Southgate demands Boro commitment

Middlesbrough boss Gareth Southgate has told his club’s wantaway stars he will not tolerate anything less than total commitment as he bids to arrest an alarming slide down the Barclays Premier League table.

Boro’s dismal St Stephen's Day loss to Everton left them hovering above the drop zone on goal difference with fears growing that the likes of Stewart Downing and Tuncay Sanli are set to leave in the transfer window.

But rather than face the prospect of a bleak new year Southgate is demanding those players roll up their sleeves for a fight starting with Monday’s daunting trip to Old Trafford to face Manchester United.

Southgate said: “You have the option of rolling up your sleeves or deciding it’s not for you. That applies to everyone and we need people who want to be here and want to fight for the cause.

“We are going to find things out over the next month or so. There will be a lot of talking and work on the training ground and whoever plays we have got 19 games to get as high up the table as we can.”

Downing has been playing like his mind is already elsewhere for weeks while the industrious Tuncay looked as happy as the jeering crowd when he was replaced by Afonso Alves midway through the second half.

For the second consecutive week Boro laboured to little effect with Gary O’Neil’s first-half drive which brought a diving save out of Tim Howard the total of their clear chances on goal.

Boro’s defence looked wobbly and their midfield porous and Southgate admitted confidence was becoming a crucial factor in his side’s slide away from their stated ambition of a top 10 finish.

Southgate added: “We’re not blessed with confidence at the moment which affects people’s touch and what they are prepared to do. But we have to start taking our chances.

“It’s easy to start looking at all sorts of wild theories as to why we’re not getting results but it’s important to maintain a sense of calm and show the right determination and work ethic to get out of it.”

Southgate has a number of options for the trip to Old Trafford with David Wheater likely to return to the starting line-up and Alves also pushing for a place, although Didier Digard is still out with a groin strain.

And as he heads towards the new year Southgate says he can take confidence out of the way his side has escaped from similar poor positions in past seasons to finish strongly.

“It’s not as worrying as it could be because we’ve been through it in the past,” said Southgate.

“We are a younger squad this time but we have got to learn from what happened in the past.

“Five or six games ago we were healthy in the middle of the table. We have got players coming back who can still make a difference for us and we will see their response in the next few weeks.”