Tottenham collapse

FA PREMIERSHIP/Tottenham ... 0 Middlesbrough ... 3: This was the kind of performance that Tottenham fans hoped was in store when they went top a month ago. Attacking football, built on good passing and movement, laced with flamboyant touches. Sure enough, they saw it on Saturday, but it all came from the unlikely lads of Middlesbrough.

Not so unlikely really, because Steve McClaren's team have attracted admirers outside Teesside even before bringing the message to north London. This was like a slaughter of the innocents, or in hapless Tottenham's case, of the injured, and to deepen the Spurs' wound further, it could have been more ruthless.

Now in third place, McClaren has to try even harder to play down talk of a place in Europe next season. But even Boro's manager, level-headed to a fault, could not disguise his confidence in his side. "There's a lot more to come from this team," he said. Even more alarming for future opponents is that McClaren had momentarily forgotten that he has Juninho to enrich the mix.

Talking of the exotic, Massimo Maccarone has already received able assistance from Szilard Nemeth and now Alen Boksic in his rapid adaptation to the Premiership. Yet the Italian striker believes the Brazilian will add a thrilling dimension to Boro's play. "The partnership up front is very important," said Maccarone, "and getting Juninho back will be even more important." He faces a long wait, however, because Juninho is unlikely to be fit until the New Year. Yet on this evidence, who would he replace? It'd be cruel to drop anyone from this side, which threw up at least four contenders for man of the match. Perverse as it may seem, given the Italian's first away goal and his creation of the two others, he was not among the quartet.

Hoddle now has 14 players probably unavailable for "a difficult game, a test for us and the supporters" tomorrow when Cardiff visit in the League Cup.

TOTTENHAM: Keller, Richards, Thatcher, Ziege (Doherty 12), Bunjevcevic, Redknapp, Etherington, Davies, Iversen (Acimovic 67), Ferdinand (Sheringham 45), Keane. Subs Not Used: Hirschfeld, Ricketts. Booked: Davies.

MIDDLESBROUGH: Schwarzer, Stockdale, Queudrue, Ehiogu, Southgate, Greening, Geremi, Job, Boateng (Wilkshire 84), Maccarone, Boksic. Subs Not Used: Crossley, Cooper, Whelan, Marinelli. Booked: Queudrue. Goals: Maccarone 33, Geremi 55, Job 58.

Referee: G Poll (Hertfordshire).