STEVE McCLAREN'S mission to fashion a Middlesbrough side worthy of top-flight status is far from complete, as the team lost to Liverpool 2-1.

Manager McClaren is the first to admit that. And, until Boro are mathematically safe from the seemingly perennial threat of relegation, McClaren can't launch what he calls "phase two'' of his rebuilding programme.

But Boro's spirited display against title contenders Liverpool was evidence of the progress being made down by the Riverside.

Whether McClaren, skipper Paul Ince et al like it or not, Boro have been boring at times this season.

Anyone who had the misfortune to witness the dreadful goalless home draw with Charlton - and there were a few because it was televised by Sky Sports - will testify to that. In all, Boro have featured in five goalless draws this season.

But to dismiss them as 'boring' is to miss the point.

For the most part, Boro were good to watch under former boss Bryan Robson, but they still had one of the most porous Premiership defences. Terry Venables plugged the leaks during his time here last season.

But Boro were shipping goals again early this season - 11, to be precise, as McClaren lost his first four games in management.

The new man had to try to make them hard to beat and put the onus on defence.

Gradually, he stemmed the flow and since New Year, during which time they have now lost only three times in 16 games in all competitions, Boro have conceded just ten goals.

The goals at the other end haven't exactly come in abundance either - the 3-0 FA Cup quarter-final victory over Everton here eight days ago was only the third time this term that Boro had scored three or more in a game.

Yet had they been able to convert the chances created in the opening half hour against Liverpool, Boro could easily have led 4-0.

It was their failure to do so which ultimately cost them the game, but the signs were still encouraging for McClaren as he struggles to escape the Teesside spectre of relegation.

"You have to draw strength from a performance like this,'' he said. "If we perform like that every week we won't go far wrong.

"There is a long way to go, but we are getting there.'' Boro were without joint seven-goal leading scorer Noel Whelan, who was laid low with a virus.

McClaren admitted: "We did miss Noel because he has given us something extra and got goals, but apart from the result, this is the kind of thing I want.

"You saw from the fans what they thought and I was delighted with the way they stayed with us and created a tremendous atmosphere.

"I know they won't be happy with the result, but they can't ask for more from the players who played some excellent football and passed well. We had 58 per cent of the possession.

"Normally that would be enough to win, but that is why Liverpool are where they are because they are capable of finishing you off at the other end.

"When we were on top we needed a goal and at half-time there was a huge feeling of disappointment in the dressing room because we were behind.

"If there was any criticism it was that we lacked the self-belief to think we could turn it round and beat Liverpool.

"But that will come with experience and performances like this.''

Even without Whelan, however, Boro showed plenty of enterprise and endeavour, with fellow top scorer Alen Boksic, Ince, Jonathan Greening, Franck Queudrue and home debutant Luke Wilkshire all threatening.

But when their chances came, Liverpool weren't as generous. After surviving some close calls, they struck in the 33rd minute when on-loan Nicolas Anelka just kept the ball in play on the left touchline, sold a dummy to a trio of Boro defenders, and centred for dithering Didi Hamann.

The former Newcastle midfielder brought the ball under control with his chest but hesitated before seeing his belated shot take a ricochet and break to England striker Emile Heskey, who showed the German how it should be done by rifling into the roof of the net for his 11th goal of the season.

Aussie midfielder Wilkshire, 20, arguably missed Boro's best chance when he appeared to get the ball caught between his feet as he forced wide at the near post early in the second half.

Left-back Queudrue then saw his header knocked off the line by Vladimir Smicer. But Boro keeper Mark Schwarzer was forced to save on his own line after Sami Hyypia's head had met John Arne Riise's corner.

And it was Norwegian Riise, scorer of one of the goals in Liverpool's 2-0 win at Newcastle this season, who effectively won the game when he drove home Heskey's lay-off six minutes from time.

Boksic nodded agonisingly wide after a mix-up in the Liverpool defence and, finally, it was Gareth Southgate, of all people, who brought Boro the goal they deserved when he glanced home his first for the club from substitute Carlos Marinelli's teasing right-wing cross.

But it wasn't enough to prevent Boro's first home defeat for three months since they lost to Manchester United and first setback in 11 at the Riverside in all competitions. Former United No 2 McClaren now admits that Liverpool pose a real threat to his old club's title defence.

"You are asking a man who is biased,'' confessed McClaren. "But you can easily go on a roll and Liverpool did that last year and won three trophies. "They are quite capable of doing something like that again and if they don't lose any more games, they are in with a shout.''