STEVE McCLAREN has taken a leaf out of Sir Alex Ferguson's book of mind games to crank up the pressure on Arsenal for the first of four meetings with Middlesbrough this month.

Boro manager McClaren maintains that all the onus is on the Gunners to win at Highbury today and stay in touch with title-holders Manchester United, who are now three points clear at the top of the Premiership.

Wily United boss Ferguson delights in waging psychological warfare against Arsenal counterpart Arsene Wenger.

And McClaren yesterday demonstrated that he learned a thing or two on that score in his time as Ferguson's right-hand man at Old Trafford.

Boro face Wenger's men four times in the space of 18 days. They return to Highbury a week on Tuesday for the first leg of the Carling Cup semi-final and journey there again in a fortnight in the fourth round of the FA Cup, before hosting the Gunners four days later in the second leg of the semi.

McClaren said: "This is the first of four games, but it's the most important because it's a League game and the bread and butter. We're not even looking towards the cup games yet.

"There's a lot of pressure on Arsenal in the League, with the way Manchester United are playing and winning. Arsenal have to continue winning, and that's why the pressure is on them more than it is us.

"They're still unbeaten in the League. We were trying to find tapes of the last team to beat Arsenal and we got one of Inter Milan beating them 3-0 early in the season at Highbury in the Champions League, which was a fantastic performance.

"We've looked at that and we know there are ways you can beat Arsenal; no-one yet this season in the Premier League has sorted that one out, but still they trail Manchester United. It's going to go all the way to wire.''

Arsenal have proved McClaren's bogey team from day one since he entered the managerial arena with Boro two-and-a-half years ago.

His first game in charge was a chastening 4-0 defeat at the Riverside, and when the Gunners repeated the result in Boro's opening home outing this season, it was McClaren's sixth straight loss against them, with only one goal scored in the process.

The most galling of those setbacks was the FA Cup semi-final defeat at Old Trafford in McClaren's first season, when his side were more than a match for their opponents and only lost to an own goal by Gianluca Festa.

It is the one-off nature of cup ties that convinces McClaren that Boro can avert a whitewash inside the next three weeks.

"All four games are going to be different,'' he insisted. "I saw Wenger's comments in the papers, saying he was going to field four different teams against us, and that might be the case with us as well because of injuries and the like.

"We're in good spirits and good form. We had a terrific win here over Fulham on Wednesday and in the last 19 games we've only lost three.

"Our away record is fantastic, we're unbeaten in the last seven games. We have a good system away from home, we're difficult to play against and we hit teams on the counter-attack. I don't see why we need to change that for Arsenal.

"We have to be positive and have belief that we can win - that's the only way you can beat the big teams like Arsenal, Manchester United and Chelsea.

"Nobody expects us to beat Arsenal, so let's see if we can surprise a few people.''

McClaren insisted there were no special plans to deal with the threat of 24-goal Thierry Henry.

He said: "Henry is very elusive and difficult to pin down. He asks five or six questions every game and you have to trust your defenders to cope.''

McClaren is again without inspirational midfielder Gaizka Mendieta because of illness and striker Michael Ricketts, who has a knee injury.

But goalkeeper Mark Schwarzer will undergo a fitness test to see if he can return after a two-match absence with a back problem.

Brad Jones stands by to deputise again and McClaren said: "He's been tremendous. I think the defining moment against Fulham was after 20 minutes when Lee Clark went through and Brad saved to keep us 1-0 up.''

Teenage winger Stewart Downing was the star of Boro's 2-1 win, and McClaren added: "If he plays like that again, he'll certainly frighten Arsenal.''

McClaren, who said talks with Leeds are "ongoing'' over a possible permanent deal for on-loan right-back Danny Mills, is still searching for a new frontman.

"We're looking to strengthen but it's not easy because there aren't many players available at the right price,'' said McClaren.

"We obviously still need somebody up front, either a goalscorer or someone to lead the line.''

* Boro defender Colin Cooper, 36, who has not figured since the 2-2 draw at Blackburn on Boxing Day, is stepping up his aim to move into coaching by taking charge of the Reserves at Sunderland next Tuesday.

McClaren said: "Colin knew he would be going out of the side when Ugo Ehiogu came back from injury and he's taken the decision very well. He's started to get involved with the coaching side, but we still regard Colin as a player.''

Read more about Middlesbrough here.