BRYAN ROBSON last night vowed to fight on as Middlesbrough manager until the end of the season after the Teessiders' ambitious move for Terry Venables dramatically collapsed.

Boro, third bottom of the Premiership with a boss whose position looks increasingly untenable, were plunged into an even deeper crisis as the bid to bring the controversial Venables to the Riverside foundered.

Venables' complicated contractual obligations, principally to ITV, scuppered the grand plan which would have seen the former England boss become Boro manager with Robson, his assistant during Euro '96, standing down to concentrate on first-team coaching.

Desperate Boro, who it is said were prepared to pay Venables around £5m over two years, felt his ITV commitments - he will front the new 'match of the day' alongside Des Lynam next season - were "incompatible'' with the demands of full-time management.

Boro chief executive Keith Lamb confirmed: "We have concluded that Terry's present and future TV commitments are incompatible with the role we were offering here.

"We have now brought our discussions to a close. We wish him well in his role as a television pundit. We can assure our supporters that everyone at Boro will continue to focus on the Premiership challenge ahead.''

Northern Echo Sport exclusively revealed a week ago that Robson had advised chairman Steve Gibson to offer Venables the opportunity to replace him in the Boro hot-seat.

Robson, facing calls to quit from a majority of fans after a roller-coaster six-and-a-half year reign, yesterday refused to give any guarantees about his long-term future on Teesside.

Instead, he only went as far as pledging himself to the cause while Boro battle against relegation.

The feeling is growing that, if Robson is to remain with Boro indefinitely, it could ultimately be in a powerful ambassadorial role, similar to that held by Franz Beckenbauer at Bayern Munich.

But that would depend on who succeeded him as manager.

Former Newcastle and England boss Kevin Keegan, who lives on Teesside, and ex-Chelsea manager Gianluca Vialli, were both yesterday being touted as possible successors to Robson.

Sky TV pundit Chris Kamara, who attended the same Middlesbrough school as Gibson and is a close confidant of the Boro chief, backed Italian superstar Vialli's credentials - but argued that the Venables move could be revived.

He said: "I wouldn't be surprised if things are not quite dead. Middlesbrough had to make this statement otherwise they would have gone into the West Ham game effectively without a manager and with the team in absolute limbo.

"I wouldn't be surprised if Bryan came to an agreement in the next few weeks to leave the club and that somebody else takes over as manager - even if it's not Terry Venables.

"Gianluca Vialli would have been my first choice. If Steve had asked me who had the stature and the ability, I would have said Vialli. But there are others around like Marcello Lippi, who's a decent coach.''

Robson said: "It doesn't matter which role I have - all I want to do is bring success to this club.''

That looks a long way off as Boro visit West Ham today, searching for their first win in eight Premiership games and nine in all competitions.

Before Boro announced that they had pulled out of week-long talks with Venables, Robson yesterday stressed: "If Terry Venables says no, I'll be manager of this club until the end of the season - without doubt.

"I just want this club to keep going the right way. I think we've come a hell of a long way and the chairman deserves success because of his passion for the club.

"The fans have been great too, because they've stuck by the club since I came here. But they should also appreciate that they've got the best chairman in the country.

"That's not me creeping up to him - that's just the way he is. He runs this club with the chief executive and has done a fantastic job.

"When I first came here I perceived this job as a stepping stone in management, but I don't look at it like that now because I know this club can go a long way.

"Now, I'm determined, in whichever way I've got to do it, to bring success to the club.

"I'm in charge of the team at the moment and I've got an important match to think about.

"I've just been focusing on what I want to do in training and preparing the boys for the game. I've just got my head down and got on with that.

"The players have concentrated in training this week and not one of them has said a word about other things.

"They know how important the game is.''

Robson angrily defended his record in the transfer market. "It's sheer nonsense to say I've spent £70m or £80m at the club,'' he said.

"We've gradually built this club, with the stadium, the training ground, buying and selling players and trying to balance the books.

"The money from Sky TV and the cup runs we've had has helped towards that.

"I think the chairman thinks I know football and it's just a matter of trying to keep building.''

Boro's nightmare losing sequence - seven games all told - ended when they fought back from 2-0 down to draw with bottom club Bradford at the Riverside a week ago.

"We won at West Ham last season and we've stopped the consecutive defeats, so hopefully that's going to give the boys confidence,'' said Robson.

"I keep telling the players that there's a lot better to come from us. I'm still as confident as ever that we will turn the corner.''

Boro skipper Paul Ince, whose late equaliser secured a vital point against Bradford, prepares to face former club West Ham again with Robson enthusing: "It wasn't just the fact he scored, it was his overall play, after five games out injured, which was good. The other players respond to having someone like Incey around.''

But Boro's task today is made harder by the absence of striking trio Alen Boksic, Hamilton Ricard and Andy Campbell.

Boksic is expected to be out for three weeks with a hamstring injury, while

Ricard chipped a bone in an arm in reserve-team action this week, when he was sent off for violent conduct.

With Campbell a hernia victim, 18-year-old Argentinian striker Carlos Marinelli, who marred an otherwise impressive full debut by being sent off against Bradford, is set to partner Brian Deane.

l NORWEGIAN midfield prospect Morten Gamst Pedersen, 19, who plays for Tromso, has pulled out of a trial with Boro and is booked for a week with French side Nantes