STEVE McCLAREN yesterday backed the FA's plans to introduce a winter break to English football.

Germany, Italy, Spain and France all enjoy a mid-season break around the Festive season and the first winter break in England is planned for the 2005/06 season, ahead of the World Cup in Germany.

The Middlesbrough boss confessed the break can't come soon enough.

The Teessiders are already counting the cost of the Festive period after only one game when striker Mark Viduka was added to Boro's lengthy injury list against Birmingham on Boxing Day, with a reoccurrence of a hamstring injury.

His Blues' counterpart Steve Bruce was also rocked with injuries to both Emile Heskey and David Dunn.

McClaren believes these injuries are only the tip of the iceberg and added clubs will only suffer further over the Christmas programme.

"I am a fan of the Christmas break," said McClaren. "I think it is a must. We saw a great game of intensity against Birmingham and over the next ten days that intensity will probably deteriorate more.

"All those in Germany, Italy and Spain are sat with their feet up while we're still playing but we have to deal with that.

"I know a lot of the players and managers in the Premier League, and the England manager, would like a winter break to fall in line with all the other European countries and it would give us a far better chance to recover."

If the Boro boss is unhappy at having to play four games in ten days he was positively apoplectic at being made to travel such a long distance to fulfil a Boxing Day fixture, and asked the FA to arrange games around the Christmas holiday period a bit closer to home.

"We have to get used to travelling over Christmas, but how you can get us travelling three-and-a-half hours on a Christmas night is beyond me," said a disgruntled McClaren.

"I was talking to Steve Bruce before the game and they have go to Newcastle on New Year's Day, which is four-and-a-half hours!

"I'm sure they (The FA) could find fixtures a lot more local where we don't have to travel as far as we have. We wouldn't have a problem with playing Newcastle on a Boxing Day, it would be a great fixture."

The Boro boss admitted that if someone had offered fifth place at the start of the season going into the Christmas period then he would have gladly accepted.

The achievement is all the more remarkable considering they have sustained an assault for a Champions League place with a crippling injury list.

Viduka's setback, added to injuries to George Boateng and Chris Riggott, means the Teessiders are now short in every department.

But with the January transfer window less than a week away McClaren admitted he will be looking to strengthen his squad.

He said: "We are short of players and we know that, and we feel we need to do something, but where you get them from I haven't got a clue, because clubs want to keep all of their best players.

"It is going to difficult, but at some point we are going to have to try and improve our squad and get some more bodies in.

"We have put ourselves in a great position and it would be a shame to waste it in the second half of the season because of injuries.

"But in January there is an opportunity to do something about it, and it is one where we will be working very hard to make sure we have a very good second half of the season.

"We are looking for players in every position. We have problems at centre half at the present moment; we don't have cover at left-back; we're short in midfield and now we have Viduka out for a couple of weeks - so about ten players will do it!"

With Norwich visiting the Riverside today, the Boro boss is looking for a marked improvement to their 2-0 defeat at Birmingham.

McClaren accepted his team was not at their best in the midlands on Sunday, but wasn't unduly concerned about the performance as every team under performs on occasions.

He said: "We are very lucky we don't have seven or ten days to reflect on the defeat to Birmingham and, hopefully, I should not need to motivate my players.

"They were very disappointed and know they have let themselves and the supporters down, and we need the supporters and the players on Tuesday because it is a big game for us now."

McClaren acknowledged since his side lifted the Carling Cup, expectations on Teesside have become greater and is ready to act.

He is not prepared to let the club stagnate and wants to take the club even further forward.

"Since we have won the Carling Cup there is a greater expectancy and we have all had to raise our standards, confessed McClaren.

"We have done that and great credit to the players.

"They have been magnificent in the first half of the season and we're in fifth position on merit.

"We have done that by bringing in players to raise the standard - and the players who were already here have raised that standard - but we can't have too many days like we did against Birmingham.

"Every team has days like these but it's how you come back and react.

"In the past we have done very well. After Chelsea we went 12 games unbeaten, after Tottenham we won the next three, so I'm looking for a reaction after this one.

"I think it's a sign of a good team to see how they react to a defeat. We have shown great character in the past and normally away from home we show that

"But I'm looking forward to Tuesday to see that.

"I would have took fifth place at the start of the season and we're delighted with things but we have achieved nothing.

"We have said to the players we can't afford performances like Sunday.

"Football does have a habit of kicking you at the wrong moment when you're flying but the Birmingham's game was a wake up call."