STEVE McCLAREN admitted last night he is no closer to finding a cure to end his side's travel-sickness.

Boro have now won just once in 12 Premiership matches away from home and McClaren was in no mood for making excuses after yesterday's 1-0 defeat at Fulham. McClaren has stood by his players for the majority of his side's failings outside Teesside, but he confessed last night that the bad run has become a mental factor now.

"What we saw was a team who have lost eight away games in a row," said the Boro boss. "We keep getting beaten and that does erode confidence and self-belief.

"We picked up in the second half, but we did not manage to score in the spell that we had.

"Confidence does erode if you don't win games and I can't defend the performances. Fulham deserved the victory."

And McClaren conceded that had Boro been able to reproduce their home form at other top-flight stadiums then a top-six finish may not have been beyond them.

"Anyone who has watched us at home will know that we are more than a match for any team in the League," he said.

"We are the only team in the Premiership to have an unbeaten home record now, that shows just what we are capable of.

"But away from home it is the complete opposite. That's where the Jekyll and Hyde in us comes out.

"But we have amassed 30 points now - that's home and away. We should have been looking at a higher placing, but it's our away form that's letting us down."

McClaren is still hoping to bring Derby pair Malcolm Christie and Chris Riggott in on three month loans, but the Rams are continuing to stall over allowing the duo to leave.

But the Boro boss is hopeful of bringing in new blood before the transfer window closes at the end of the month. He said: "We are trying to get players, I have said that all along. We have got injuries to players and we do miss those players.

"I hope we can bring someone in before the end of January. I think we need a couple more players just to give us an injection."

Fulham's assistant manager Christian Damiano, meanwhile, insisted his side were the better of the two teams. He said: "It is important this victory because we played a bit in difficult conditions. We played some good football at times and I think we will go on now from here."

And Jean Tigana's number two believes Fulham's match-winner Sean Davis is set to hit form. Davis' nice finish in the first half claimed the win for the Cottagers and Damiano thinks the midfielder could force his way into the England reckoning.

"Sean Davis had a fantastic game against Liverpool and he has had another day," he said. "He has great spirit and he keeps improving all the time."

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