Middlesbro - 0 Charlton - 3: When Steve McClaren was interviewed on English national radio yesterday morning the chat centred on the Champions League and his prospects of some day coaching England. Succumbing to a dangerously flattering line of interrogation, Middlesbrough's manager was drawn into discussing his team's title-challenging potential before agreeing that he has "the credentials" to take charge of the national team.

Talk about tempting fate.

Well before the end The Riverside echoed to chants of "McClaren for England", the only trouble being that such choruses were strictly ironic and delivered by both sets of fans, many of whom must be wondering why Charlton's Alan Curbishley seems to have slipped so far back in the field to replace Sven-Goran Eriksson.

Curbishley is reputedly a little miffed, but he reminded everyone of his own qualities here as Charlton won a third successive game in what has been an impressive start to the campaign.

Equally encouragingly they are winning courtesy of some gloriously kaleidoscopic passing and movement, with their pivotal moves tending to feature the excellent Danny Murphy.

"We played ever so well, but Danny has been the best midfielder in the country by a mile since the season began; he should not be discounted by England," said Curbishley, who was disappointed that Eriksson chose to watch Scott Parker at Newcastle instead of the former Liverpool man yesterday.

"Danny didn't always do that well last season, but he needed someone to believe in him. We kept faith and he's now really fit and determined," explained Curbishley, who hopes that Dennis Rommedahl will repay his patience in similar fashion.

The indications were promising here, with the former PSV Eindhoven winger's bursts of blistering acceleration disorienting Franck Queudrue so badly that the left-back was replaced at half-time.

By then Rommedahl had scored the opener. If the standard of his crosses failed to match the quality of his runs, the Dane rediscovered his accuracy in time to flick out a foot and sweep the ball beyond Mark Schwarzer at the end of a slick interchange also involving Darren Bent, with Murphy supplying the key delivery.

Murphy was not the only Charlton player to shine in a congested central midfield in which Ray Parlour was frequently made to appear pedestrian by Alexei Smertin and Radostin Kishishev.

Parlour is one of several ageing players in a Boro side short of pace and over-dependent on Stewart Downing's left-wing speed.

Downing extricated his colleagues from so many holes last season that none will begrudge him the £20,000-a-week contract that represents a doubling in his wages, but the winger, disappointed to be demoted to the England Under-21s, is not quite last term's match-winner.

Even so the man who spent much of the game embroiled in a personal duel with the impressive Luke Young never stopped trying to conjure chances and an early cross duly created an opening headed over by Yakubu Aiyegbeni who, like the equally anonymous Mark Viduka, was otherwise all too easily contained by Chris Perry and Hermann Hriedarsson.

Having made few inroads against Chris Powell, James Morrison was replaced by Gaizka Mendieta at the interval for a cameo abridged when the Spaniard swiftly made way for Boro's record signing, the largely forgotten Massimo Maccarone. One awkwardly swerving shot apart, Maccarone's contribution was restricted to being bundled off the ball.

Charlton were proving more incisive. Murphy's free-kick was stroked past Schwarzer by Perry before Bryan Hughes's last-minute through ball set up Bent for his fourth goal of the season.

England's manager-elect was not amused by his side's unimpressive performance which was wholly unexpected following their resounding away victory over Birmingham in midweek.

"My reaction?" McClaren said. "Shock, anger and disappointment. There are no excuses.

"I didn't recognise my team. The majority of my players didn't do their jobs. They let the fans down and they let themselves down. It was completely unacceptable and we will find out the reasons why."

Guardian Service