We asked The Legends, has Southgate run his course

We asked The Legends, has Southgate run his course at the Riverside or should he be given time to turn things around?

We also asked them to give their respective club managers a mark out of ten for their performance this season.

MICKY HORSWILL: I think the Middlesbrough supporters need to stay patient with Gareth. He lost his best players over the summer through no fault of his own and that cut his legs from under him. Had he been able to keep the likes of Robert Huth, Tuncay Sanli and Stewart Downing then they would be the best squad in that division by a mile. He has been forced to sell his best players and bring in some who are not of a similar quality.

As things stand at the moment, Boro are in the play-off positions, so aren’t things going to plan? This season is about consolidating and building a promotion bid. They have had a blip in the last few weeks but in my opinion it is no more than that and I think people need to calm down and give Gareth time to turn things around.

Mark out of ten for Steve Bruce 8 MALCOLM MACDONALD: I have a feeling that Middlesbrough’s season so far is all part of a plan that has been in place for some time. I believe that they have readjusted because of the difficult financial situation and a conscious decision was made to downsize and let the club slip out of the Premier League. And I do not think they are in any hurry to get back into the top flight. If they do, then they will have to invest heavily in rebuilding the squad and I do not think they are prepared to do that.

So for Gareth Southgate it is a case of a job well done – keep going. They will bob around the upper half of the table but there is no pressure on him to take the club back up. Steve Gibson won’t be piling pressure on the manager no matter what the supporters say or do.

Mark out of ten for Chris Hughton 9 BERNIE SLAVEN: Gareth Southgate is the luckiest manager in the world. I have played under better managers at Middlesbrough than Gareth who ended up being sacked.

He is hanging by a thread.

I was down at the West Ham game at the end of last season with my son, we were in with the Boro fans.

The team could have saved themselves that day but they blew it and went down. I didn’t hear any dissent towards Gareth Southgate that day but that has changed in recent weeks.

People have run out of patience. Everyone, that is, apart from the chairman, who has publicly backed him to the hilt. But I don’t doubt for a minute that Mr Gibson is now starting to consider the manager’s position at the club. He has to.

Attendances are falling, results in recent weeks have been poor, the supporters are starting to turn against the manager – if that continues it can only end in one thing. I leave your readers to draw their own conclusions.

And I don’t know what Micky is talking about regarding players. Gareth has been in charge of bringing the players in and overseeing who stays and who goes.

If he hasn’t then I would question his principles. If he has not been in control of the ins and outs then he should have resigned from his post.

As the manager you take responsibility for the playing side of things. I haven’t been too impressed by the players he has brought in over the summer. And he doesn’t appear to be too impressed with them himself because half of them started the Leicester game on the bench.

Mark out of ten for Gareth Southgate this season – no comment.

■ The Legends were talking to Andy Richardson

THE LEGENDS Listen to The Legends weekdays 6-8pm and Saturdays from 1pm on 100-102FM Real Radio Read their views every Saturday in Northern Echo Sport