A particular source of encouragement from Braga defeat should prove a real selling point to strikers

While Chris Wilder might not have seen the result or performance he wanted from Middlesbrough in their pre-season friendly defeat to Braga, there were certainly things he could take from the game.

The Boro boss sets high standards as well all know and wants to create a winning mentality at the club, and therefore could not bring himself to say that the result did not matter. "I want it to hurt them," he said of his players.

Nevertheless, it should not be ignored from our perspective as spectators and supporters that there were some interesting things that Boro were able to take from the game that will hopefully help shape their preparations in the next two weeks before the start of the season. Here are some notable talking points from the game.

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Wilder will not want to see his side start any half as slowly as they started both in Lagos on Friday evening. Perhaps some of that can be put down to the players still building that match sharpness over the summer.

There were also factors at play with the sloppy first-half start, with Wilder noting after they hadn't done their usual pre-match preparations in terms of looking at the opposition and how to thwart them, instead focusing more on themselves and what they wanted to try and get out of the game. Starting with Riley McGree at number ten, the Boro boss was forced into an early tactical change after his side fell behind in the tenth minute and struggled to get to grips with their opponents.

In the second half, meanwhile, they can be forgiven for the manner of the second goal which looked as harsh a penalty decision you're likely to see, but the third very shortly after really