MIDDLESBROUGH defender Ugo Ehiogu last night called for the rest of Steve McClaren's squad to take the pressure off star striker Alen Boksic.

Top-scorer Boksic is beginning to come under fire from the Riverside faithful after a barren spell.

Boro have scored once in their last five games, and that was a fortunate strike from the Croatian which resulted in his side winning 1-0 at Blackburn.

Szilard Nemeth, Hamilton Ricard and Noel Whelan, who could make his first start of the season against Fulham today, have all played alongside Boksic without finding a solution.

But the 32-year-old, in-form, remains a vital part of the McClaren plan and Boksic's six goals in 12 Premiership appearances this season is testament to that.

Ehiogu believes that Boro need to stop relying so heavily on the club's first-choice forward.

"Alen Boksic always has two or three defenders round him and we've got to help him out," said Ehiogu, who has formed an impressive partnership at the back with Gareth Southgate.

"We know he will come good again and score goals sooner rather than later. But maybe we've looked to him too much.

"Others have got to score. We're not getting enough from midfield and the back four have scored only one or two.

"Szilard played seven or eight games with Alen, a good run. But everyone expects a bit more off Szil. With missing pre-season he does need that extra bit of time to get his fitness up to standard and the sooner the better."

McClaren is backing Boksic to get back on the goal-scoring trail soon.

He said: "There is no bigger player than Alen, he has achieved success at all levels and he is a world- class finisher.

"There's no doubting he will prove it again. We know he just needs a goal and they will start to roll in.

"What we have seen in training just this week shows there's no better finisher. But it's a team thing not just an individual thing."

Ehiogu has indicated he hopes to get his first goal of the season sooner rather than later.

The England international also suggested that wingers Jonathan Greening and Carlos Marinelli, who is facing a late fitness test this morning on an ankle problem, should start to shoot on sight.

"I've been due a goal as well," said Ehiogu. "We've been working on it in training, at set pieces.

"Once we get one we're liable to see a succession from corners and set pieces. It's a matter of believing.

"If you go up to think you'll score you will, instead of being an ornament.

"My average is three or four. I've always said it should be higher, seven or eight, but I've claimed the service wasn't good enough.

"Also, Carlos and Jonathan Greening don't shoot enough. That's my only criticism of them. Instead of coming inside and pulling the trigger, we take another touch into a crowded area. We need to shoot more, be greedier, to see an end product.

"We need to kill teams off, like Manchester United. They had their good spell and punished us last week."

Two defeats against United and Liverpool in recent weeks have left Boro looking over their shoulders at the relegation zone.

While McClaren's men were not expected to take any points from either game, there are only five points separating them from the bottom three.

And 29-year-old Ehiougu believes they need to overcome Jean Tigana's exciting Fulham side.

"The game is very important," he said. "Things creep up and you start to look over your shoulder.

"This is a chance to take a bit of pressure off. Teams are starting to breathe down our necks.

"But I don't see a relegation threat. The team is solid and competitive and hard to beat.

"We aim to reach safety, then we can show what we can do. A couple of wins on the spin and you shoot up the table."

Full back Curtis Fleming has returned to Boro after turning down the chance of extending his loan move to Birmingham for another month.

Fleming was willing to move only on a permanent basis. If a deal is done, the Irishman will join centre-back Steve Vickers at St Andrews after his £500,000 switch last week.

Goalkeeper Chris Bennion has been given a free transfer by Boro and is to join Scunthorpe United on a permanent basis.

Bennion, 21, has spent recent months on loan with Scunthorpe. For Boro, he made one first team appearance, playing 90 minutes of a 2-1 Worthington Cup win over Macclesfield in September 2000.

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