ON A warm summer's day in August, Steve McClaren modestly sat before the gathered media throng in the press room at Rockliffe Park to preview the season.

Having drafted in five new signings who brought with them valuable European experience to a relatively youthful pool of players, McClaren quite rightly described his Middlesbrough squad as the 'strongest' he had worked with during his reign on Teesside.

And the closing four months of 2004 acted as proof for anyone silly enough to doubt his claims; with a place in the last 32 of the UEFA Cup assured and were serious contenders for a Champions League place.

However, after the club's four festive fixtures brought little cheer, the need for McClaren to further strengthen his squad has been highlighted and it is little wonder that he has chief executive Keith Lamb actively pursuing transfer targets this month.

Injuries to regulars Ugo Ehiogu, Chris Riggott, Gaizka Mendieta, George Boateng and Mark Viduka stretched the manager's resources and he had to rely heavily on the aging Colin Cooper, 38, who played all of those matches.

Two of the defeats may have been to a couple of the world's richest clubs - Chelsea and Manchester United - but nevertheless it has been a period which has shown why new faces are required.

While Middlesbrough had to rely on youngsters James Morrison, Tony McMahon and Andrew Davies to warm the bench, Tuesday's opponents could call upon Carlo Cudicini, Eidur Gudjohnsen or Mateja Kezman.

It has been a strict policy adopted by Jose Mourinho since taking over to make sure he has two players in competition for every position and it is one that McClaren is trying to replicate.

Mourinho had the cheek to knock the squad assembled by champions Arsenal recently when he claimed: "They have a great group of players in their first team, but after that they only have young players. Only United have a squad like ours, two mature players for every position."

Chelsea and Manchester United are the only two teams in England with similar competition for places but that has been down to the spending power of the clubs rather than inability to find the right men.

Middlesbrough may not have the apparent infinite funds of Roman Abramovich behind them but in chairman Steve Gibson they have someone ambitious enough to back the club this month without being stupid.

That is why McClaren has earmarked the positions he wants filling before the transfer window closes on January 31. A new midfielder and a left-back are priorities, while there is a growing possibility that both Mark Schwarzer and Carlo Nash will need replacing.

To lose Schwarzer will be a testing time for Middlesbrough because the Australian has established himself as one of the finest goalkeepers in the league.

One name mentioned is Norwich's Robert Green and he has undoubted potential but so did David James when he moved to Liverpool. Green would cost around £4m and that is likely to be the lowest figure being demanded for a lot of other possibilities.

As far as the outfield goes, Middlesbrough have plenty of exciting young talent at their disposal but McClaren knows he should not rely too heavily on that generation.

That is why he has already tried and failed in an attempt to sign Inter Milan's Greek star Giorgios Karagounis and taken a look at former Everton player Alex Nyarko.

Portsmouth's Amdy Faye would cost £2m or so, although that could be reduced with the south coast outfit realising the Senegalese international no longer wants to play for them.

But McClaren has to be careful because he knows that when Boateng comes back to fitness he does not want to be faced with a selection dilemma.

In fact his latest decision to ask Chelsea to part with Cameroon midfielder Geremi - capable of playing on the right or in the middle - until the end of the season at least is a sensible one.

He was a hit the last time he was in the region and he will provide the quality McClaren is looking for until Mendieta returns and possibly beyond. To know the former Real Madrid man can play on the right or in the middle also means that the Boro boss is effectively killing two birds with one stone.

And then there's a new left-back, with McClaren in need of defensive cover for Franck Queudrue if he gets banned again.

On the occasions the Frenchman has been suspended this season either Michael Reiziger, Bolo Zenden or the aforementioned Cooper have been asked to play out of position.

Newcastle's Olivier Bernard was considered but not for his £30,000 wage demands and Middlesbrough lost out to the Magpies in the race for Celestine Babayaro.

One thing guaranteed is that McClaren will not rest until he has added to his squad this month. Otherwise hopes of playing in Europe, never mind the Champions League, next season could disappear as quickly as Christmas Day always does.