Ali tips Boro for top ten

Jeremie Aliadiere firmly believes Middlesbrough can secure a top ten finish this season after their bright start to the new campaign.

The French forward, who has grown accustomed to life on the right side of midfield at the Riverside since joining from Arsenal in summer 2007, is well aware that Boro have only brought in three new faces, while six - Mark Schwarzer, Lee Cattermole, George Boateng, Lee Dong-Gook, Fabio Rochemback and Luke Young - who featured in the first team have departed in the summer.

However, Aliadiere feels Didier Digard, Marvin Emnes and Justin Hoyte have all settled in well and are showing they will have a big future at the club, while the remaining players from last season have all improved. He is also tipping January record signing Afonso Alves and Tuncay Sanli to prove a big hit in attack, despite substitute Mido being the only hitman to score in the opening two Premier League games.

Aliadiere said: "We brought in new players during the season and they needed time to settle in here.

"It started to come together for us towards the end of last season and we have been able to push on because of it at the start of this season.

"Everybody knows how the next player plays now and also we have a togetherness in the dressing room.

"We have a good group of players. We all want to be successful and that's why we are confident that we can have a good season."

He added: "We have scored in every game so far so we are confident that we have players who will score goals for us.

"I don't really care where the goals come from as long as we score, but I think that Alves and Tuncay will both score a lot of goals this season.

"They showed last season that they are both goalscorers. We have created a lot of chances so far this season and as long as we continue to do that, then the strikers will score goals."