There's only one job on Teesside

THE Boro faithful sang: "There's only one job on Teesside.''

And if Terry Venables wants it, he can have it - and more.

The cutting wit of the Riverside choristers was triple-edged; the inspiration was provided by a revelation of a display from striker Joseph-Desire Job, and the little ditty contained political satire on the scarcity of employment in this corner of the North-East.

More pertinently, though, the ironic lyric was a statement on Middlesbrough's managerial position, which becomes more confused by the day.

Boro chairman Steve Gibson sat alongside Venables on Saturday night as they jointly revealed that the former England coach is considering a proposal which would undoubtedly make him the most powerful club boss in the country.

Neither Gibson nor Venables would confirm precise details of the proposition.

Gibson insists it would be a "full-time position''.

But whatever title he might take - manager, director of football or managing director - Venables can become Boro's outright supremo on a contract understood to be worth 2m-a-year.

Where all this leaves manager Bryan Robson is another matter, though Gibson maintains his future is with the club.

Venables joined Boro as head coach last December after a beleaguered Robson, his right-hand man with England during Euro '96, sent out a distress call.

Boro were in the first throes (CORRECT) of a relegation nightmare.

Before Venables took charge of first-team affairs, Robson's side were bottom of the Premiership with 11 points from 17 games.

Yet, under Venables' shrewd tutelage, they have finished the season 14th - amazingly only two places lower than last season - after amassing 31 points from 21 outings.

At a conservative estimate, Venables has guaranteed Boro 15m they would never have seen if they had gone down.

No wonder multi-millionaire haulage magnate Gibson, the man who has bankrolled Boro's big-time adventures during the seven years of Robson's roller-coaster reign, admits he will forever be in Venables' debt.

"Terry has been very modest and humble about his achievement here,'' said Gibson. "He's been the focal point and done a very good job for this club, and I will be eternally grateful.''

Gibson, in fact, is so grateful that he is willing to reward Venables with a post promising enormous powers.

It was said in certain quarters last week that Venables had made up his mind to quit Boro.

He has since confirmed he told Gibson that was his intention when they sat down for talks on the eve of the final game of the season against West Ham.

But, while the odds were always on Venables leaving, there were those of us who suspected that the wily Essex boy could be tempted by the right offer.

And so it has proved.

Venables was well aware, as we all were, that Gibson desperately wanted him to stay.

By saying he was ready to pack his bags, Venables was strengthening his bargaining position.

Now the burning questions are whether he will accept the real deal - and when a decision will be made.

As if there hasn't been enough suspense already, Gibson admits it could be "weeks'' before Venables gives him an answer.

Venables said: "I've got close to a lot of people here and I've enjoyed the job. The players have been very professional in achieving our target.

"What I've done here is right up there with my other achievements in football.

"I just felt it was maybe time to call it a day and that's what I told Steve.

"But he put something else to me, and I said I would have to think about. He said we shouldn't put a time-limit on it.

"I realise the decision has got to be made fairly sharpish. I just want to make sure it's right, think things through and see if it's achievable.''

Gibson stressed: "The most important thing is that we get the decision right. It's very important for both of us. We've got some areas where we need to get down to the nitty gritty.

"The delay is not due to any financial consideration. We agreed that side of things in two seconds.''

Venables' lucrative deal with ITV, however, is sure to be a priority issue and a compromise will almost certainly have to be reached if Gibson's grandiose scheme is to come to fruition.

"Terry is the choice of the team, the supporters and he's my choice,'' said Gibson. "There are complex issues, but I'm hopeful I can persuade Terry to stay.

"We'll see how things develop in the coming days and weeks. I'm happy for it to take weeks if needs be.

"I've been amazed with Terry's passion for the game and this club and the people in it.

"Bryan Robson is part of the plans for this club. We honour our contracts and Bryan and Viv Anderson have two more years.

"The only way we would break that would be by mutual agreement, and I just don't see that happening.''

However, if Venables stays, Robson may prefer to take up a new role, possibly as a high-profile director or roving ambassador for the club.

The boos which greeted his appearance on the pitch after Saturday's game, though quickly drowned out by cheers, were confirmation that a growing number of fans no longer want to see Robson in the dug-out.

Venables, on the other hand, was able to milk the applause as players and staff saluted the fans in a now traditional end-of-term farewell.

The game was almost incidental, but the result further enhanced Venables' reputation in the eyes of the home fans.

Cameroon international Job, making his first start since November after an injury-troubled introductory season with Boro, marked the occasion with his third goal for the club.

Skipper Paul Ince supplied the through-ball for Job, a 3m signing from Lens last summer, to skip round former Newcastle keeper Shaka Hislop and finish with a shot which another ex-Magpie, Stuart Pearce, could only help into the net as he attempted a desperate goalline clearance.

But ten minutes later, with the match just over half an hour old, West Ham's England starlet Joe Cole played an unselfish ball to Svetoslav Todorov who levelled with ease.

It needed another cracker from French midfielder Christian Karembeu, who struck a sublime equaliser at Bradford a fortnight earlier, to restore Boro's lead on the stroke of half-time, when he ran on to Brian Deane's flick-on to hit an accurate angled drive inside the far post.