re putting in the building blocks of performance and how we want to do it. Whatever has gone before, it doesn’t really matter, it’s what we can do to be better from the last game to the next game.

“We’re positive, we have two away games coming up so we go into them looking forward to both.”