Source: SKY_Sports
Supporting Southgate
Former Middlesbrough bosses Bryan Robson and Jack Charlton have given Gareth Southgate their backing.
The club are staring relegation in the face and could even be condemned to the Championship this weekend should they fail to beat Aston Villa and Hull and Newcastle both win.
Even if results do go their way their fate is out of their hands after a woeful campaign which has seen them win just seven times and score just 26 goals in 36 games - the lowest in the Premier League.
But Charlton, who had two spells in charge of the club, refused to lay the blame squarely at Southgate's feet.
"He's done a job, he's done it as best he could," he told Sky Sports News.
"It's a difficult club to handle for someone that has never done it before, but he's worked hard at it.
"I wish him all the best, I hope he does well and I hope he ends up well. And I hope people tolerate him because he's worked hard."
Robson, who took the club down from the Premier League in 1997 but straight back up the following year, is all but resigned to another relegation at the Riverside.
But having spent six years at the club alongside chairman Steve Gibson, he also believes Southgate will get the chance to put things right if it does go horribly wrong in the next two games.
"They've got a good fanbase, the chairman is very knowledgeable about the game and I think he'll give Gareth a real chance to bring the club straight back up - if they do go down," he said.
"Financially it's a very well run club, so they shouldn't have too many problems if they do get relegated."
