Middlesbrough boss Jonathan Woodgate quizzed on deadline day disappointment and Ryan Shotton reports

Boro made four new signings this summer but allowed several senior players to leave the club, including those who were on loan at the Riverside last term.

Yet Woodgate has consistently said he will only sign players if the deal is right for the club and won’t bring people in for the sake of it.

“It is what it is. I'll go with it. I've got belief in all of my players in that dressing room,” said Woodgate following Saturday’s 1-0 defeat to Brentford. “I would like to have added one in but listen, no problem.

“I said in my previous press conferences we are a bit thin, if we get a spate of injuries we could be in a bit of trouble. But I've got belief in all my players, we'll go with what we've got.

“We just couldn't do a deal in the end. Sometimes things get in the way, it happens like that.

“I could have got players in to fill a gap, that's not me. I need to bring the right players in and have a belief. I go with what I said originally, if the right man wasn't available I wouldn't do it.”

Through all the speculation on deadline day, there were reports that Wigan were in talks to sign Boro defender Ryan Shotton, yet Woodgate said he didn’t know anything about it.

“I read that, I read that in the paper, I didn't know anything about it to be honest,” said Woodgate when asked about Shotton.

The 30-year-old has been playing centre-back under Woodgate and has started the Teessiders’ opening two fixtures this term, in the absence of Dael Fry and George Friend.

When asked if Shotton remains part of his plans when everyone is fully fit, Woodgate replied: “Everyone battles for the places. If someone is playing well they'll play, if they don't they won't play.”