Monday musings |
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The Times
"Gareth Southgate still hopeful of Middlesbrough turnaround: Man City 1 Middlesbro 0"
Gareth
Southgate has too much on his plate to get bogged down by petty
details, but the fact that it was two former Newcastle United players
who conspired to punish Middlesbrough on Saturday must surely have
rubbed salt in the manager’s wounds.
Craig Bellamy’s
performance up front for Manchester City was bettered only by Shay
Given at the other end of the pitch, the Ireland goalkeeper making four
fine saves from Afonso Alves on a hugely impressive debut for his new
club, but this, ultimately, was a story of Middlesbrough’s
ever-worsening plight.
Eight defeats in a dismal 13-match run
without a league win have left Southgate’s side nineteenth in the table
and the manager facing fresh questions about his future.
“I’m
not even thinking about that [the sack],” Southgate said. “I’m thinking
about getting our team out of this position and getting the right level
of performance, like we did against City.
“I have a very good
relationship with the chairman [Steve Gibson]. The chairman knows what
he will get from me and that is working every hour towards keeping this
football club in the Premier League. This is not something I’m prepared
to walk away from. I think we will get there, but I know it will be
very tight.”
Given may have been outstanding, but Alves should
have taken at least one of his chances before Bellamy secured City’s
fourth win in six league games to move them up to ninth in the table.
The goalkeeper knows that Bellamy can be as much of a handful for the
opposition as his team-mates, but he remains a fan of the striker.
“When
we were at Newcastle together we had a spat down the tunnel once and
you just know what he’s like, he’s always complaining, but it’s just
the way he is,” Given said. “He is a fiery character and demands the
best of all the players, which is good. I’d much prefer him on my team
than on the opposition’s.”
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