McClaren resets safety levels for Boro

Middlesbrough head for Southampton tonight determined to remove the need to look over their shoulders.

Steve McClaren's side dragged themselves to within eight points of their manager's safety target with a hard-fought 1-0 win over Leicester on Saturday. That gave the Teessiders breathing space above the developing battle against relegation, but McClaren insists that they cannot afford to relax until they have amassed 42 points.

The same total last season was more than enough to keep Boro, then under the leadership of Terry Venables and Bryan Robson, in the Premiership.

With 10 games remaining, McClaren is desperate to end their latest fears as soon as possible, and with Liverpool at home and Manchester United away to follow the trip to St Mary's stadium, he knows that will be anything but straightforward. "Three or four games ago, I think we were fourth bottom and people were talking about slipping into the bottom three," he said. "Four games later, we end up eight points away. We are collecting points at the moment, we are getting results, we are hard to beat, we are grinding out results and we are showing tremendous character, tremendous attitude and organisation in our game.

"That's getting us results, but to set a realistic target is very, very difficult at this present moment. I have been saying for a couple of weeks now that we are really at the crossroads where, if we continue and get a couple more results over the next two or three games then yes, we can be looking ahead. If we don't, then we will be looking over our shoulder."

Boro have conceded five goals in 10 games in all competitions, and it is that meanness which has paved the way for their climb up the table and progression to the FA Cup quarter-finals.

McClaren admits some of the football his side has played in recent weeks has been attritional, but he insists the priority remains reaching safety .

"They got 42 points last year and we are looking to get that and go above that as quickly as possible," he said. "After that, you can start to look a little bit more into the future than if you are scrapping and trying to get those 42 points all the way to the last game.

"We have got to make sure we take advantage of our recent form and the gap that we have created for ourselves. Saturday's result will go to waste if we don't collect anything tomorrow at Southampton and give the other teams an opportunity.

"All we have to do is concentrate on what we are doing and making sure that we do our job and get our results, and the rest will take care of itself.

Boro will again be without the injured trio of Phil Stamp, Mark Wilson and Hamilton Ricard, although McClaren is hopeful of having Paul Ince, Robbie Stockdale and Jonathan Greening fit after picking up knocks against Leicester.

But one man who seems certain to figure once again is the Italian striker Benito Carbone, who is proving as big a hit off the pitch as he is on it.

"He has been excellent," said McClaren. "He is not an ounce of trouble. He is the last one to leave the training field and he has an enthusiasm just for playing football.

"He is certainly brightened the place up around here and certainly brightened the fans up as well. He doesn't just show nice skills and eye-pleasing ability, he's very effective at what he does, and not only that, he works damn hard for the team as well."

For Saints, the former Blackpool striker Brett Ormerod will be lining up Middlesbrough as his next target after netting his first top-flight goal against Ipswich at the weekend. Ormerod will make his full home debut as a reward for scoring one of the goals in Southampton's 3-1 premiership win at Portman Road on Saturday.

Ormerod said: "I have to take the chances while they are available. When James Beattie and Marian Pahars are fit again it is going to be difficult to stay in the side. I was pleased to get off the mark against Ipswich. It gave me a huge lift because I am not 100 per cent fit yet. I am nearly there but I need more matches and one or two training sessions and then I reckon I will have got my sharpness back."

The Saint's leading scorer Pahars, fit after a hip injury kept him out at Ipswich, must be content with a place on the bench while James Beattie, who had scored 12 this season until he dislocated his ankle against Manchester United, is still at least a week away from being ready.

Paul Telfer is likely to continue at right-back as Jason Dodd is still recovering from a knee injury.