Back To The Future For Southgate!

Last updated : 06 February 2009 By Boro Mad

Twelve games without a win (how often have you heard that?), since Boro won at Aston Villa thanks to a Tuncay brace.

Since that day Boro have slipped to second bottom in the table.

Boro took a respectable 17 points from their first 12 games but have managed just five from the next dozen.

One of the sides they have beaten are City, so they head for Eastlands for the lunchtime televised game (12.45pm) looking for their first double of the season.

Gareth Southgate: "These players showed in the first third of the season that they are a good side capable of winning games. Then we had distractions, especially those that come with the January transfer window.

"That's behind us now and these players can pull together and get us back on track. They are all here until at least the end of the season. I believe in them. They have beaten good sides this season.

"City are under pressure from their own fans having had a bad result at Stoke last week.

"So we must stay disciplined, but with a desire to take the game to them. There's a fine line between winning and losing, but we must take our destiny into our own hands and finish on the right side of that line.

"We beat City at home and in some respects they play at home like an away side, so can hit teams on the break.

"Shay Given makes his debut in goal.

"He's an experienced keeper but we have to work him. We didn't work the Blackburn keeper as much as we should have done last week.

"You have to go back to basics in the situation we are in. You can't get out of trouble by going gung ho and win by five goals. Football doesn't happen that way."

THOSE TWELVE GAMES ...

BORO 0 BLACKBURN ROVERS 0
Jones, Wheater, Riggott, Huth, Pogatetz,Adam Johnson, Bates, Walker, Downing, King (Emnes 65),Sanli (Alves 65).

Subs Not Used: Turnbull, Hoyte, Shawky, Arca, McMahon.

CHELSEA 2 BORO 0
Turnbull, McMahon, Wheater, Riggott, Pogatetz,Adam Johnson, O'Neil, Shawky (Sanli 64), Bates, Downing,King (Alves 64).

Subs Not Used: Jones, Taylor, Emnes, Huth, Arca.

WEST BROM 3 BORO 0
Turnbull, McMahon (Bates 70), Wheater, Riggott (Huth 36), Taylor, O'Neil (Mido 57), Digard, Shawky, Downing, Sanli, Alves.
Subs Not Used: Jones, Emnes, Adam Johnson, Bennett.

BORO 1 SUNDERLAND 1 (Alves 45)
Turnbull, McMahon, Riggott, Wheater, Pogatetz,Sanli, Digard (Bates 65), Walker (Johnson 47), Arca, Downing,Alves (Mido 86).
Subs Not Used: Jones, Taylor, Emnes, Huth.

MAN UTD 1 BORO 0
Turnbull, Bates, Riggott, Wheater, Pogatetz, Aliadiere (Emnes 76), O'Neil, Arca, Downing, Sanli, Alves.
Subs Not Used: Jones, Taylor, Huth, Shawky, Porritt, Walker.

BORO 0 EVERTON 1
Turnbull, McMahon, Riggott, Pogatetz, Taylor, Aliadiere (Johnson 70), O'Neil (Emnes 85), Arca, Downing,Sanli (Alves 54), Mido.
Subs Not Used: Jones, Huth, Wheater, Walker.

FULHAM 3 BORO 0
Turnbull, McMahon, Riggott, Huth (Taylor 85), Pogatetz, Johnson (Emnes 80), Shawky, Arca (Mido 46), Downing, Aliadiere, Sanli.
Subs Not Used: Jones, Alves, Wheater, Walker.

BORO 1 ARSENAL 1 (Aliadiere 29)
Turnbull, McMahon, Riggott, Huth, Pogatetz,Johnson (Emnes 90), Digard (Shawky 90), Arca, Downing, Sanli,Aliadiere.
Subs Not Used: Jones, Alves, Bates, Hines, Grounds.

HULL CITY 2 BORO 1 (Sanli 79)
Turnbull, Hoyte, Wheater, Pogatetz, Taylor,Aliadiere, Arca, Digard (Hines 87), Downing, Sanli, Alves.
Subs Not Used: Jones, Emnes, Johnson, McMahon, Grounds, Walker.

BORO 0 NEWCASTLE UTD 0
Turnbull, Hoyte, Wheater, Pogatetz, Taylor,Aliadiere (Mido 77), Arca, Digard, Downing, Sanli, Alves.
Subs Not Used: Jones, Emnes, Johnson, Hines, Grounds, Walker.

BORO 1 BOLTON 3 (Pogatetz 77)
Turnbull, Hoyte, Wheater, Pogatetz,Taylor (Arca 76), Aliadiere (Adam Johnson 58), O'Neil, Digard,Downing, Alves (Emnes 75), Sanli.
Subs Not Used: Jones, Hines, Grounds, Walker.

EVERTON 1 BORO 1 (O'Neil 8)
Turnbull, Hoyte, Riggott (Wheater 52), Pogatetz, Taylor, O'Neil, Digard, Arca (Adam Johnson 69), Downing,Alves (Emnes 84), Sanli.
Subs Not Used: Jones, Franks, Grounds, Walker.