The lottery life of a football manager

Poor old Gareth Southgate. He got crucified pretty much week in, week out last season as Boro got relegated from the Barclays Premier League. The media were after him, his players were moaning and the crowds were gutted to be losing their place in the North East elite (made only slightly better by the fact Newcastle were also relegated).

However, there was one bright shining light for Southgate. It was not all doom and gloom. His chairman and champion Steve Gibson was going to back him to bring the young squad back to the top level of English Football. Southgate was determined and spent the summer earning the club cash by selling the likes of Downing and Huth but consolidating his squad and setting his ambitions for the season ahead. If one thing can be said of Middlesbrough they have a great local spirit and have always had loyalty in their managers.

It had been a bit of an up-and-down start to the campaign. A couple of miserable home defeats were alongside some decent away performances and after beating Derby County 2-0 on Tuesday Southgate's team were sitting pretty in fourth place in the league looking in good shape in what will always be an erratic league. Then came the axe. Game over for Gareth Southgate.

It just does not make any sense to me. I could understand it if he was Roy Keane at Ipswich and his team was still looking for their first win, but in team playing pretty well overall and up near the top-end of the league?

If you were going to sack him, why not do it after the team had been relegated? A new manager will not be able to buy any players till January and will take crucial time to get to know his players and how to get the best out of them. I can't say I am the biggest fan of Southgate but I can't help but feel like he has been merked by Steve Gibson.

Posted via email from The Beautiful Game