GORDON STRACHAN expects to have landed a couple more players before Swansea arrive at the Riverside Stadium on Saturday.

Having failed in his attempt to land Gary Caldwell, the Middlesbrough manager is trying to find another centreback which he feels can add steel to the Boro backline.

There is also a determination to find firepower, with Birmingham veteran Kevin Phillips, Rangers’ Kris Boyd and Celtic’s Scott McDonald his preferred choices.

With winger Mark Yeates, who only moved to Teesside from Colchester in the summer, set for a £500,000 move to Sheffield United today after undergoing a medical yesterday, Strachan could also do with adding a winger and he has made fresh contact with QPR for Wayne Routledge.

“I have to try and make a whole team and then look at the play-off places afterwards,”

said Strachan, whose side are six points adrift of sixth place.

“I need to make us more whole, not bring in a whole new team.

“Instead of relying on one or two players we need to be a whole team to get through games.

“I would hope we would have some new signings this week. What am I looking for?

That would be telling.”

With Yeates expected to depart, Strachan knows to make the changes he would like he could do with having more money to spend.

But he is reluctant to cash in on Emanuel Pogatetz and Adam Johnson – both are out of contract in the summer – at this stage, with Wolves and Birmingham said to be ready to offer £6.5m for the latter.

Strachan would also rebuff offers for skipper Gary O’Neil that do not meet the club’s valuation.

On Thursday Blackburn boss Sam Allardyce hinted he would be interested in O’Neil.

The Middlesbough captain said: “I didn’t know anything about it until a few of the lads asked me about it. I believe he was asked a question about me, he didn’t instigate it. I don’t know anything about it.

“I am trying everything I can as captain of this club to get this club back up towards the top of the league.”

With Jeremie Aliadiere an injury worry again after hobbling off with a recurrence of an ankle problem, Strachan needs reinforcements, particularly after Marcus Bent returned to Birmingham after Saturday’s defeat.

But he is trying to remain optimistic that his new players can help to improve a run that has seen them lose six of their last seven matches.

“It’s a concern. I don’t just go home and whistle away and think life’s great. Fortunately I’ve been around 13 years doing this job,” said Strachan.

“It’s not great, it’s not nice and I wouldn’t recommend it for anyone but you have to deal with it.

“It’s not great for us at the moment but we have to deal with that and make it better.

“There’s been a lot of teams that come on strong late in this league and we have to try and do that. Once we have everyone fit – because we still have players missing – we will hopefully improve.

“Our new signings did alright.

I thought Barry made an impression. Wee Willo did very well in winning knock downs and driving from midfield and looked tidy with his passing.

“I thought Chris, who has not had many games, brought the ball down well for us in the first half.”