The Boro performance on Wednesday night was frustrating on the pitch, but the fans were left as shell-shocked as the defenders, by Southgate's one-up-front and "boot it forward" tactics.
He had his blue-print, I'm sure, but it was very much damage limitation.
Yes he blasted his defenders for sloppy work, but to pitch your tent in the penalty area and expect them to hold fort for 90 minutes was expecting too much.
Amazingly ... he didn't seem to expect either, saying after the game "no-one in the country expected us to get anything at Stamford Bridge".
Fair enough ... but at least TRY!
The defending wasn't to blame for the defeat, it was arguably a lack of faith. After all, if the manager KNOWS you are going to get beat ... what is the point?
Chelsea were a shadow of what we expect from them, and some could argue it was Southgate's tactics that confused them.
But you can only be a punch bag for so long before the KO, and that was the opportunity to hit them back!
Southgate has promised to revert back to 4-4-2 on Saturday, and some could say he had Blackburn on his mind when he was at Stamford Bridge on Wednesday.
The time has come. Is he good enough to keep the job? Could anyone do it better with no money to spend? Are the fans ready to back him for the the rest of the season?
Saturday will give us a lot of answers.
BLACKBURN FORM GUIDE ...
Blackburn 2 Bolton 2JANUARY 28: Barclays Premier League at Ewood Park.
Sunderland 0 Blackburn 0
JANUARY 24:
FA Cup fourth round at the Stadium of Light.
Blackburn 3 Newcastle 0JANUARY 17: Barclays Premier League at Ewood Park.
Blyth 0 Blackburn 1JANUARY 5: FA Cup third round at Croft Park.
Blackburn 2 Man City 2DECEMBER 28: Barclays Premier League at Ewood Park.
Sunderland 0 Blackburn 0DECEMBER 26: Barclays Premier League at the Stadium Of Light.
MIDDLESBROUGH 2008/09
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.
(FA Cup 4th Rd) WOLVES 1 BORO 2 (Alves 44, Emnes 83)
Jones, Bates, Wheater, Riggott,Taylor (McMahon 7), O'Neil, Sanli, Shawky (Hoyte 46),Adam Johnson, Downing, Alves (Emnes 70).
Subs Not Used: Porritt, Bennett, Turnbull, Craddock.
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.
(FA Cup 3rd Rd) BORO 2 BARROW 1 (Alves 23, 62)
Jones, McMahon, Wheater, Huth, Pogatetz, Johnson, Walker, Digard, Downing, Alves, Aliadiere (Emnes 34), Emnes (Mido 84). Subs Not Used: Turnbull, Taylor, Riggott, Sanli, Bates.
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.
ASTON VILLA 1 BORO 2 (Sanli 34, 88)
Turnbull, Hoyte, Pogatetz, Riggott, Taylor,Aliadiere, Digard, O'Neil, Downing, Sanli, Alves (Arca 83).
Subs Not Used: Jones, Emnes, Adam Johnson, Wheater, Grounds, Walker.
BORO 1 WEST HAM 1 (Mido 83)
Turnbull, Wheater (Hoyte 46), Riggott, Pogatetz,Taylor, Aliadiere, O'Neil, Digard (Arca 56), Downing, Sanli,Alves (Mido 67).
Subs Not Used: Jones, Emnes, Adam Johnson, Grounds.
BORO 2 MAN CITY 0 (Alves 53 pen, O'Neil 90)
Turnbull, Wheater, Riggott, Pogatetz, Taylor,Aliadiere, O'Neil, Digard (Arca 75), Downing (Adam Johnson 83),Sanli, Alves.
Subs Not Used: Jones, Emnes, John Johnson, Grounds, Walker.
BLACKBURN 1 BORO 1 (Alves 74)
Turnbull, Wheater, Riggott, Pogatetz, Taylor, Aliadiere, O'Neil, Digard, Downing, Alves, Sanli (Emnes 85).
Subs Not Used: Jones, Shawky, Adam Johnson, John Johnson, Grounds.
BORO 0 CHELSEA 5
Turnbull, Grounds (John Johnson 54), Wheater,Riggott, Taylor, Aliadiere, Shawky (Digard 65), O'Neil,Adam Johnson (Alves 65), Downing, Mido.
Subs Not Used: Jones, Emnes, Bennett, Walker.
WIGAN 0 BORO 1 (Aliadiere 89)
Turnbull, Hoyte, Wheater, Riggott, Grounds, Aliadiere, O'Neil, Shawky (Digard 58), Downing, Alves (Adam Johnson 79), Mido.
Subs Not Used: Jones, Emnes, John Johnson, Walker, Craddock.
BORO 0 WEST BROM 1
Turnbull, Hoyte, Huth, Wheater, Taylor, Aliadiere (Adam Johnson 60), O'Neil, Shawky (Digard 60), Downing, Alves, Mido.
Subs Not Used: Jones, Riggott, Emnes, Bennett, Walker.
Carling Cup MAN UTD 3 BORO 1 (Adam Johnson 56)
Jones, Hoyte, Wheater, Pogatetz, Taylor,Downing, Digard (Riggott 72), O'Neil, Shawky (Adam Johnson 46),Aliadiere, Alves (Emnes 85).
Subs Not Used: Turnbull, Arca, Walker, Craddock.
SUNDERLAND 2 BORO 0
Turnbull, Wheater, Huth, Pogatetz, Taylor,Aliadiere, O'Neil, Digard (Shawky 68), Downing,Adam Johnson (Hoyte 68), Alves.
Subs Not Used: Jones, Riggott, Arca, Walker.
PORTSMOUTH 2 BORO 1 (Mido 24)
Turnbull, Hoyte, Huth, Riggott, Pogatetz,Aliadiere, O'Neil, Digard (Taylor 70), Downing, Alves,Mido (Adam Johnson 84).
Subs Not Used: Jones, Wheater, Porritt, Walker, Craddock.
BORO 2 STOKE CITY 1 (Alves 37, Sanli 85)
Turnbull, Hoyte (Taylor 72), Wheater, Huth,Pogatetz, Aliadiere, Shawky (Digard 61), O'Neil, Downing,Alves (Mido 76), Sanli.
Subs Not Used: Steele, Riggott, Emnes, Adam Johnson.
Carling Cup BORO 5 YEOVIL 1 (Mido 11, Digard 23, Aliadiere 32, Emnes 47, Adam Johnson 66)
Turnbull, Hoyte, Riggott,Pogatetz (Williams 74), Grounds, Aliadiere (O'Neil 60), Digard,Shawky (Walker 60), Adam Johnson, Emnes, Mido.
Subs Not Used: Steele, Downing, Sanli, Alves.
LIVERPOOL 2 BORO 1 (Mido 70)
Turnbull, Wheater, Huth, Pogatetz,Taylor (Hoyte 75), Aliadiere, O'Neil, Shawky, Downing,Alves (Mido 60), Sanli (Digard 87).
Subs Not Used: Emnes, Adam Johnson, Williams.
BORO 2 SPURS 1 (Wheater 71, Mido 86)
Jones, Wheater, Huth, Pogatetz, Taylor, Aliadiere, Shawky, O'Neil, Downing, Alves (Mido 82), Sanli (Digard 72).
Subs Not Used: Turnbull, Emnes, Adam Johnson, Williams, Grounds.
