Boro to Strengthen in January??

On the day he left the England coaching setup, Boro boss Steve McClaren refused to rule out strengthening the squad when the transfer window opens. McClaren has spent close to £30 million in his 16 months on Teesside and has assembled a young exciting squad. But he today stressed that he is always on the lookout for players.

"We are constantly assessing the squad to see if it needs strengthening. It's not a case of suddenly deciding that we must buy a player, it's an ongoing process."

He has also been backed by Keith Lamb, who said that if McClaren identified a player he wanted then the club would do what they can to get the player.

In other news, Boro defender Jason Gavin today joined Paul Groves' Grimsby Town on a months loan.