West Brom 0 Middlesbrough 0: Aitor Karanka lauds Boro's spirit after dull Hawthorns encounter

He said: “I am really pleased because we knew before the game it was going to be really tough, especially after our defeat on Wednesday (a 2-1 EFL Cup loss at Fulham).

“It was the third game in a row away.

“We knew against West Brom it was going to be difficult. Our performance has not been the best, but I am really pleased with the reaction we had from Wednesday.

“I didn’t like the first 15 or 20 minutes, we didn’t play well and didn’t play with the spirit we have to play with.

“The reaction in the second half was better. One thing we cannot lose is our spirit.”

In a game of few redeeming features it took Boro until 17 minutes from time to have their first shot on target with Albion equally toothless.

Baggies manager Tony Pulis wants five new players before Wednesday’s transfer deadline and the hosts’ failings were clear to see as they never broke down the resolute visitors.

Albion needed a positive performance after being dumped out of the EFL Cup on penalties by Northampton in midweek, but never got going against the Premier League newcomers, who now have a healthy return of five points from their first three games.

There was little excitement from the off, but Antonio Barragan at least halted James McClean early on before the winger was thwarted by Brad Guzan after 11 minutes.

Darren Fletcher’s neat pass found the on-rushing McClean, but Guzan smothered his six yard effort with the goalkeeper relatively untroubled during a non-event of a first half.

Salomon Rondon headed two half chances well wide and Boro failed to create anything meaningful themselves with Alvaro Negredo isolated and anonymous.

Playing at a pre-season pace, neither side looked remotely like opening the scoring as West Brom’s need for more attacking threat was laid bare.

McClean was their brightest spark, but £12m record buy Rondon was laboured and underlined why boss Pulis has been chasing new signings, including Southampton’s Jay Rodriguez.

In an attempt to break the monotony eight minutes before the break Brendan Galloway, making his Premier League debut for Albion after a loan move from Everton, forced Guzan into a low stop.

But it was a token effort that Gaston Ramirez matched when he swiped wildly wide within two minutes of the re-start.

The second half continued in the same uneventful, disappointing vein as the first as the teams cancelled each other out to provid no excitement.

Craig Dawson’s header dropped a yard wide in a rare chance and Jonathan Leko replaced McClean after 65 minutes in the hope he would inject some pace and penetration to West Brom’s game, which had failed to get out of first gear.

Middlesbrough had yet to register a shot on target, but had looked more composed in possession despite failing to supply Valencia loanee Negredo with any decent service.

Leko lasted just five minutes before limping off injured to be replaced by Saido Berahino, but Boro immediately threatened when Cristhian Stuani shot straight at Ben Foster with 17 minutes left.

The visitors finished the stronger, with Stewart Downing firing wide, but the Baggies almost got lucky with five minutes remaining when Ayala’s attempted clearance clattered off Guzan and bounced away.

After the Baggies were jeered off, manager Pulis insisted everyone at the club understands the need for new signings.

He said: “There’s no problems with the boardroom, they know my feelings. They don’t need people to boo to know my feelings.

“We have to bring some players in. Two years ago when I came in they were struggling at the foot of the table and 14 or 15 of the players are still here.

“They have kept going and finished 12th and 14th but we need new blood.”

West Brom: Foster, Dawson, McAuley, Evans, Galloway, Fletcher, Yacob, Phillips, Field (Gardner 76), McClean (Leko 64), Rondon, Leko (Berahino 72). Unused substitutes: Olsson, Lambert, Wilson, Rose.

Middlesbrough: Guzan, Nsue, Ayala, Gibso, Barragan, Forshaw, Clayton, Stuani (Fischer 90), Ramirez (Nugent 84), Downing, Negredo. Unused substitutes: Konstantopoulos, Bernardo, Rhodes, Reach, de Sart.

Referee: Anthony Taylor (Cheshire).