Middlesbrough could potentially be making the worst decision possible if they decide to let Gareth Southgate stay on and try to get them out of the Championship. Southgate has been at the helm all season long and when Boro started to seriously falter he never looked like paying back some of the faith that was shown in him on many occasions.

Boro are quite rightly going down with West Brom and Newcastle because they are clearly one of the worst sides in the Premier League. Their performance over the last few weeks, a time when they are meant to be pushing for everything, lacked any element of backbone or inspiration.

No doubt a lot of fans will now be calling for his head and it could be the right time to let a more experienced manager come in and have a go at getting them back to the big time. At the moment Boro’s style of play is very singular and stale, letting Southgate carry on in charge could see the club not return to the Premier League for a few years.

Southgate said: “We will have to improve to get out of the division below. There’ll be personal agendas that come to the fore, We have to bring some money in to go forward. There will be big changes, inevitably, in the playing personnel. I don’t regret any of the players who have moved on.”





“I want to stay. We might end up stronger for getting our finances in order over the next few months. You have to go through the painful things to come out better.”

Southgate does make all of the right points but there will be a lot of players trying to leave Boro this summer, big players that won’t be replaced. Stewart Downing is one, who has been heavily linked with a move to Spurs. Yes the club may get good money from any potential transfer but no they would not find it easy to replace him.

The club are lucky in the respect that they do have one of the best academies in the country. This is a system that flourished under the management of former England boss, Steve McLaren, and produced some gifted players who are playing in the first team or have moved on to other bigger clubs.

It could be this youth that the club turns to in order to get them out of Championship football. Whether Southgate is the man to get the best out of them is the bigger question and there will be a lot of people saying he isn’t. To get back up after one season out of the Premier League takes guts, big decisions and consistent performances, all the things that Southgate has failed to show this season.

Although it would be quite refreshing to see a manager given an extended run at a club, Boro have to decide what is more important; bounding straight back up or allowing Southgate to develop a saga within the side.

It is last chance saloon for Middlesbrough today as they could be relegated from the Premier League. All season long Boro have been in the dogfight of relegation and poor management and results now look likely to condemn them to Championship football next season.

They have the tricky task of trying to beat Aston Villa at home while hoping that other results all go in their favour. They still have a shred of hope but this is very much all it is. If they managed to get out of this one then the club should hold an open day and give away free DVDs of the Great Escape to celebrate the occasion.

David Wheater is fit again and is likely to take his place back in the middle of the Boro defence, however Gareth Southgate will have to do without the services of Chris Riggott, Emanuel Pogatetz, Didier Digard and Afonso Alves.

Villa will hope that captain, Gareth Barry, can play a part in the game having fallen ill during the middle of last week. Luke Young is unlikely to feature however, after he went off with a foot injury in the game against Fulham.

It really is a grim task for Boro against a Villa side that is always looking to improve under Martin O’Neill. O’Neill is likely to be annoyed that Villa did not secure Champions League football this season and although he won’t admit it, he will be urging his team on to make an example of Boro today.

Southgate is urging his team to keep their chins up for the fans that will want to see them go down fighting if they are going to be relegated. He said: “We are where we are because collectively we have not done enough. We have to show the hunger and passion to stay in the league. Any personal agendas have to be put to one side.”

Whichever way you look at it Boro will probably go down. A season in the Championship may even work the other way and do the club some good. The younger players in the side can get back some confidence and an attack that hasn’t been firing can get some goals in the bank and the general confidence of the club can be lifted.

Boro fans take pride in their football club and although many were calling for Southgate’s head a few months back they cannot change the situation the club is now in. Although they will get plenty of banter and stick from Championship fans next season they could well turn out to be one of the most dominant teams and bounce straight back up.

This is going to take a lot of hard work and structuring over the summer as no doubt one or two big players in the side are likely to hand in transfer requests. However, the club is not badly run and has a good business model to cope with the financial implications of the drop.

It’s a time for all at the club to pull together and get through the mess, only this will get them back to where they belong in the English game.

Newcastle United have given themselves a glimmer of hope in the Premier League relegation fight after a thumping 3-1 victory over Middlesbrough last night. The victory creates some inspiration even though it does not dramatically improve their position, while it virtually condemns Boro to Championship football next season.

It was in fact Boro who took the lead within the first couple of minutes as Habib Beye turned into his own net. Stephen Taylor made the scores level with a header from a corner before Obafemi Martins and Peter Lovenkrands added goals late on.

This really was a case of a must win match for Newcastle who have been opened up to reports left, right and centre about how disastrous it would be if they went down from the Premier League. The victory will put smiles back on faces and finally create some confidence on St. James’ Park that has been lacking in recent times.

The whole team and crowd seemed up for the match and Boro really had no answer, Gareth Southgate looked helpless and they are now faced with the task of having to rewrite their budget and downgrading the contracts of their players.

Alan Shearer refused to get carried away, admitting there is still work to do. He said: “The club needed it, the players needed it, we all needed it. But there is still a long way to go. I don’t want to sound negative but it’s one win. We have got to get another two and make sure we are safe.”

He is quite right, for all of the euphoria the victory created Newcastle are very much still rooted to the bottom three places in the table. They will have to play out of their skins in arguably harder matches as well as hoping that Hull City’s poor form continues. However, if they do manage to get safe then this victory could well be looked at as the turning point in the dogfight.

For Boro the immediate future is very bleak. The show of faith that was given to Southgate has not been repaid and there will be people calling for his head, maybe the end of the season is the right time to go. The club is rapidly stagnating and unless something is done very quickly they may well be just a Championship club with a big ground for the next few seasons.

Boro showed a lot of guts and heart but Newcastle just had too much quality for them. Unless a miracle now happens they are doomed. Southgate said: “We’re in the last chance saloon and we’re relying on other results. At the moment we’re out of it but six points might be enough and we can’t afford to stop, you never know.”

It is nice to see so much courage in the face of ultimate defeat but Boro could do well to cut their losses right now and start restructuring for next season. By hanging onto this hope they are effectively wasting time that could be better used.

Newcastle United and Middlesbrough will go head to head this evening in a match that is likely to ensure the relegation of one from the Premier League. Both sides are facing the prospect of dropping to the second tier of English football and will be going all out for three points in this vital clash.

This game is a six pointer in every sense of the well-used cliche. Newcastle will have the home advantage but this influence is muted in a game of such magnitude. Whoever wins will be offered the smallest glimmer of hope in terms of staying up. For the loser they will have to face the inevitable and start planning for the drop.

Newcastle boss, Alan Shearer, may include defender, Stephen Taylor, in the starting line up after the England under-21 captain has recovered from an ankle knock. Alan Smith and Jose Enrique are both injured while midfielder, Joey Barton, is suspended. Boro look likely to include Andy Taylor in the travelling 16 after the left back shook off a hip injury, however, Emanuel Pogatetz and Chris Riggott are both still missing.

The geographical significance of this game will just add to what will already be an extremely intense atmosphere. Many will fancy Newcastle for three points but anything can happen in these types of games. It must also be remembered that all season long people have been saying that Newcastle are too good to go down and look at the position they are in.

Relegation for either side will be disastrous as both have established themselves as Premier League clubs over the last few seasons and not too long ago Newcastle were pushing on for the league title. Shearer insists that his team are focused on getting the win. He said: “I am as surprised as anyone at the situation we are in.”

“But we are in it, so we have got to face it head on and we have got to get out of it, and that’s what we are trying to do. I still believe we have enough in the dressing room to get us out of this and I have got confidence in my squad.”

It will take a lot to stop both managers involved in this encounter, ripping off their ties and suits and running onto the pitch to lead their teams. Gareth Southgate is probably under a little more pressure with Boro because of the show of faith the club gave him earlier on this season when they could well have sacked him and got in another manager to try and keep the side up.

Newcastle will no doubt literally go for it and look to give themselves the best possible chance of getting out of the mess. Although defeat may not mean mathematical relegation, the manner and timing of the defeat will all but ensure it. With so few games left there is no room for any mistakes.

This match will literally come down to who wants it more and given the size of the club and the greater consequences of going down you would have to say the Newcastle will probably scrape through. A draw is disastrous for both.

Manchester United took another step towards retaining their Premier League crown as they cruised passed a helpless Middlesbrough side 2-0 at the Riverside stadium. Goals from Ryan Giggs and Ji Sung-Park were enough to get United the three points as Middlesbrough now look odds on to be relegated from the Premier League.

With many Boro fans calling for manager, Gareth Southgate, to go for broke before the match their performance was anything but. It was only a matter of time before United’s slick and neat passing football imposed itself on the game and allowed in marksman who were clearly not going to show a single bit of mercy.

United have now put the pressure back on Liverpool ahead of their midday kick off against Newcastle and look a certainty to retain the Premier League title and add yet another trophy to the growing collection of Sir Alex Ferguson.

Middlesbrough on the other hand will be down in the dumps. They have to put this behind them as quickly as possible and focus on winning their remaining matches. If they can do this then they stand a chance at league survival but the performance of Southgate’s side yesterday was hardly inspiring.

So many times United were allowed to pass out of trouble with players dropping off to pick up the ball left, right and centre. For side in the position that Boro are the logic of the performance is bizarre. This is not to take away from United’s quality but Boro maybe should have risked losing four or five nil in a hope to eradicate United’s dominance.

Chants echoed around the Riverside asking Southgate if he knew what he was doing and it may well turn out the case they should have replaced him earlier in the season instead of showing him faith. Boro are going down if they play like this again.

Although they may have mustered a few good efforts in goal the performance was generally flat and that of a Championship standard side. The lack of urgency in the build up to United’s second goal was remarkable and something that will have to be addressed in training this week.

The one thing they will be buoyed by is the fact that should they go down their squad is young enough and inexperienced enough to be able to stay together. Stuart Downing and one or two of the strikers are maybe the only players that will put in a transfer request and have to be sold to cope with the financial impacts of the drop.

It was the perfect preparation for United ahead of their Champions League clash with Arsenal on Tuesday. Many Boro fans would have been hoping that Sir Alex would have named a weakened side for the game, but this was not to be. Every player he put out warranted a first team slot and it was just a case of when and who would score United’s goals in the game.

It is difficult for Boro to pick themselves up from this. They would have been hoping for United’s reserve side but the result will offer hope to their relegation rivals. Maybe Boro should start planning for next season.

There was no fooling around with the big boys in Spain today (May 2nd) as Barcelona completely ripped apart Real Madrid in all aspects of the game, except yellow cards and fouls, and handed them their heads on a plate in a 6-2 demolition job. To make things worse, the shredding took place in front of 80,000 fans at the Bernebeu in Madrid. This should more-or-less end Madrid’s chances at catching Barcelona and taking a third straight Primera Division crown, as they are seven points back with four games remaining.

Thierry Henry and Lionel Messi both scored a pair with Carles Puyol and Gerard Pique chipping in one each. It was Real’s first loss since Barcelona beat them at the Nou Camp back in December.

Madrid has been on fire since then by earning 52 points out of a possible 54 points, but were stopped dead in their tracks today. Barca can sew up the title next weekend if they beat Villarreal and Madrid loses to Valencia.

Higuain actually gave Madrid in a lead when he scored his 19th league goal in the 14th minute, but about five minutes later Barcelona was up 2-1 and just kept on coming with attack after attack. Messi put Barca up 3-1 up in the 36th minute, but Real made a game of it by bringing it back to 3-2 in the 56th minute. It didn’t last long though as Henry made it 4-2 just over a minute later.

That seemed to be the killer blow and Messi made it 5-2 in the 75th minute and Pique added to the embarrassment in the 83rd with Barcelona’s 100th league goal of the season.

In other Spanish games Numancia crawled off the bottom of the standings by beating Malaga 2-0.  Meanwhile, Seville won 2-0 at Villarreal with goals from Luis Fabiano and Freddie Kanoute.

In the English Premier League, Manchester United stayed on track to retain their title with a 2-0 win away at a woeful Middlesbrough, with Ryan Giggs and Ji-Sung Park scoring. I don’t know how Gareth Southgate keeps his job there. He must have some compromising photos of somebody, because he just doesn’t have what it takes to be a big league manager. So it’s no surprise that Middlesbrough are in spot and almost guaranteed to go down into the Championship League where they belong. United are now six points clear of second place Liverpool and Chelsea, with the same amount of games played with Liverpool and a game in hand on Chelsea.

Chelsea managed to catch up to Liverpool with a 3-1 win at home over Fulham in a London derby. Arsenal embarrassed Portsmouth 3-0 at Fratton Park and Portsmouth had Noe Pamorot sent off. Tottenham managed to keep their home record looking pretty good with a 1-0 win over cellar dwellers West Brom. That doesn’t really say much though. Manchester City beat another less-than-mediocre team with a 3-1 win over Blackburn at home. Each team scored on a penalty. West Ham beat Stoke 1-0 at The Britannia and in another barn burner; Wigan and Bolton drew 0-0 at the JJB Stadium.

Middlesbrough could take one step closer to being relegated from the Premier League in today’s mid-day kick off as they face a Manchester United side looking to push on for yet another domestic crown.

United look set to name a weaker side as they prepare for Tuesday’s vital Champions League encounter, but it is a game they would like to win to keep the pressure on their title contenders, Liverpool.

Sir Alex Ferguson has voiced his frustration at having an early kick off after a mid-week European tie, but the United squad looks near to full strength with only Rio Ferdinand ruled out with a rib injury.

Ferguson said: “You’d think that people in offices think about it but when you shake hands with the devil you pay the price.”

The early kick off will force Fergie to field a number of fringe players and maybe give starts to right back Rafael Da Silva, central defender Johnny Evans as well as midfielders Darren Gibson and Nani. Wes Brown may also get a look in after a long spell out with injury.

Middlesbrough currently sit second bottom of the table and manager, Gareth Southgate, will have to do anything he can to get some vital points on the board. However, it seems unlikely that whichever 11 United have on the pitch, they may just have too much quality for Boro to save their skin.

Club captain, Emanuel Pogatetz is a doubt after picking up a knock in training, but French under 21 midfielder, Didier Digard could feature although the game may be a little too soon for him.

A victory for United will seem them solidify their position at the top of the table. It is unlikely that Sir Alex will be satisfied with anything less than a victory at the Riverside stadium as he continues his pursuit of Liverpool’s historic record of domestic success.

A defeat for Boro will see them solidified in their position at the root of the table and could mean that the club are almost certain to play Championship football next season. However, they will not get a better chance to beat United than today. The Champions League will obviously be on the mind of the United boss so Boro have to be on top from the first whistle if they are to have any chance of victory.

Their good record against United in recent encounters will buoy Middlesbrough but the past is rendered irrelevant with the importance of this game for the Tyneside club. They have pulled off good results against Liverpool and Arsenal at home so United would be wrong in thinking that the game is a formality as Boro look set to be resilient and scrap for whatever they can.

United will want to win this one as much as any other game. With this attitude in Ferguson’s mind it will be an uphill task for Middlesbrough to get anything more than a point. The importance of the match could make the Boro players raise their game but it is unlikely that they will be able to overhaul the quality and squad strength the United ultimately possess