STEVE McCLAREN launches his managerial career against Arsenal today with the admission that he admires the methods of Arsene Wenger as much as those of mentor Sir Alex Ferguson.

Middlesbrough manager McClaren learned the ropes under the shrewd tutelage of Sir Alex in a little more than two years as his right-hand man at Manchester United.

Ferguson and Wenger have been bitter adversaries over the years, but McClaren for one bears no grudges against the inscrutable Frenchman.

"I've got tremendous respect for Arsenal and Arsene Wenger,'' confessed McClaren. "I really admire what he has brought to the English game. I think he has a different approach to the way football should be played, and the preparation that goes into it. He looks at scientific methods. When I was away with England this week, I had a good chance to look at Arsenal's new training ground and I was very impressed with the set-up. I firmly believe they'll be up there challenging for the title again this season.''

With Sir Alex due to retire at the end of the season, McClaren this summer decided the time was right to break free from the shadow of the great Scot and strike out on his own.

"I haven't spoken to Alex this week and I don't expect to,'' said McClaren. "But it's possible I'll get a good luck message because I've sent him one.''

McClaren, however, has received the best wishes of predecessor Bryan Robson. "I spoke to Bryan a few weeks ago and he wished me all the best, as I did him,'' said McClaren. "He told me I had a tremendous set of players and, after only six weeks here, I would go along with that. I wouldn't describe myself as a tough taskmaster; I just set certain standards and have a work ethic. It's a case of being professional and the players have already shown me they have the right attitude."

Boro badly lacked goals at home last season, but McClaren believes that his frontline, spearheaded by Alen Boksic, have sufficient firepower.

Boksic, Boro's leading scorer last season with 12 goals, gave McClaren a scare when he was sent home from the mini-tour of Holland last week with a back injury.

But the former Lazio striker, signed by Robson last summer for £2.5m, proved his fitness while on duty with Croatia against the Republic of Ireland in Dublin this week.

McClaren said: "Nobody has worked harder at this club in the last few weeks than Alen Boksic. He's been very professional and he's looking very fit. I think we have very good strikers at this club and I think we have the players to make chances as well.''

McClaren, however, is without three attacking players through injury. Slovakian international Szilard Nemeth, signed from Inter Bratislava by the Robson regime, is still a week or two away from his debut after undergoing a hernia operation this summer, while Noel Whelan (foot) and Carlos Marinelli (hamstring) are also sidelined. Left-back Dean Gordon (thigh) is Boro's other casualty.

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