Source: Daily_Mail
Gordon's in! Strachan lands Boro job as Cooper is put in temporary charge
Gordon Strachan has agreed to become manager of Middlesbrough and will be announced as Gareth Southgate's successor before the end of the week.
The former Celtic boss will meet Middlesbrough chairman Steve Gibson at the club's training ground near Darlington to finalise the deal to take over from Southgate who was sacked late on Tuesday night.
Colin Cooper and Steve Agnew will take charge for Boro's visit to Preston on Saturday but Gibson is keen to appoint a new manager quickly following the shock decision to sack Southgate just hours after Tuesday's 2-0 home win over Derby County.
The Boro chairman last night defended his decision to fire the formerMiddlebrough captain and the timing of his first sacking after morethan 15 years in charge of the Teesside club.
Gibson said: 'Gareth was taken aback by the decision but he shook my hand, wished me all the best for the future and thanked me for the opportunity. That is typical of Gareth.
'I made the decision two or three weeks ago, but you have to act in the best interests of your football club. We felt that the time had come to make changes to the running of our football club.
'At the beginning of the season I made it absolutely clear we had one objection - promotion at the first attempt, preferably in an automatic promotion spot rather than the lottery of the play-offs.
'After the result against Leicester and leading up to that I began to feel uncomfortable with the situation.
The best interests of the football club was to have a strategy I was clear about. Part of the strategy was to relieve Gareth of his responsibilities and duties no matter what after the game last night.
'I think the league position flatters some of our performances. When I look at some of the important games we've played against the clubs who are close to us we have quite an abysmal record.'
Although Tuesday's crowd at the Riverside was the lowest for a league game since it opened 14 years ago, attendances have been dwindling for years and what was worrying for the Boro chairman was performances and results.
He discussed the future with Southgate, an emotional farewell to players and staff yesterday, a fortnight ago and warned him performances and results had to improve.
Boro have picked up seven wins to take them within a point of leaders Newcastle, but they have failed to beat a side in the top half of the Coca-Cola Championship this season.
