PAUL Warne was a spectator in the stands when Middlesbrough dismantled Leeds United last week and left Elland Road having come to one very clear conclusion - there was no way his Derby side could go toe to toe with Boro.

And so, although he's not particularly comfortable setting the Rams up to stifle rather than hurt opponents, Warne set about stressing to his players the importance of frustrating Michael Carrick's visitors on Saturday.

Job done.

And as frustrating an afternoon as this was for Boro - who had 20 shots on goal but struggled to create clear cut chances against the stubborn and organised Rams - it will perhaps prove to be a crucial early learning curve this season.

For Saturday's defeat resulted in another obvious conclusion, this time for Boro - if they're to achieve their aims this season they have to be better at picking the lock when teams set up with a low block.

Derby were the first but they absolutely won't be the last to play this way against Boro. There's no doubt Championship bosses will take note of the Rams' success and follow suit.

The challenge for Boro is being able to overcome that obstacle better than they did on Saturday, which Carrick is confident will be the case.

"We’ve got to learn to adapt and be ready for all different scenarios," he said.

"The players we’re bringing in have different strengths to hopefully do that and week to week it might look a little different because of that.

"In the end, we tried to get bodies on to fill the box but it wasn’t to be. As time goes on and Tommy (Conway) settles, and Micah (Hamilton) settles, I think we’ll see the benefits over a period of time. It’s certainly something we shouldn’t be surprised by. We should deal with it and find a solution.

"I think we’ve got the variety and players can play two or three roles and different styles too. It’s up to us to then get the right mix game to game."

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For all upcoming opponents will no doubt follow Derby's lead, they won't all be gifted leads to defend as the Rams were on Saturday. Had Isaiah Jones not slipped up and gave Derby a leg-up with a shocking error that led to Kayden Jackson's 14th minute opener, the Rams might well have come under more pressure from the home fans to push on and take risks the longer the game went on, which would have played into Boro's hands.

Instead, the hosts could focus purely on defending their own goal and the fact they had only 12 touches in the opposition box compared to Boro's 36 and only three shots compared to Boro's 20 mattered little to the Pride Park supporters or boss Warne.

Boro will have known they were facing the prospect of a frustrating second period when referee Bobby Madley had to warn Derby keeper Josh Vickers for timewasting in first half stoppage time.

And when the ball went out of play for a throw-in immediately after the restart, former Boro forward and now Derby captain Nathaniel Mendez-Laing made a point of telling a ball boy to stay seated.

It would be unfair, though, to claim that the Rams completely spoiled the second half. They didn't. Boro had more than enough possession and territory to turn their dominance into goals but were largely limited to shots from distance. Only four of their 20 shots were on target.

Finn Azaz looked Boro's likeliest route to goal, while Delano Burgzorg was a threat in the second half and thought he'd scored a deserved goal when he headed Hayden Hackney's pinpoint cross into the net, only to be frustrated by the offside flag. He hit the post soon after.

Frustration was the story of the game for Boro. The challenge for Carrick and his players is to ensure this sort of game and defeat is a rarity and not a sign of things to come.