WHEN Liverpool travel to Monaco tomorrow they will be playing for far more than the three points they need to ensure qualification for the last 16 of the Champions League.

Given the way Rafael Benitez's side were unceremoniously brushed aside by Middlesbrough on Saturday, progression in this year's tournament could be their only hope of a return visit next year.

With Arsenal and Chelsea still at the head of affairs despite recent stutters, and Manchester United flexing their muscles in search of a third-place finish, the race for the Premiership's final Champions League spot already looks like going to the wire.

Liverpool claimed it last year but, while the current favourites also play in red, they hail from the Riverside not the side of the River Mersey.

In the run-up to Saturday's game, Boro boss Steve McClaren described Liverpool as "one of the major benchmarks of achievement in the Premier League".

And, while he refused to get too carried away by the convincing manner of his side's success, his subsequent claims that Boro remain on the periphery of the Champions League battle should be taken with a considerable pinch of salt.

They might not have the lustre of Liverpool, the belligerence of Bolton or the energy of Everton - but this Middlesbrough team have both the mettle and the manpower to finish in the top four.

They currently stand a point ahead of Manchester United, five points in front of Saturday's opponents Liverpool and a mammoth ten points clear of North-East rivals Newcastle - 14 games into the season, and that's more than a lucky start or a quirk of the fixture list.

But, perhaps more importantly, they are playing with the confidence and assurance of a side who are ready to take the next step towards the European elite.

None of their rivals for fourth spot can say the same, and Saturday's 2-0 defeat of one of their closest competitors underlined why Boro have leapt to the front of the queue for Champions League qualification.

Firstly, Steve McClaren's summer signings have gelled far better and far quicker than has been the case at either Anfield, Old Trafford or, to a lesser extent, St James' Park.

Bolo Zenden has been a revelation since switching inside to central midfield, Ray Parlour has added steel and skill in equal measure and, while they are struggling to find the back of the net at the moment, both Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink and Mark Viduka have provided the cutting edge that was so conspicuously lacking for most of last season.

In contrast, Liverpool's newcomers still look all at sea with Luis Garcia and Xabi Alonso struggling to adapt to the cut and thrust of the English game, Josemi failing to shore up a shaky backline and Antonio Nunez barely having kicked a ball after moving to Anfield in the deal that saw Michael Owen leave for Real Madrid.

Benitez can claim that he has been unfortunate to lose Djibril Cisse for the rest of the season, but McClaren has been similarly hampered by Michael Reiziger's long-term shoulder problem and the way in which Boro have overcome their injury concerns highlights the current strength in depth on Teesside.

Injuries to three Newcastle defenders have left Graeme Souness down the barest of bare bones but, in the extended absence of Reiziger, Ugo Ehiogu, Stuart Parnaby and Andrew Davies, McClaren has developed Chris Riggott and Tony McMahon into two of the most reliable defenders in the top-flight.

Losing Gaizka Mendieta for the rest of the season could have been a bitter blow but, instead, the Boro boss has simply shuffled Zenden inside and given Stewart Downing his head on the left flank.

The result has been four goals, innumerable assists, and a series of dazzling displays that should have earned the 20-year-old a maiden international call-up last week.

That will surely come with time but, while Downing will have to wait two years before he can strut his stuff in a major championship, he could well be featuring on the biggest club stage in ten months' time.

Middlesbrough made history at the start of this season when they entertained Banik Ostrava in the club's first European game.

If they can maintain their current form for the next six months, they could be re-writing the record books again next year by welcoming Champions League opposition to the Riverside.