Southgate aims for the top
29 May 2008 - 10:25:54
Middlesbrough manager Gareth Southgate has set his sights as high as trying to break the domination of the top four in the Premier League.
Southgate wants his players to strive to be the best and refuses to accept that Manchester United, Chelsea, Arsenal and Liverpool will always be untouchable at the top of the table.
He told The Gazette: "I think what we have to say at this point in time is that we know we cannot compete with Manchester United.
"But what we might say is 'can we breach that gap?'. I refuse to accept that we can't.
"It's not necessarily a case of spending a lot of money, it's about getting the right people in and having the right mentality. That has to be our aim as a club and I refuse to write off the possibility.
"In life people tell you what you can't do and what you can't achieve.
"People have told me I can't do this job and that they don't want me to do this job. But you've got to crack on and strive to be the best you can possibly be.
"At this moment in time the best we can possibly be doesn't match the top four. But that's got to be the aim for everybody.
"If everybody writes it off and says we can't get there, we might as well forget the league and do something else."