However, McClaren is confident Aiyegbeni Yakubu, Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink and Mark Viduka, who have scored 46 goals between them so far this season, can drag them back into contention.

“We need to score goals and we need to score them at home,” he said. “We have done that – if we can score four against Bolton, we can score four against anybody.

“We are one of the top scorers in the Premier League. With Hasselbaink, Viduka and Yakubu, whoever plays is going to be a threat.

“We didn’t do enough of that this evening, but we will do at the Riverside. It’s not the ideal situation, 2-0 at half-time, but we have home advantage, we know we can play better and we know we can score goals.”

Boro looked to be in little danger as the half-time whistle approached, but their game-plan was ripped apart as Basle struck with devastating effect.

First keeper Mark Schwarzer was horrified to see Matias Delgado’s dipping shot explode off the turf in front of him and fly into the back of the net with 43 minutes gone.

But worse was to follow when striker Eduardo played in David Degen behind central defender Emanuel Pogatetz – who later suffered a suspected fractured skull and a badly-broken nose in a clash of heads with Mladen Petric – and the midfielder took full advantage.

The salvo radically altered McClaren’s half-time team-talk, although he was pleased with the response of his players after the break.

“We felt we had to keep a clean sheet in the second half, that was the number one priority,” he said. “A third goal would have left us an Everest to climb.

“They did that, they concentrated, they were disciplined and we controlled the game again without really threatening in front of goal.

“That was the disappointing part of the performance, the lack of concentration for the two goals and us not creating enough opportunities going forward.”

The game was marred at half-time by fighting in the crowd, and it was later confirmed that one steward had been injured and one Boro fan arrested.

However, as the Teessiders headed for home, it was the Swiss who were celebrating, although manager Christian Gross was not getting too carried away.

“No, it’s not over, it’s not over at all,” he said. “We have taken the first step and it is a very important step, but in front of us is a very tough football match.

“English teams never give in and we will prepare for this game in the best way. But we are able to score away from home, and I guess we might need to at Middlesbrough.”