"It's not rocket science. You need to defend, keep clean sheets and have players who can score you goals," McClaren told British media when asked if a new striker was on the way.
"...We need to win games 2-1 because we keep getting punished for our (defensive) mistakes.
The transfer window runs from Jan 1 to 31.
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McClaren's charges head into Tuesday's Premier League clash with fifth-place Manchester United, who have won just two of their last 10 games, knowing a win could take them out of the three-team relegation zone.
He urged supporters to keep faith with the team.
"(My) players haven't got down at all and I don't expect them to on Tuesday either," McClaren said. "What we need is 50,000 supporters right behind us from the first whistle."
(Reporting by Shravanth Vijayakumar in Bengaluru; editing by John Stonestreet)
