Southgate receives Boro backing

Fa Barclaycard Premiership News
( 24 March 2009 )

English Premier League football News

Southgate receives Boro backing
Middlesbrough chairman Steve Gibson insists sacking manger Gareth Southgate will not solve the club's current plight as they bid to avoid relegation.

Boro have won just one of their last 18 Premier League games and are second from bottom, four points from safety.

"I have spoken with a lot of fans over the last few weeks and they ask me about Gareth Southgate," Gibson told the club's official website.

"But the magic wand in our situation isn't sacking Gareth Southgate."

He added: "Of course, everybody has their opinion in football and I understand the frustration of the fans.

"I have always said that we have a knowledgeable crowd at Middlesbrough and you have to respect that.

"I take on board the views of the fans because I care as much as they do. But if I was to sack Gareth Southgate at this stage, how would it help the situation?"

The international break could not have come at a better time for Boro after a 1-0 defeat by relegation rivals Stoke on Saturday left Southgate to admit that the club's relegation scrap is affecting players' morale.

They resume with a trip to Bolton, before facing Hull and Fulham at the Riverside in a series of games which could prove crucial in their bid for survival.

Gibson, who appointed Terry Venables to assist Bryan Robson in their successful bid for survival during the 2000-01 season, is known for his patience and retains the belief that Southgate is the right man for the job.

"Gareth has great experience of football at every level. He is working to the best of his ability to turn things around," he said.

"When he was a player, he worked immensely hard to make himself a better player. He does exactly the same as a manager.

"I couldn't expect any more from him in terms of blood, sweat and tears.

"We can't put what happens on the pitch fully on Gareth's shoulders, and that's why we have to share the workload and the responsibility.

"When things go wrong, people lose faith in the manager. But there is a lot more involved and we must always continue to look at the wider picture before coming to decisions."
by bbcnews.