IT is generally accepted that pre-season results count for very little, but Riley McGree was still in no mood to pull his punches as he delivered his verdict on Middlesbrough’s opening friendly at Hartlepool United.

A Boro side containing a smattering of first-team players mixed with a batch of relatively untried youngsters were beaten 2-1 by a Pools side that are preparing for life in the National League, and McGree branded the display as “not good enough” as he reflected on it.

The rest of Michael Carrick’s squad get an opportunity to put things right when they travel to York City this afternoon, with McGree having provided an honest assessment of last night’s display.

“Obviously, it was good to be back and playing, and playing in front of our fans again, but it’s not the result we wanted,” said the Australian midfielder, who was Boro’s best performer at the Suit Direct Stadium. “To some extent (results at this stage are immaterial), but at the same time, personally, and certainly I know all the coaching staff too, we want to win every single game and we want to push, whoever the opponent is.

“Whether it’s a play-off semi-final or a pre-season friendly, we want to win and we expect more from ourselves. Simply, in my opinion, it wasn’t good enough. But we learn the lesson and we go forward from here.”

It is three weeks until the real business begins with Middlesbrough’s opening Championship game against Millwall, and having been part of the side that lost out to Coventry City in the play-off semi-finals last season, McGree is unequivocal when asked to outline this season’s ambitions.

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“We want to get promoted and we want to play in the Premier League,” he said. “We’re a Premier League team and that’s what we’re aiming for.

“That’s as clear as day and everyone is buying into that ambition, which is crucial, off the back of last season.”

Boro developed a clear identity and playing style under Carrick last season, and while six new players have arrived since the transfer window reopened, with three or four more additions anticipated before the end of next month, McGree does not envisage a radical departure from what he and his team-mates were doing last term.

“We’ll have a lot of players here from last season, and then with the players that do come in this summer, we have a clear identity of how we want to play,” he said. “I wouldn't have thought there will be too much that we change, in terms of how we want to play and how we go about it.

“So, it's obviously great to all be together again so early in pre-season to build together, but I don't think much will be changing in terms of how we want to go about it.”