Southgate Facing Up To The Sack!

Boro chairman Steve Gibson has given his backing to Southgate but the former England defender knows he is facing the boot ... sooner rather than later.

Southgate: "Steve is a ruthless businessman. If he thinks there needs to be change, he will make change. We had a similar run to this last year.

"I could have no complaints if he did that (make a change) based on the results we have had.

"The circumstances we are in as a club, and the things we've worked on together, lead me to believe he is totally supportive of what we are doing.

"But you have to accept as a manager, and the nature of the industry, that change can happen anytime and I don't sit here thinking 'I'm bullet-proof'.

"I will continue to give every ounce of energy to this club until someone tells me otherwise.

"We have been beaten 3-0 at the bottom team and how we come through this is the important thing. We understand the spotlight will be on us. Everyone will be asking plenty of questions about us.

"We have to stand strong, we have to take the criticism, and we have to respond with what we do on the field. We have to stand firm as a group.

"Everyone has got to look at themselves first and then the overall picture of what needs to improve.

"We can't hide from the fact we've gone 10 league games without a win but these are some of the challenges you face in football and you have to get on with it.

"We have got to get a win. This was a good opportunity. We didn't play with a lack of confidence in the first half.

"But we weren't good enough in certain areas of the field and we have to rectify that. We didn't defend well enough and we didn't take our chances."