It was another afternoon to forget for Middlesbrough as they fell to a 2-0 defeat against Derby County.

Two goals from Tom Lawrence were enough to sink the Teessiders, who were reduced to ten men in the first half after George Saville saw red.

That defeat means that Jonathan Woodgate’s side have picked up just two wins so far this season, leaving the side to face the prospect of a relegation dogfight unless things pick up.

Boro will face easier opposition than the Rams this season, but this latest defeat has certainly left supporters feeling deflated.

Here’s what we learned from the defeat to Derby County.

Wasteful in possession

A trip to Derby County isn’t the easiest place to go and play a free-flowing style of football, but Middlesbrough need to do a lot better.

Jonathan Woodgate’s side had just 39% possession against the Rams, with a passing accuracy of just 75%.

The most telling statistic is the fact that Middlesbrough 338 passes, 200 fewer than the hosts who dominated the game from start the finish.

Of course possession won’t win or lose football matches, but if Woodgate’s side are to start asserting themselves on the league then it’s crucial that they take control of games or else they face the prospect of more weeks playing on the back foot.

A squad who are feeling the pressure

Middlesbrough’s season isn’t going to plan, and for everyone at the club the heat is starting to rise.

While Jonathan Woodgate is the man who takes the brunt of the pressure, it’s important to remember that the players are the ones who are tasked with picking up results when they cross the white line on a Saturday afternoon.

Woodgate has a squad that’s lacking in Championship experience and it appears that this is taken a mental and physical toll on his players.

Whether it’s a lack of confidence, or fatigue as the relentless nature of the Championship catches up with them, Jonathan Woodgate needs to find a solution to get his team playing with the self-belief needed to get them out of trouble.

Britt Assombalonga needs a goal, and quickly

We’ve talked about a lack of confidence in the squad and Middlesbrough’s star striker is the main culprit.

Assombalonga has struggled massively so far this term after missing a number of massive goalscoring opportunities – including one against Derby County.

While the £15million-man should do better with these chances, the goalscoring burden cannot fall solely on his shoulders.

Creativity in the Boro squad is weak, and for a striker like Assombalonga he needs support if Middlesbrough are to score the goals needed to get them out of trouble.

Assombalonga is a player built on confidence and you just feel that he needs one to hit the back of the net for him to re-find his spark – even if it goes in off his backside.