STEVE McClaren last night hit back at criticism following comments he allegedly made during England's World Cup qualifiers last week.

McClaren was quoted in last Sunday's newspapers as saying: "I don't like that word entertainment. I like a winning team."

But the Middlesbrough boss insisted: "I've been misquoted," ahead of this afternoon's Premiership clash with Crystal Palace.

"I've read what I was supposed to say about us playing rubbish and boring football in an interview, but I never said anything of the sort.

"Winning is the most important thing in football and to win you have to play good football. Sometimes you can't play good football so you have to find other ways to win. But generally you have to play good football, which means you have to defend well, pass the ball well, attack well and score goals. That is my philosophy on football.

"The word entertainment was mentioned but no coach or football manager goes out with that in mind. They go out to win a football match and to do it you have to play good football and that's what we aim to do."

Boro are seeking only their second league win of the year today and the first away from home since Jimmy Floyd-Hasselbaink's deflected shot secured a 2-1 victory at West Brom in November.

Boro's chances increased yesterday when Ray Parlour, Mark Viduka and George Boateng all declared themselves fully fit.

Viduka has been out with a hamstring injury since the disappointing 2-0 Boxing Day defeat at Birmingham City.

Boateng's last appearance was in the Teessiders' previous game at the Riverside - a 3-0 victory against Aston Villa. A broken toe has since kept the Dutchman out for 18 games.

McClaren reckons the side has missed the pair enormously, but particularly their midfield anchorman.

"I knew we would miss Mark Viduka because when he played together with Jimmy (Floyd-Hasselbaink) we won 75 per cent of the games," said the 43-year-old Yorkshireman.

"With George the impact, I think, has been greater. He has missed 18 games and I don't think we have won many of those, which just shows what an influence he is.

"What was supposed to be eight to ten games turned into 18. Doriva, Ray Parlour and Bolo Zenden have come in and done well but we need players like George Boateng, and Mark Viduka, if we want to do anything. They epitomise everything in character and attitude, and when they're not playing you miss 50 per cent of your team."

Despite losing four in a row, McClaren is confident of taking something from today's game. But he is not underestimating the Premiership strugglers.

Iain Dowie's side recently held Manchester United at Selhurst Park and two Andy Johnson goals helped the Eagles to a 2-0 home win over Birmingham.

"It is not an easy place to go," he confessed. "Every away game in the Premier League is tough but when the hosts are down there battling against relegation they're doubly tough.

"Playing anyone in the bottom five coming into the last ten games of the season will always be a difficult game. Form turns around and you only need to look at Southampton, West Brom, Norwich and Crystal Palace to see that. Palace are always a difficult team to beat."

If football is a season of peaks and troughs then hopefully the Teessiders have just come through the latter.

McClaren said: "Hopefully we hit rock bottom against Southampton, and now with most of the players back fit we can start climbing the league again.

"Nobody likes to lose and we have experienced that once too often just recently.

"We got ourselves into a great position after two-thirds of the season, playing magnificent football. Injuries have curtailed our progress, but we have eight games to rescue our season. It will be disappointing if we don't finish well.

"There was a culmination of a few things against Southampton. Players were tired after Europe and we suffered.

"We have had a couple of weeks for that to clear up. We gave a few a week off and some of the others extra training. We have a few back looking a bit brighter this week."

Although Middlesbrough have slipped down to ninth place they are only four points off a UEFA Cup place. McClaren has always maintained he would be happy if his side were still in contention going into the final few games.

He added: "I wanted to be in a position with ten games of the season left to challenge for Europe again. Despite the last two results we are still in contention and for me the season starts now."