PAUL Ince has told new Middlesbrough boss, Steve McClaren, he can put away the travel sickness pills.

The Guv'nor reckons it's Boro's home form that needs sorting if they are to achieve their ambitions of a top 10 finish in the Premiership.

McClaren, who launched his managerial career with a 4-0 defeat at home to Arsenal on Saturday, brings his new charges to the Reebok aiming to dent Wanderers hopes of making a winning start to their home programme.

And on last season's form, Boro could prove a tough nut to crack,

Skipper Ince recalls: "If you look at our away record last season, it was second only to Manchester United, but we didn't do well enough at home.

"Not so many years ago, Middlesbrough had a very good record at home, and we've got to get back to the way it was then.

"I remember coming here with Liverpool in the League Cup and we lost 3-1. It was always hard to win here.

"If we can do that and continue our away form, we've got every chance of being in the top 10."

Boro were relieved to finish 14th after a traumatic season, owing an enormous debt of gratitude to former England manager, Terry Venables, who arrived like a night in shining armour to rescue the Teessiders.

But the survival mission was not enough to save Bryan Robson's job - his departure paving the way for McClaren, previously Alex Ferguson's assistant at Old Trafford, to see if his management ability can match his coaching talents.

Boro were quick to strengthen their defensive hand by snapping up Gareth Southgate in a £6.5 million transfer from Aston Villa and took their summer spending through the £10m mark when McClaren went back to Manchester United to take Jonathan Greening and Mark Wilson -- both Wanderers' targets -- off Fergie's hands for a combined fee of £4 million.

At least McClaren knows he will not be pressured unduly as he tries to plot a course through the managerial minefield.

Chairman Steve Gibson was famously loyal and supportive of Robson and, although acknowledging the fans' unease, he believes the brand of football under McClaren should convert the doubters.

"The changes we've undertaken seem to have gone down very well with the fans and they have give us their tacit support by buying 22,000 season tickets," he told Boro's official website.

"We're all full of hope and ambition and it will be interesting to see how it develops."

Gibson, the club's majority shareholder, is tight-lipped about his own targets and aspirations.

"We have targets but if we go public with them it can increase expectancy and put pressure on everyone at the club," he added.

"People have talked about being in the top 10, but let's take every game one at a time and see how it develops.

"This is a sport and I look upon it as a sport, although I realise not everyone else does.

"What I'm concerned about is the good fortune and the good health of Middlesbrough Football Club.

"There's an expectancy here and the fans have shown their support by buying 22,000 season tickets. We want to be selling 30,000, but we have to earn that right. They haven't lost their passion for us, but they may have become a bit frustrated with us." NEW BOSS: Steve McClaren hopes to spoil Wanderer's Reebok party WHITE FEATHER DAY: Ravanelli celebrates scoring against Rovers