[Archived] Middlesbrough Sack Boss Southgate

[meerkat]

Middlesbrough boss Gareth Southgate has been sacked - with the club fourth in the table and bidding for promotion.

His dismissal came in the early hours of Wednesday, just after Boro had secured a 2-0 home win over Derby.

The 39-year-old Southgate was appointed Boro boss in June 2006, but last season he presided over the club's relegation from the Premier League.

Boro chairman Steve Gibson said: "This has been the most difficult decision I've ever had to make in football."

BBC

4th place in the league, 1 (ONE) point behind the leaders, and he gets the sack?????

What the hell?

[cn174]

Bit surprised about this - he's stuck with him through worse runs than what they're on. They've been pretty good away from home this year but rubbish at home which is what has cost Southgate.

[John]

Bit surprised too, more to do with the timing. They were not doing too badly....

[philipl]

Timing is wierd but it has been obvious for a very long time that Southgate is simply not good enough.

Still we have to be grateful that Southgate cost Boro a wholly unnecessary relegation last season. Could so easily have been us if we had remained "loyal" to Ince two games longer than we did.

[Hughesy]

They had lost 3 on the bounce at home prior to last night, and then last night musnt of been convincing either if now is the timing.

Suprised by Gibson - not sure who is better to replace him in their current situation.

Good to see Blackpool & Preston going strong still........more local derbys please!!!

[G Somerset Rover]

Only a year too late...

Maybe Gibson is finally turning from Mr.Nice to Mr.Nasty?

[champions1995]

Very surprised with this. I spoke to a Middlesbrough fan on holiday and we both agreed that Southgate should have been sacked during last season as Boro were as good as down around January/ February time and never really looked like turning the corner. Williams made a big decision sacking Ince when he did and it proved to be the correct one, whilst Gibson's faith in his manager proved to be the wrong option. But this season Gibson again stuck with Southgate in the clubs bid to return to the Premier League and although Boro have been inconsistent, they are very much in the running for automatic propmotion. Southgate has only been given 13 games this season and I believe the timing is strange and he should have been given longer in charge.

[DE.]

Baffling decision at this point in the season. Wonder if there's more to this story than meets the eye? I don't see why they would sack Southgate after a 2-0 victory, 1 point off the top. Surely if they were considering sacking him they should have done it when they lost 1-0 to Watford at home?

Ah well, regardless it's a year too late. Gibson has made some bad decisions thus far that have cost Boro their Premiership place. This one has the potential to either revitalise Boro or sink them.

[tcj_jones]

First they stick with him, despite the side massively under-performing for two seasons in the Premier League, looking doomed for relegation and showing no signs whatsoever of staging a fight back, before continuing to support him over the summer, deciding he is the right man to bring the club back up...

Then, with the club sitting one point off the top of the table, they sack him?

Gibson's lost the plot.

[Presty On Tour]

Didn't Ince play for Boro once upon a time?

Could he be in the frame? As low as 12/1 with Ladborkes.

Odds checker for next Boro boss

[John]

Local press up in the North East saying quick appointment is likely to be made, with some saying Strachan could be in by tomorrow.

[Montfort]

When I see stories like this I think that Blackburn could be in a similar position very easily. Southgate spent a shedload of money without results and I think that it is worthwhile remembering this when fairly directionless calls are made to " splash the cash" or " show some ambition ".

However, I liked Southgate as a person. He always acted with dignity and spoke sense - which is difficult to say about some people - even if his managerial record is patchy. I hope he stays in Football and trys again perhaps with a less high profile side. I am begining to think more and more that appointing successful players as managers without a suitable apprenticeship is very dangerous

[only2garners]

They had lost 3 on the bounce at home prior to last night, and then last night musnt of been convincing either if now is the timing.

Gibson has said that the decision had been taken before last night's match.

[cletus]

I heard somewhere it was Boro`s lowest league home gate since the new ground opened. The fans have not liked the footy on offer for some time.

[DeadlyDirk]

I thought they'd either get rid of him once they were relegated or give him a real crack of getting them back up. A little surprised about the timing but he's been there a while now and not done a lot, can't say it's a bad decision, just a little surprising. If they think they can get Strachan then no wonder.

[FourLaneBlue]

Strange timing but presumably they now have someone lined up to come in very quickly.

[thenodrog]

Strange timing but presumably they now have someone lined up to come in very quickly.

That can be the only conclusion.

[LeChuck]

It's Strachan's job, he's going to announced before the weekend.

[because of boxing day]

Not necessarily the best man for the job but at least Boro will save on manager's training kits with this appoinment

Mind you if they had appointed Graeme Sounness they would have achieved the same saving too.

[Billy Castell]

Shows how far Scottish football has slipped if Gordon does sign up. A chance at the Champions League etc. to a Premiership/1st division level club nowhere near the UEFA Cup.

[Amo]

I love how one tabloid paper wrote 'Southgate had little money to spend - except the £12m he wasted on Afonso Alves.' The likes of Hughes & Allardyce would have killed for that kind of dough to spend on a single player.

[BuckyRover]

Timing is wierd but it has been obvious for a very long time that Southgate is simply not good enough.

Still we have to be grateful that Southgate cost Boro a wholly unnecessary relegation last season. Could so easily have been us if we had remained "loyal" to Ince two games longer than we did.

Didn't you predict that he would be a brilliant manager?

[jodrell]

Didn't you predict that he would be a brilliant manager?

Depends what you class as brilliant? I thought John Bond was briliant for the Dingles.

[meerkat]

Depends what you class as brilliant? I thought John Bond was briliant for the Dingles.

Class answer LOL

[Grabbi Graeme]

Paul Ince has got in on the act by talking about Southgates sacking, he even managed to have a dig at us during the interview on SSN as he spoke about his sacking.

Ince " I didn't get the tools that Gareth had"

Yes you did Paul you had the tools, your 2 assistants for a kick off.