Southgate: Players must grow up

Gareth Southgate has ordered his young Middlesbrough players to leave the playground behind if they are to save their Barclays Premier League lives.

Boro head for Arsenal tomorrow knowing defeat could leave them further off the pace in the fight for survival with three points already separating them from safety.

With five games remaining, the Teessiders have to travel to the Emirates Stadium and then face Manchester United at home with few giving them too much hope of increasing their points tally significantly.

Southgate remains confident they can avoid the drop, but acknowledges that some of his youngsters – six Academy graduates have started the last two games – need to grow up fast.

He said: “One or two of my players think you can just go out and play a game of football sometimes.

“They have to realise there are two sides to a football match that you have got to get right.

“Some of them think they are still in the playground and it is just a bit of fun.

“It’s a job of work and they have got to make sure their mentality is right going into these games.