Southgate vows to stay on as Boro plummet

MIDDLESBROUGH fans arrived at Upton Park dressed as an assortment of superheroes but they must have known none would be present on the pitch.

Gareth Southgate’s side surrendered an 11-year membership of the Premier League in the meekest of manners. They say the table never lies; in that case Boro are worse than Hull.

Needing to win and for Newcastle and Hull both to lose, Southgate’s shot-shy collection of home-grown hopefuls and foreign flops never threatened to pull off a great escape even though their relegation rivals did indeed both fail to rise to the occasion themselves.

Southgate admitted a P45 often follows demotion but argued he deserved to be allowed the opportunity to right wrongs he felt could not be put squarely at his door.

“I have to accept there will be a large percentage of our supporters who want to see a change of manager now but this is a tough time for this football club and I am determined to see the fight through,” Southgate said.

“As far as I am concerned you don’t walk away in difficult times. You stand firm and you fight back.

“Obviously it is the chairman who decides ultimately what happens but I wouldn’t contemplate turning that challenge down.

“Today wasn’t the reason we went down. We almost ran out of players, which highlighted and exposed the size of our squad and as a club we have flirted with relegation for many of the 11 years we had been in the division. Only in two of those were we in the top 10.

“Unfortunately time has run out for us. We have had to reduce everything each year and it has been more delicate situation each year and this season we have been punished for it.”

Captain Stewart Downing, absent through a broken foot, is likely to be the newest addition to a list of departed players that includes Mark Viduka, Jonathan Woodgate, Mark Schwarzer and Yakubu.

Southgate added: “There will be personal agendas now and as a club we will have to bring some money in to move forward.

“But I don’t regret losing any of the players who have moved on. They either wanted to move on or needed a new challenge.

“Unfortunately we weren’t able to bring in enough of the right character to help the younger players through.”

Junior Stanislas brought a tepid game to life with a shot that crashed back off the Boro bar and it was no surprise that the home side opened the scoring in the 33rd minute.

Herita Ilunga, the left-back, was the provider, with a low ball for Carlton Cole, returning from injury, to slot calmly home at the back post.

Gary O’Neil, set up by the clever Tuncay, fired an equaliser four minutes into the second half to give a travelling contingent that was already aware that Hull and Newcastle were both trailing a glimmer of hope.

It was short-lived. Boro goalkeeper Brad Jones was the fall-guy, allowing Stanislas’s hopeful long-ranger to squirm under a glove.

West Ham manager Gianfranco Zola declared himself happy with a ninth-place finish that fell just short of European qualification but made it clear he felt Cole’s presence could have made it sweeter.

“It was a pity we couldn’t have him at the crucial moment,” he said. “He made a difference.”

REFEREE: Howard Webb (Rotherham) 7: Little to do for the man regarded as England’s top official, and who could legitimately be wondering why he was posted here instead of somewhere more explosive.

MATCH RATING: *** How typical of Boro that when they really needed to up their game – and score some goals – they could only sustain a brief flurry.