Strachan happy with step up in preparations

Gordon Strachan believes his Middlesbrough side got the tough test they needed against Union Berlin on Saturday ahead of the npower Championship season . A sluggish start saw the German Bundesliga 2 outfit storm into a 2-0 lead, but a brace from Scott McDonald maintained Boro`s unbeaten pre-season record. "That was a real game and it was a good game," Strachan told the club`s official website. "We saw a lot of good things. The crowd was good, the tackles were real and that was what I was after. "We took a wee while to get warmed up but we`d had a hard training session on Friday and put a lot into it. "But when we got settled and had a look at their system, we got better."

Source: PA

Source: PA