Crowd target Christian Ziege looks likely to sidestep the ordeal of a return to the Riverside Stadium with in-form Liverpool today.

Ziege, the top name on a list of high-priced players who walked out on Middlesbrough, was omitted from the Liverpool line-up which beat Arsenal 4-0 on Saturday.

The former AC Milan wing-back was not even on the bench for the win at Anfield because of injury. And it looks as though the setback will rescue him from the torrid test of facing fans who have made him public enemy number one.

Ziege has even overtaken names like Fabrizio Ravanelli, Emerson and Paul Merson to become Teesside's leading hate male.

Boro have officially matched the hostility of their fans towards the 28-year-old Euro 2000 performer.

They removed his face from the cover of a club video and offered to replace free any shirts carrying his name.

Boro reluctantly accepted a £5.5m fee from Liverpool but are now awaiting the outcome of an appeal to the Premier League and a demand for a further £2.5m.

Chairman Steve Gibson said: "The way it was done maximised the damage at our football club. We haven't closed the option of taking the matter outside football."

Ziege has not been a success at Anfield. Dropped after looking out of place at left back in a flat back four, he has been used sparingly since at wing-back or in midfield.

Ziege has an educated left foot and is dangerous going forward but his defensive qualities are low-grade - as Boro fans know from results like the FA Cup exit at Wrexham last season when he was badly caught out.

Liverpool have also discovered that. But manager Gerard Houllier claims he will turn Ziege into a bona fide left-back, and meanwhile is playing the right-footed Jamie Carragher there.

Liverpool's results are starting to improve with stunning wins over Manchester United and Arsenal, athough with six defeats already it looks too late for a title challenge.

Boro coach Terry Venables said: "They're getting there, but they'll still have problem areas. And, hopefully, we can cause a few of them.

"But they should be doing well, they've got a lot of top players.

"Liverpool will still have their hiccups, but they've had two great results that will put a spring in their stride."

Boro have taken four points from the two games since Venables started selecting the side and coaching the players - after a run of one point from 27 - and he joked: "It's amazing what happens when a team gets a bit of luck.

"But we're looking and feeling better and our confidence is growing. But we've got to keep going."

At 57, the former England coach says: ''I'm really enjoying it. I'm working with a bunch of blokes who care about the position they are in and want to get out of it. They want to listen and learn the ideas I'm trying to get across to them.

''We have some very good players but I'm trying to point them in a new direction. It is not that they are lacking in anything elementary because that infers they haven't got the basic professionalism and that's not right

Venables insists demoted Boro boss Bryan Robson is still playing a significant role in their partnership but it is obvious El Tel is the man in total charge now.

Robson was in the dug-out on Saturda,with Venables emerging from the main stand to join him on the line about 25 minutes into the game.

At White Hart Lane Venables showed he's as adept as ever at getting a result.

''I've got to be satisfied with a point,'' he admitted after Tottenham battered away at the solid Boro defence with more enthusiasm than subtlety, but also no luck, especially when substitute striker Chris Armstrong had two second-half ''goals" controversially disallowed.

Croatia striker Alen Boksic who started only his ninth Boro game following knee and hamstring problems, is expected to be fit for action against Liverpool, despite coming off 15 minutes from time at Spurs.

But Paul Ince and Brian Deane face fitness tests on groin injuries and Colombian striker Hamilton Ricard completes a three-match suspension.

Recent £7m signing Ugo Ehiogu looks a certain starter in defence after his most impressive performance so far for Boro and French midfielder Christian Karembeu is also likely to get an extended run. in the side.

''He's done very well.'' said Venables. ''Like everybody at the club he's been under a bit of pressure but for me he's looked better every game. For a skilful player his energy levels are very high and he's now producing a lot of the good things we expect from him.''

Venables will call on Sky TV for the recordings of the two Liverpool games and says: ''Although they've obviously had a terrific 4-0 win at home to Arsenal it is the win over Manchester United, away from home, that I want to study most.