GARETH SOUTHGATE believes Middlesbrough must rein in their 'gung-ho' style if they are to become serious contenders for trophies and break into the Premiership's top six.

The Boro skipper is calling for a return to the miserly defensive form that typified their start to the season as the Teessiders bid to reach the last eight in the Carling Cup with Championship side Crystal Palace the visitors tonight.

Boro have scored five goals but conceded four in their last two home games - beating Fulham and drawing against West Brom - and concerned Southgate wants to see a more pragmatic approach.

"At the moment we're a bit free-spirited and bit gung-ho - I don't mind in that it's exciting to play in and exciting to watch - but if we want to achieve anything you have to be a bit tighter," said the skipper, who is expected to start tonight against the club where he spent the first eight years of his career.

"I think you defend as a team and you attack as a team and one of the reasons we have created so many chances is that some of our defenders have created opportunities.

"There has to be a balance and it's up to us to get that balance right. If I look at the team generally and we kept two clean sheets in our first three matches.

"At that stage we couldn't score goals. Now we're scoring freely and we're fourth top goalscorers but our defensive record is as poor as anyone in the league.

"That is what we've got to rectify and I think continuity and stability in defence are important things.

"It has been difficult because normally you look at sides that aren't conceding many goals they probably have a very settled back-four.

"That's been our case with us for most of the time - in Europe we haven't conceded a goal yet.

"As a back three of back four - throughout the season - we haven't had any settled team, settled personnel or shape.

"At the moment we're very open. The last two games have been real ding-dong affairs. People say to me it's not entertaining at our ground but I'd like to know where they want to go and watch their football.

"It's an interesting development and a new philosophy if you like but we're not quite sure it's been planned by any of us. From a defender's point of view I hope we get back to a few more 1-0s."

With time on an impressive career running down, the 35-year-old is all too aware the chances of him adding to his two League Cup winners medals - with Boro in 2004 and Villa in 1996 - are getting fewer.

He has already begun planning for a career as a manager after he finishes playing, and admitted his former Palace team-mate Iain Dowie was an inspiration.

Southgate said: "That (management) is the route I want to go but it is very much something that I can work towards but it is very much in the future and I want to have an effect on the field for as long as I can.

"At this stage of my career opportunities are running out so we want to grasp all of them.

"I've started my coaching badges but that is a long process. It's better to start that now rather than finish and have three or four years of qualifying to do.

"But I've been very impressed with Iain. When I played with him he had time for everybody.

"He's an intelligent guy and his background is different to a lot of players in that he came from non-league and he worked with British Aerospace.

"He's an open mind to things and he embraced that as a player. His view is that he wants to try and improve all his players. He's definitely an inspiration and I saw in him as a player that (management) was path he would be a success at.

"It's been great for me in that three who've progressed really well (in management) in Alan Pardew, Chris Coleman and Iain Dowie are guys I played with at Palace.

"It gives you hope and inspiration for the future because that is something you'd like to do."

Boro will be taking nothing for granted tonight against a Palace side who have already dumped last year's finalists Liverpool out.

Andrew Johnson is expected to line up alongside Clinton Morrison in a forward line that could grace many Premier League sides.

"They'll see this as a great opportunity to show what they can do on a Premier League stage," said Southgate.

"As we saw against Liverpool in the previous round they'll relish this opportunity of having a crack against one of the bigger clubs in the league.

"Their front two could be Clinton Morrison and Andrew Johnson who'll both be handful. Andrew got capped last year, Clinton's got international experience - they've both got pace and they'll be out to prove a point.

"It was nice he (Johnson) decided to give Palace another season. It's brilliant on his part and a great coup for the club and it spoke volumes for the manager (Dowie) there that he wanted to stay and work for him."

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