STEVE McCLAREN has pinned his faith in Gaizka Mendieta finding his feet again at Middlesbrough following a below par start to the campaign.

Mendieta has started each of Boro's opening four Premiership games but has so far failed to hit top gear and was replaced for the second successive time on Saturday.

McClaren has openly admitted that striker Szilard Nemeth has been pushing the Spaniard close for a starting role after impressing in both training and as a substitute.

Against Crystal Palace over the weekend, Mendieta was again a shadow of the player that cost Lazio nearly £30m from Valencia in the summer of 2001.

But, more worryingly for Boro, he is yet to show glimpses this season of the talent that immediately won over the Riverside faithful when he arrived nealry a year ago.

Mendieta has four years left on his contract, having turned his initial loan deal into a permanent one in June, and McClaren is keen to see the attacking midfielder hit top form again and soon.

The Boro boss has proven he is not afraid to haul the player off, although dropping the former Barcelona playmaker from the starting line-up is not likely to be an option when the Teessiders take on Birmingham in 11 days time.

But McClaren is adamant that Mendieta will come good. "Mendieta's form has been OK. But sometimes players start a season well and sometimes players can start a season slowly," said the Boro manager.

"Mendieta works very hard and if players work hard then they are half way there. If he keeps working hard he will soon return to his best."

Another Boro player to have been backed to have a massive impact in the league this season is Mark Viduka.

Viduka scored on his full debut for the club at Fulham last Wednesday and played his second match for his new employers in the win over Palace.

The Australian striker failed to find the scoresheet against the Eagles but midfielder Ray Parlour insists there is plenty more to come from his new team-mate.

Viduka was suspended for the opening two matches and Palrour believes the intetnational break will help the forward reach full fitness and built up a better understanding with striker partner Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink.

"Jimmy has done very well since he came here and so has Mark Viduka," said Parlour. "Mark had a great debut at Fulham last week and he had another good game against Palace on Saturday.

"Mark just needs to get that little bit fitter. But that will come once he has got a few games under his belt. He admits he wants to get fitter and once he is I'm sure those two will be a very good partnership. They have started well enough and we will see big things from the pair of them. They will always score goals."

l Former Boro defender Gianluca Festa has been linked with a surprise move north of the border to Celtic, where he would join up with Juninho.