Source: Telegraph
Gordon Strachan tipped to replace Gareth Southgate at Middlesbrough
Southgate's fate was sealed before a ball was even kicked at Middlesbrough because Gibson had already made his mind up that his manager was not up to the challenge of securing the club promotion this season.
Gibson fired the former club skipper despite a 2-0 victory over Derby which took Boro to one point off the top of the Championship and former Celtic manager Strachan is the clear favourite to be handed the task of restoring Premier League football to Teesside.
Strachan could be in position by Thursday - Gibson revealed that plans to appoint a new manager had begun before Southgate was sacked.
"We already had a strategy for Gareth's replacement," said Gibson. "The timing of Gareth's sacking was determined a little by the implementation of that strategy.
"As difficult a decision as it was to make, the decision was made before last night's match. One good result wasn't going to change that decision."
Middlesbrough have already lost four times this season, and against some of their main promotion rivals - West Brom, Bristol City, Leicester and Watford. The club had suffered a run of home defeats without scoring that was the worst for 77 years.
Gibson told the club's website: "When I sat down and considered our start to the season, I felt that the league table was actually more favourable than some of our performances.
"Then I looked at the important games against the teams immediately around us, and took those results into account.
"In general the results and the performances have not been to the level I would have hoped for.
"Before last night, our five home games had brought in seven points. That will not get us promoted - and promotion is the only objective for the season."
Southgate's cause was weakened by the growing number of vacant seats at the Riverside as the 17, 4590-crowd against Derby meant there were more empty seats than occupied ones for the first time in the ground's history.
