Coach of newly promoted side Middlesbrough Aitor Karanka heaped praises on his new signings after their brilliant display in the opening game of the season.
Loanee from Spanish side Valencia, Negredo was on target when he scored the first goal of Middlesbrough after a seven year hiatus in the top flight league. Former Barcelona goal keeper Victor Valdes was in action in between the sticks for the freshly promoted club, earning the commendation of the coach.
“I called Victor when he had his knee injury. The same happened to me in Bilbao and I know how he was feeling. I called him again earlier in the summer and told him that before dismissing me, he should listen to me,” Karanka spoke of Valdes.
Boro were set for a victory until Xherdan Shaqiri scored a goal cancelling Negredo’s initial effort.
“It’s important for Negredo to score, as when we signed him I said that he needed to recover his confidence. A player who won the Premier League two or three years ago with Man City can’t forget to play – so for us, it’s an amazing signing. But we need to keep working with him, he scored the goal today but has to keep working as he knows that there’s not a player who is above the team,” Karanka spoke of Negredo to Middlesbrough Gazette after the game that ended 1-1.
As Valdes got a first team spot, Joe Hart seemed to have lost his at Manchester City as boss Pep Guardiola chose former second-ranked choice Willy Caballero ahead of him in the first game for City. Guardiola is still hoping to bring in a new first choice goal stopper to Etihad, but it seems Caballero would continue for now especially as the relationship between Hart and Guardiola appears strained.