HAVING watched Middlesbrough concede just once in three matches, manager Steve McClaren has warned his defence to be ready for a completely different threat tomorrow.

Boro's new-look three-man defence of Chris Riggott, Franck Queudrue and Matthew Bates successfully coped with the ball skills of Ruud van Nistelrooy and Wayne Rooney a week ago, while they also thwarted advances from Ukrainians Dnipro on Thursday.

And tomorrow, when they return to the ground where their recent revival started, the triumvirate could come up against an Everton strikeforce in the old-fashioned centre-forward mould.

Toffees' boss David Moyes is considering pairing Duncan Ferguson and James Beattie up front against the Teessiders, having failed to break them down ten days ago in the Carling Cup.

And McClaren said: "Ferguson and Beattie would be a completely different test. But that's the Premier League. You get different problems every week.

"When we come up against those two, if they are playing, we will have to deal with a different proposition to what we have had to deal with in the last two. But that's part and parcel of life at this level. My players should look forward to that sort of test."

Everton head into the fixture on the back of their first victory of the season - at the tenth time of asking - at Birmingham last weekend and Moyes wants to reproduce that performance in front of the Goodison Park faithful.

But McClaren, in confident mood again after three wins in separate competitions, insists consistency is the key to ensuring Boro claim a European place again next season. But he would not talk up chances of a push for a Champions League spot.

"We are not even thinking about the Champions League. It's being in contention for a European place by February-March time that we are looking at," said McClaren, who expects wing-back Stuart Parnaby to be fit after taking a knock against Dnipro.

"We want to be in a position where we have a better finish to the season. We didn't last season. We want to stretch all the way through this time."

Meanwhile, rejuvenated Gaizka Mendieta has declared he is back to his best after turning on the style in recent games.

Mendieta followed up Saturday's outstanding display against Manchester United with a confident display against Dnipro on Wednesday, when he had a part to play in Aiyegbeni Yakubu's opening goal.

And the 31-year-old Spaniard, who spent the majority of last season out with a cruciate knee ligament injury, said: "It's been hard. You work so hard but after so long out you lose your idea of the game and it was very important for me because the supporters can see that I am now back on my feet and playing my game.

"It was important for me to play well in these last few games. That's what I needed. When you come back, you need to play and get the pace of the game.

"I'm really enjoying it. It's been a long time, but now everything is fine and I'm feeling better. I'm comfortable with the system and playing in the middle.

"When you are fit again, you enjoy just being on the pitch and playing and when you score two goals, you feel really pleased that your sacrifice has been worth it, all that time you have been away."

* Bernie Slaven will be signing copies of his autobiography Legend? in Billingham and Middlesbrough today.

The Boro goalscoring great will sign copies of his 310-page hardback from 11am-midday in the Book Inn, Billingham, and from 2-3pm at Waterstones in Captain Cook Square, Middlesbrough.

Sponsored by the Hillstreet shopping centre, all profits from the book will be donated to Redcar's Ann Charlton Lodge for multiple sclerosis sufferers.

Read more about Middlesbrough here.