FEW at Middlesbrough could complain if skipper Gareth Southgate started to demand massive improvements from the club's shot-shy strikers.

After all he can take great pride in the fact that Boro's resolute backline have now gone nine hours and 45 minutes without conceding a goal - a statistic which has seen them equal a 28-year-old club record for six successive top-flight clean sheets.

But while Southgate et al turn out convincing displays on a regular basis, at the other end it has been a completely different story for Steve McClaren's men.

Saturday's goalless draw with Portsmouth at the Riverside was the eighth time this season Boro have failed to find the net and it is now 11 hours and 14 minutes since a striker scored from open play in the Premiership.

McClaren has already stated he has started to explore different avenues ahead of the opening of the transfer window on January 1 - with a new striker top of his shopping list.

And now Southgate has admitted a fresh face maybe is just the tonic Boro need as they bid to break into the top six - with the England centre-back pointing to the immediate impact the captures of Gaizka Mendieta, Danny Mills and Bolo Zenden had on a deflated squad in August. "I'm sure the manager is looking to strengthen in certain areas and if he can do that, brilliant," he said. "The manager will be aware of what he wants to do.

"Scoring goals is a problem for us so I'm sure that is what he will be looking at.

"We know we are going to be solid at the back but we cannot keep clean sheets forever.

"Now what we need to do is start scoring. That is four games now without a goal scored by one of us. It's clearly what we need to work on. Ideally we could do with strengthening and if we do that anything is possible because the league is very, very tight.

"If we're able to strengthen it would give everything a further boost. The three lads we brought in - Danny, Mendieta and Zenden - just after the beginning of the season have made an enormous difference."

Portsmouth arrived on Teesside having suffered their own goal drought. They had failed to score in a away match since September 13.

So perhaps predictably a nervous goalless draw was always on the cards. Harry Redknapp's side started the better of the two with striker Yakubu Ayegbini and winger Patrik Berger both going close with early efforts.

After that the match became more of an even contest, but neither Mark Schwarzer or Pavel Srnicek were ever really tested.

The experienced Teddy Sheringham had a 25-yard drive easily saved before Juninho's similar effort flew high over the bar and Zenden's shot, after turning well, was dealt with by former Newcastle goalkeeper Srnicek, who was playing his first Premiership match in nearly four years.

The best chance of the afternoon, though, fell to Boro full-back Mills 16 minutes from time after a free-flowing move involving Szilard Nemeth and Massimo Maccarone, who had replaced the ineffective Michael Ricketts and Juninho.

Nemeth burst beyond Matthew Taylor on the right wing before crossing low to his Italian teammate. Maccarone's one touch lay-off fell nicely to Mills, who controlled before firing against the angle of the upright. The ball bounced down on the line and was eventually cleared.

Had that gone in Boro, who had a man advantage for the last 12 minutes when Steve Stone saw red for his second bookable offence, would have gone level on points with seventh-placed Newcastle and there is a genuine feeling at the Riverside that the capture of a prolific forward would see them seriously challenge for a top-six place.

And a confident Southgate believes Boro, who face Charlton at home on Saturday, can start to eye up a fourth-place finish.

"Apart from the top three everything is up for grabs," he said. "The likes of Charlton and Birmingham are good teams but I definitely think we should be in that category.

"The top three are way out of everyone's league for the time being. But we were four points behind fourth place on Saturday morning.

"I'm not saying we're good enough to win a Champions League place but we're good enough to be in the top half and if we can strengthen on top of what we have, we could have a very exciting second half of the season.

"We can challenge for the top six. The whole thing is very tight. We must not settle for a position like last year.

"Anything outside the top half is unacceptable."

Result: Middlesbrough 0 Portsmouth 0.

Read more about Middlesbrough here.