A SATISFIED Steve McClaren last night claimed Middlesbrough were the Premiership's new entertainers after their 3-0 win over Dnipro took them to the brink of the UEFA Cup's knockout phase.

Mark Viduka's second-half double followed hot on the heels of Yakubu's seventh goal of the season to maintain the feelgood factor that was created by Saturday's thrilling win over Manchester United.

That 4-1 success took Boro's Premiership goals tally to 15 - a record bettered only by Chelsea - and silenced the critics who had branded McClaren's side 'boring' earlier in the season.

"Someone mentioned that record to me before the game," said the Boro boss. "We've scored three more goals tonight and that's obviously very pleasing. We are also still to concede a goal in this competition.

"We were also the fourth-top scorers in the league last season so, when people were levelling things at us, of course we felt it was unfair.

"We know we've got strikers capable of scoring and we always look to score goals. All three of them (Viduka, Yakubu and Jimmy-Floyd Hasselbaink) are capable of finding the net.

"Perhaps I'm going to have find another system so I can get all three of them in!"

Systems have dominated much of the discussion at the Riverside this season but, by switching to 5-3-2, McClaren finally seems to have hit upon a formation that maximises the resources at his disposal.

"We've looked very comfortable with this formation," he said. "It gives us a solid platform at the back and allows us to play two strikers up front.

"The last three performances have proved that everyone is comfortable with it.

"We've had three good wins and scored eight goals - we're delighted with that return. The system's going well and we'll run with it until such time as it proves unsuccessful."

Yakubu's opener came at the end of an uneventful first half, but Boro improved markedly after the interval and eventually ran out routine winners.

"I was disappointed with our performance before the break," said McClaren. "But I thought we upped the tempo in the second half and gradually started to dominate. In the end, I thought we were comfortable winners."

Middlesbrough now need just one more point to confirm their qualification for the UEFA Cup's last 32, with this month's trip to AZ Alkmaar to be followed by a home game with Bulgarians Litex Lovech in December.

Alkmaar started the group as firm favourites, but after losing to the Dutch side in the Ukraine last month, Dnipro's caretaker manager claimed Boro were the superior outfit.

"I think Middlesbrough are stronger," said Vadim Tishchenko. "They have a higher class of players and are certainly better in terms of their individual technique."

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