TERRY VENABLES has revealed how he journeyed into the unknown on the night Middlesbrough's Premiership safety was finally guaranteed.

Boro's head coach was due to fly home to London on Monday in time to settle down in front of his TV and watch relegation rivals Manchester City in action at Ipswich.

But a mechanical fault with the plane delayed Venables' arrival - and he was still airborne when Boro's top-flight status was secured.

"It has all come right for us but there was a bizarre touch to it all,'' said Venables.

"My flight to London was delayed for an hour with engine trouble, so I was actually in the air when the match was being played.

"I didn't know how it was going which meant I was unaware City had taken the lead.''

Luckily for Boro, Ipswich fought back to win 2-1, a result which condemned City to the drop.

Venables' future is still up in the air, however, and the big talking point among Boro fans is whether he is willing to stay with the club.

He arrived in December on a five-month deal to bail out beleaguered manager Bryan Robson, whose side were plummeting to the bottom of the Premiership.

But Venables yesterday admitted it soon dawned on him that he could make things work.

"When you join a club you expect to take a few days to sort things out in your mind,'' he said.

"I had decided on accepting Middlesbrough's approach because I had watched Bryan on television and he had looked so down, so troubled.

"We had worked together when I was in charge of England and I thought if he felt I could help then I should.

"But you never know what to expect when you take on something like that. You don't know how the players will react or the supporters.

"But on that very first morning I spotted something which allowed me to jump in and make a point and that was it. I felt at home, I felt the players would listen to me and trust me.

"It was the perfect basis to start and if there have been some worrying moments since then, I never felt less than optimistic that all of us, together, could make it work.

"It was obvious from the players available that we shouldn't have been in the position we were. It was down to confidence and that comes from not losing. If you build on that, the wins will come.

"We couldn't have had a better start by beating Chelsea at home. We were off and running.

"I was content to take the longer way to safety. I believed it to be the best way, the way which gave us the greatest chance of success. Why be reckless?

"It is part of my psyche to be optimistic, sometimes crazily so.

"But if I transmit the wrong thoughts, how can I expect those around me to be uplifted?

"We went out not to lose matches and by doing that successfully, we were able to win some.

"If we'd done it the other way, who knows? You win one match, pick up three points then lose two on the trot and confidence sags.

"That was too hit or miss for a team like Middlesbrough."

Venables confessed: "There were occasions when you wondered if the gods were conspiring against you. You were the victim of wrong decisions, you'd win ground at the bottom and then lose it. It can be so dramatically up and down.

"It inflicts a very heavy toll on managers, especially when you realise what's at stake. If your club has never been in this sort of position you can't really understand how traumatic it can be.

"We don't forget that our delight means real sadness for Joe Royle and Manchester City and the other two clubs, Coventry and Bradford, who have been relegated. We feel for them.''