FURIOUS Steve McClaren last night blasted his Middlesbrough players by declaring: "You have let yourselves and everyone at the club down.''

Boro were knocked aside with ease by a Charlton side revelling with an injection of pace in the forward line and a lively performance from Danny Murphy, who was hailed by his manager as the best midfielder in the country.

But McClaren, who will spend the next ten days or so with the England squad as Sven-Goran Eriksson's assistant, is not too concerned with the way the Addicks performed, just annoyed by the display of his own team.

The Boro boss is expected to strengthen his own midfield before the closure of the transfer window on Wednesday, while he is also expected to have to deal with a £6m bid for Mark Viduka - an offer likely to be rejected.

But McClaren, aware of the huge number of supporters that jeered his side's defeat and the large numbers that left the Riverside early, said: "It was totally unacceptable and I didn't recognise that to the Middlesbrough sides I have put out in the last four years.

"I don't fault the fans for the way they reacted, we have let them all down. It's quite understandable.

"It was roughly the same side that played on Tuesday and that was a shadow of the team that beat Birmingham. We have had bad days at the office and we have responded and come back. We made sure the next game is far better and that's what we have to do in the next fortnight.

"Sometimes these things happen in sport. You can't accept them but you have to find out the reason why.

"There were a lot of individuals out there who let themselves down. That will be made known to them. Performances like that are not going to be accepted."

Earlier in the day McClaren, who wouldn't allow any of his players to speak to the media after the defeat, signalled his intentions to become England manager in the future and has been tipped to succeed Eriksson after next year's World Cup.

Pressure has mounted on the Swede since England's 4-1 friendly defeat to Denmark and McClaren believes his record is good enough to suggest he can take over his country one day.

"I am very ambitious but I've got to keep achieving at Middlesbrough to maybe get an opportunity later on in my career,'' he said. "I've been working with England for three or four years now. All that experience is useful.

"I achieved a lot at Manchester United. I always worked with the top players, I have come here and become the first (English manager) in ten years to win a trophy. Those are the credentials I believe I have got."

Charlton boss Curbishley claims Eriksson should look no further than Murphy for England's midfield.

Murphy set two goals up and his boss said: "We may have only played three games but Danny has been the best midfield player in the country bar none."

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