‘Work to be done’ Middlesbrough boss Chris Wilder refuses to get excited by Marseille win

Chris Wilder kept his feet on the ground after Middlesbrough’s comfortable 2-0 victory against Marseille. Despite brushing aside the team that finished second in Ligue 1 last season, the Boro boss insists “a lot of work” needs to be done ahead of the Championship opener next week.

It is no secret that the Teessiders are hunting a new striker, with Wilder admitting to transfer difficulties earlier this month. On tonight's showing, Middlesbrough possess no struggles finding the net as they brushed aside the French giants with ease.

However, the rigours of a Championship campaign means reinforcements are needed if Boro are to mount a promotion push. Signing a reliable goalscorer could prove the difference to secure a Premier League return.

Wilder refused to get carried away after beating Marseille - acknowledging the work required in the transfer market. With three wins and one defeat in pre-season, the 54-year-old believes his side have had solid preparations for the opener against West Brom.

“We’re up against the top outfit and all we can do is do what we did tonight,” he said post-match. “We were good at a lot of things but there's also a lot of work to be done.

“We talk about bodies coming into the group but it's been a really good exercise and tops off a pretty successful pre-season. I thought the first 15 or 20 minutes were outstanding. We got out of the traps, then we just lost our shape a little bit and gave the ball away cheaply.

“When you play against good players like Payet and Guendouzi, if you give them the ball, they're going to keep it away from you. Generally, our play in the second half was good. We were mobile, created some decent chances and delighted that we took our chances that we were created.”