Middlesbrough boss Michael Carrick described his side's first win in four games as a "good step" in the right direction after beating Tony Mowbray's West Bromwich Albion 2-0 at the Riverside.
"When you have a sticky run, it's all about getting the win," he told BBC Radio Tees. "The fact that we kept a clean sheet too was great.
"There's loads of football to be played this season. We hadn't felt any pressure. Why do we need to be 'glass half-empty' all the time?
"It was an important win for us. We played some really good football.