STEWART DOWNING thinks both Middlesbrough and his own game are better suited for the Premier League than they were for a topsy-turvy campaign in the Championship.

Boro clinched promotion from the second tier in May and were close to winning the league title, but it was a season that had its ups and downs.

Downing’s own form also was affected, having spent the rest of his career playing at the highest level.

He has started both of Boro's opening two fixtures at the top level and has helped to earn four points from the opening two fixtures, including Sunday’s victory over Sunderland at the Stadium of Light.

Downing has been impressed with how Boro have adjusted, while accepting they have to build on the positive start to keep clear of the bottom three for the next nine months.

He said: “It’s nice. It’s different to the Championship. It was a crazy league. You won two and then lost three, it was mental. It is demanding, three games a week and I wasn’t used to it.

“The Premier League is more week to week and I think the squad we have here will help me too because we are a better team and a better squad.

“We will do well this season, I am not getting too far ahead and predicting anything too wild but I am confident we can get points on the board.”

Aitor Karanka, the head coach, has brought in ten new players so far and is still looking for a further defender and forward before the end of the transfer window.

Eight of the starting line-up against Sunderland, however, figured for Boro at the end of last season so Downing understands how important the longer serving players are as well as new boys such as Alvaro Negredo.

Downing said: “It is massive for all of us really to be in this league. But for the likes of George Friend who is 28 or Adam Forshaw, 24, they have not really played in there before so they are desperate to take the chance.

“They are all coming to the peak of their careers and they might go on to bigger things with it. It’s great for them. Players in this squad have waited a long time for it. You can see in the way they are playing.

“Forshaw has a massive chance. He has been waiting two years really. It was hard for Marten de Roon to be injured but Adam is a good player, he has energy and he will be good at this level. It will be hard to leave him out.

“Cristhian Stuani scored two and Albert Adomah was left out, so there is competition for places. I have to be on my toes, we all do, because the manager has options to put in. It couldn’t be going better at the minute but we need to keep going.”

Middlesbrough have four points from a possible six, and the players believe it can be just the start of something good.

“It’s not a surprise that we are adapting,” said Downing, who has played for West Ham, Liverpool, Aston Villa and Boro at the top level.

“It is a totally different league and at times I found it hard in the Championship. In the Premier League I think it will suit our play more. Sunderland couldn’t get near us at times.

“We have a good mix in there with experience, the older lads and then the others, so we can all help. The manager has not managed in this league either, so it will be hard because we are all learning all of the time.

“The difference is like we saw at Sunderland when they scored they were pushing on and dominating for a period, we didn’t really face that in the Championship.

"That happens more often in the Premier League so you need to be ready to be up against it in matches at times. We need to keep winning but we know we can do that.”

Boro, who travel to Fulham on Wednesday night in the EFL Cup, have created a little bit of history by defeating Sunderland.

Along with Burnley and Hull, the three promoted clubs have accumulated more points at this stage than any other three clubs to have gone up in the past. They have totalled 13 points, which is two more than Boro, Ipswich and Blackburn achieved in 1992/93.