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Boss Southgate to get tough
TWO relegation fights in as
many years have ended
positively for Gareth Southgate.
The Middlesbrough manager,
however, has revealed he is to
toughen up in an attempt to
make the Teessiders a force in
the top ten next season.
Despite the fact Boro can now
head into next Sunday's visit of
Manchester City with their place
in the top-flight assured, only
their second win in 11 Premier
League matches highlights the
team's failings this season.
Throw in the depression of an
FA Cup quarter-final defeat to
Cardiff, when most observers
predicted Southgate could have
tasted his first cup final as a
manger this season, and there
will not be a single person at the
Riverside claiming this season
has been a success.
This summer promises to be a
season of change. Many changes
to personnel looks to be on the
cards, while Southgate also
plans to alter his own personal
style of leading the squad.
The former captain will begin
his third season in charge in
August and, having had to wait
until the penultimate match of
the season to preserve Premier
League status in his first two, he
accepts his approach needs to
change.
So while he could have to find
replacements for George
Boateng, Gary O'Neil and Fabio
Rochemback, the squad that
returns for pre-season training
in July could be forgiven for
thinking a new manager has
taken charge of the first team.
"We have got over the line but
the manner in which we have
done it shows just how much
work has to be done," said
Southgate, who will also be
armed with the extra £60,000-aweek
wages being saved from
the departing Gaizka Mendieta
this summer. "Perhaps that is a
good thing in a way because if
we had got safe three or four
weeks ago it might have papered
over a few more cracks, which
have emerged over the last
couple of weeks.
"Everybody has questioned
me because I am a young
manager. If more senior
managers make decisions
regarding leaving players out,
substitutions, they are just
accepted, where I am at the
moment I have an open door
policy and I might have to
review that.
"We have a group of players I
love working with but at times
they have to realise that we are
14th in the league, so perhaps
we're not as good as we think we
are.
"This is the time to say 'I am
no longer Gareth Southgate the
footballer'. That has always been
a difficult thing because when
you play with people and then
your relationship changes,
because you have to manage
them, it is very hard. There are
decisions that have been made
throughout the season which
have nudged towards that but
the end of the season is a good
cut-off point to say that is it."
Southgate has already had to
deal with one much-publicised
training ground row with his
former captain Boateng this
season, when the Dutchman was
disgusted at being left out of the
New Year's Day defeat to
Everton.
In time, after accepting that
the midfield pairing of
Rochemback and Julio Arca was
not as effective as he had
thought, the former Aston Villa
defender admitted that he
treated the whole Boateng
situation badly.
And after watching Chris
Riggott return to the squad early
from his loan at Stoke by
turning in a solid and
goalscoring display against
Portsmouth, Southgate concedes
he has also made mistakes on
that front too.
"I don't think I handled the
Chris Riggott situation
particularly well because he
came in for a couple of games
earlier in the season, played
extremely well and then I left
him out. He probably deserved to
stay in the side at that time,"
said Southgate, who must now
decide whether to sell Riggott
this summer or retain him.
"There are times when I have
played people on reputation and
as the season has gone on I have
tried to rectify that. But you
learn from everything. There is
no question that I appreciate
what my previous managers
have done now.
"Relationships rise and fall
during a season and I think I
have been fair with pretty much
all of the players and most of the
ones that have been left out I
think I have dealt with them in
the right way.
"I have always tried to talk to
them about the reasons for it. I
think they know I would do
anything for them and anything
they needed they would get my
full support. Some of them have
to realise where they are in their
careers and where we are in the
league we are perhaps not as
good as we think we are."
Sources in Italy, meanwhile,
claim that Juventus have firmed
up and offer to Mark Schwarzer
that would see the Australian
become Gianluigi Buffon's
deputy. Bayern Munich and
Fiorentina also remain among
the front-runners for his
signature.
9:51am Monday 5th May 2008
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