From My Seat: Middlesbrough (H)

I am overjoyed at present but there are few areas for improvement:

(a) the roles played by Mirallas & Barkley are not quite top team standard. Barkley was much tidier today and both of them work a lot harder off the ball than last season, Mirallas dramatically so. However, they aren't clinical enough and in games of few chances that will cost us points. I feel slightly guilty making this point because they are both much improved, but I can see why Koeman was looking to strengthen in this area in the summer.

(b) Valencia – played pretty much as I expected, ran around a lot but carried no threat. I am happy we have him on loan for the season as we are going to need him, but of course we do need better cover for Lukaku.

(c) Jags had a few stray clearances today...but overall I was happy how our centre backs, not known for their distribution, looked comfortable even under an early high press from Middlesbrough.

So we are clear in second... we've not really had a proper test, the game against Tottenham was more of a pre-season game for both teams, but the manner of our wins bodes well - and we are being taken seriously by the media as Champions League contenders for once. Great to hear the Boro manager saying that Everton are not in the same league as Boro, their mini-league includes the likes of Palace and West Brom. Moyes also acknowledged this.

I was surprised (well not really) that so many pundits were backing Man Utd for the title this season. 5 games in and both Chelsea and Man Utd look like they did last season – some very good players but a rotten dressing room and a bang average team. 4 from Arsenal, Liverpool, Everton, Tottenham and Man City. Hoping Liverpool's weak defence costs them too many points (as it has already), and Tottenham's and Arsenal's Champions League commitments take their toll.

I can't say I found the 2nd half thrilling, but it was admirable in terms of boxing off the game – containment and counter attack. After the last couple of years, I'm very content with that.

Regarding who scored the third goal for us, I haven't a clue, but when they showed the replays of it, it produced much laughter around me in the Upper Bullens Road stand, three attempts off Lukaku and no real evidence if he touched it, but a goal is a goal no matter who scored it.

I think you may have the wrong thread. No mention of writing off Valencia here in report or comments.

I agree with Thomas; as a team we carried no threat in the last 25 minutes so to saddle Valencia with an inference that he won't cut it is way too harsh. I thought his movement and effort were fine and if anything he did more in his time on the pitch than Rom who I thought tried hard enough but was crowded out by a very physical Borough side.

Valencia may or may not make it but it was not possible to form a proper opinion based on Saturday. Likely he will start tomorrow with Rom carrying a knock and we will get a better idea then.

to.

I actually thought the second half wasn't bad at all, from a purist point of view. 3-1 up, a now-solid defense, no actual threat from Boro. Contain, control, retain possession but not in a negative way, with little bursts of energy and attempted cute through balls, and a few shots. Nobody going hell for leather unless necessary and so not risking injuries.

Before you blame Stekelenburg for not collecting the ball properly, it was Coleman who gave the winger acres of space to put in the cross.

I still see a lot of areas for improvement and I'm hoping this isn't just an early season good start and the wheels fall off in a few weeks. Having said that, if we have a good points haul after 10 games and don't lose any players to hammys or the like, we should be able to build up momentum and make one of those top six positions our own.

I have a feeling that Chelsea and Man Utd will struggle and RS may be a bit inconsistent. Barkley started off slow and by the end of the game was directing traffic; let's hope he can get to the level of air traffic controller and quickly.

My reading is if we can play well for just 20 minutes every game, establish a 3-1 half time lead and comfortably see out the 2nd half without anxiety for the remainder of the season, I think I'd settle for that.

I don't think our performance dropped off in the 2nd half. As Brent mentions, we had a couple of spells in which we were entrenched around the Boro area, but added no goals.

Overall, I saw the 2nd half as a really mature and professional one. We were in total control. Our own goal was never threatened. We conserved a lot of energy as there was no need to go all gung-ho. Koeman himself made mention at his delight in our 2nd half performance.

Who knows? That 2nd half and others like it may benefit us in the long term, later in the season, giving us small percentage gains that make all the difference when we need to call on those unspent energy reserves to retrieve a losing situation.

Mention needs to be made about the Boro supporters chants for Derek Ackers and the respect they showed, much appreciated by all blues.

Jeff Winter (ex ref and Boro fan) did a little speech afterwards in which he noted the respect both clubs have shown each other on previous occasions.

I would also like to congratulate Stekelenburg for the calming influence he has brought since his arrival and what a fine acquisition he is proving.

By the way, Dennis, you are blessed to share the same name as one of my favourites from the Everton team of the early '60s. I wonder if any one else remembers him, with his habit of holding his shirt cuffs tight throughout the game much the same way as Ronnie Goodlass did in later years.

Koeman's Everton have already equalled that in his first 5 Premier League games at the club, against WBA and Boro.

Resilient.

The last 20 minutes at Sunderland was similar; I'm not complaining about it though, I'd rather Everton be in a comfortable position than not. But I hope we don't miss out on anything significant for not improving our goal difference when the opportunity was there in both matches.

But no games in the Prem are gifts. Just look at Watford - Man Utd and Burnley - Liverpool.

Last season, we were totally unpredictable – losing games/drawing from winning positions.

Our back 4 and keeper are now much more secure. Ross is having a go at tackling – he just needs to win those tackles now.

One area to improve on is starting on the front foot and remaining on it for the whole 90 minutes.

It was great coming back from 1-0 down to 3-1 at half-time. We should have pressed hard for another 2 goals in the second half.

We will play much better teams and so we should work on this 90-minute intensity against the so-called lesser clubs. It would prepare us for the tougher teams/games.

Wally [Nobby] Fielding played holding his shirt cuffs... I don't recall Dennis doing so.

It's very interesting to note that you're seeing stuff the team and coaches are working on as hinted at by Koeman's press conferences. At last! A proper manager!

True, Stevens was very underrated. I remember my Dad saying that he did more work than anyone in the team. They used to say that Martin Peters was ahead of his time, well Stevens was also AND he preceded Peters in his thoughtful but all-action style covering so much of the ground. Bit like Ball but without... well, without that special something that Ball was born with.

Ken, I don't remember the shirt thing either. Young used to do it sometimes. Consequently, so did I.

However, it was his first 'blip' since he started in goal from the beginning of the season and otherwise he's been impressive.

In an ideal world, I would have liked us to have put Boro to the sword in the second half, simply because they offered nothing in terms of goal threat.

I thought Ross, having heeded the words of the boss, looked tentative in the first half and opted for the simple ball, however, that's not his game, he's much better than a 'McCarthy clone 2', hopefully he'll get his confidence and old verve back.

Koeman's no fool though, he'll know and understand that the current team aren't the finished article, the real test will come over the next few months, but great progress has been made in a very short period of time, as the team, and certain individuals in it, have improved beyond belief.

The icing on the cake is the 'mini dynamo', the mighty mouse, Gana. I watched his game closely on Saturday and he's very light of foot, he simply glides around the pitch and has re-invented the art of a 'good tackle', almost unknown these days in the Premier League.

I think we've got ourselves a little gem there.

So our goalie catches the ball, gets fouled and the ball goes in and he could have done better? Tell me what he could have done better? If anyone was at fault (besides the linesman and ref) it was Ashley Williams, who just refused to jump with (Negredo?) the striker.