MIDDLESBROUGH chief executive Keith Lamb has warned Steve McClaren to forget about the January sales until measures have been taken to reduce the size of his squad.

At a time when influential midfielder George Boateng has moved closer to signing a new contract with the club, Lamb has delivered a quite damning end-of-year report with the transfer window set to reopen.

McClaren is desperate to strengthen in certain areas of his squad, with Sporting Lisbon's Rudolph Douala top of his wanted list, but has been warned players must depart first.

Boro have received a couple of tentative inquiries but none are at an advanced stage and it seems even Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink, reportedly earning around £40,000 a week, could be one of those moved on.

Beyond the Dutchman, the usual names touted around, like Szilard Nemeth and Massimo Maccarone, could be made available in an attempt to free up funds for fresh faces.

"We know Steve would like to strengthen in certain positions," said Lamb, speaking in his official match-day programme notes for today's visit of Manchester City.

"As we always have, the club will do all it can to help the manager in that regard. But Steve is aware that we have a big squad, with surplus players in certain positions. It's therefore reasonable to expect players to leave the club before we make more new signings."

Lamb was also quite categorical in his defence of the club's ticket prices, which have come under scrutiny from fans as attendances at the Riverside Stadium have continued to stumble.

He went as far as to suggest that the Boro hierarchy are willing to reduce prices so long as supporters accept that funds available for new talent may not be as high as they have been in the past.

"I must reiterate that every penny we earn is re-invested back into the team and the fabric of the football club," said Lamb, knowing there have been just two 30,000-plus home attendances this season.

"If the solution to filling the ground is reducing ticket prices, then we will have to cut our cloth accordingly. Eventually, Teesside will have the football club the town's resources can afford."

The news that players will have to be shipped out before more come through the door is a major blow to McClaren, who is currently going through one of his worst periods in charge.

Boro have claimed just five points from a possible 21 with only one win in those seven games.

Having been denied so many of his players through injury this season - Fabio Rochemback is the latest to be sidelined with a calf problem - he was keen on drafting in new blood when the transfer window re-opens for a month tomorrow.

"When players become available you would like to get them. The chairman has always backed us in the past and I am sure he will again," said McClaren, knowing around £5m could be needed if he is to prise Douala from Sporting.

"The situation at the moment, as stated by Keith Lamb and the chairman, is that we have to get players out. I would like to do something to improve and strengthen in midfield, but the situation is we have to look the other way and get players out first."

Before anyone leaves, midfielder Boateng, who is currently in Holland nursing ankle ligament damage, could agree to sign a new contract with the Teesside outfit.

He is free to talk to clubs from Sunday, with his deal due to expire at the end of the season, and has edged closer to agreeing terms, having turned down the first offer a few months ago.

To tie down Boateng would be a great confidence booster to the whole Boro camp as they hover closer to the relegation zone than the Premiership's top six.

Ahead of today's visit of City to the Riverside, McClaren has appealed to supporters to stick with the team through a testing period.

"Confidence is a very fragile state in sport. You can lose it very quickly and you can get it back very quickly," said McClaren, who welcomes back James Morrison after concussion, though Gareth Southgate is a doubt with a dead leg.

"At the moment we are going through a phase where you can see confidence evaporate, especially in home games, and if we concede the first goal you can see that when things don't go right.

"I am appealing to the fans to stick behind us and the players on the park. We are all in it together and we all feel it exactly the same. We know how the fans are feeling and the only way forward is to get behind each other.

"The league table always concerns me and looking down at the relegation zone, that is becoming an issue. But we are only halfway through the season. Our target is always to qualify for Europe."

Middlesbrough (possible): Schwarzer; Parnaby, Riggott, Ehiogu, Queudrue; Morrison, Doriva, Mendieta, Pogatetz; Viduka, Yakubu. Subs (from): Jones, Hasselbaink, Maccarone, Johnson, Wheater, Cattermole, Bates.

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