Source: SKY_Sports
Cooper keen to stay on
Colin Cooper is hoping to stay on at Middlesbrough under the new manager, while Preston boss Alan Irvine was not 'over-happy' with a 2-2 draw.
Following Gareth Southgate's sacking in midweek, Cooper was placed in caretaker charge for Saturday's game and he saw Boro twice throw away the lead at Deepdale.
Gordon Strachan is expected to be unveiled as the new Boro boss on Monday and Cooper is keen to secure a role under the new regime.
Cooper said: "I have spent two thirds of my life at this club. I don't want to leave, but that's not my decision.
"I want to work with anyone who comes in. I will give it all I've got. Just because Gareth is a mate doesn't mean I won't support the next guy."
Filling a hole
Gary O'Neil and Adam Johnson had twice given Boro the lead, only for Paul Parry and Billy Jones to earn Preston a point.
"I tell the lads unfortunately it comes a bit too much of a coincidence when you concede two to three late goals," Cooper added. "We should be sitting fairly close to the top of the table with the points that have gone begging.
"Hopefully we will crack on and learn and not make mistakes in a game that we should have won comfortably.
"Really, all I am doing is filling a hole. If I am here taking charge of the team today what happens next week happens.
"Even last night I was speaking to Gareth (Southgate) on the phone late on. He wished the team and the club all the best for the future. That's the type of guy he is.
"I was given an opportunity by Gareth to join the first team as a coach two-and-a-half years ago. Until I am told differently I will carry on.
"We are in no worse a position than since we came here."
Preston manager Irvine saw his team slip out of the top six, also watched by former North End boss David Moyes.
Great character
Irvine said of the result: "I'm not over-happy. We have got a point, but I look for more than just a result. There are a lot of things we will need to take out of that game and improve upon.
"We were poor in the first half. I was praying for half-time to come to address some of the issues that needed addressing.
"I thought we got the response almost from the kick-off in the second half. We then started to stretch the game out a bit better than we had in the first half.
"The lads showed great character again. They don't play as well as I would like at different times, but they keep going and going.
"They deserve enormous credit for keeping going. It's a fantastic quality to have.
"One of the things we identified in our video work was that Boro are a fantastic counter-attacking team.
"We were aware that at any time we were going forward in numbers we had to be aware there might be a counter-attack.
"To get done for the second goal with a counter-attack was extremely disappointing."
