Michael Wade


Patience is a virtue, in Middlesbrough it is a virtue that fans have become accustomed to in the last three years. It is also a virtue that has worn thin.

Despite a worrying downward spiral since the UEFA Cup final of 2006 that culminated in the club’s relegation from the Premier League last May, there are finally signs of renewed optimism on Teeside as Middlesbrough’s faith in manager Gareth Southgate could be repaid with an instant return to the top flight this season.

The team is unrecognisable from the Steve McClaren era when top ten finishes and cup runs were par for the course for a team regarded as an up and coming force after spending many years and many millions of pounds forging a reputation as a Premier League team. The groundwork laid down by McClaren, though, was unsustainable, something which chairman Steve Gibson recognised in his appointment of Southgate.

The promotion of the former club captain and England international received a mixed reception at the time, with many fans feeling that a more experienced candidate was needed to carry on the work of a man who had left to manage England.

Gibson’s vision for the club was slightly different, and his concern about his side’s mounting debt was something he needed to address. Fallen giants Leeds United acted as a warning sign for the local chairman who recognised that Middlesbrough would not recover from a similar collapse and cared too much for the club he had built to let that happen.

In this respect Southgate was an astute choice, a young manager, untainted by bad experiences, someone Gibson could use to mould his vision of a sustainable self sufficient future for the club. With unquestionable leadership skills from his playing days, Southgate possessed the tools to, in time, become a manager of quality that could lead Middlesbrough into a new era.

Southgate’s arrival in the Riverside hot-seat has been a baptism of fire with mistakes made publicly and constant scrutiny of his abilities by a media hungry for sensational stories. However, the former Aston Villa defender’s managerial learning curve could have turned a corner following relegation last season.
 
The team’s bright start to the Championship season shows a new spring in the step of a side down on their luck not so long ago. Relegation, it seems, has for Southgate and Middlesbrough, represented a much needed opportunity to start afresh.

Although Boro lost some star names in the summer, they have retained a strong core of players hungry to prove a point. The likes of Gary O’Neil, Justin Hoyte, David Wheater, Adam Johnson, and Jeremie Aliadiere indicate Southgate is relying on young English players in the chase for promotion. The decision to freshen the place up with experienced new signings Leroy Lita and Danny Coyne will add some Championship nous to an already strong team.

The opportunity to rebuild will prove easier away from the pressures of the top flight. The club’s dearth of academy talent will be given more of a chance to experience first team football, and stake a claim for a first-team place, and the team will be given the time to settle into a solid consistent unit, used to the winning habit.

A host of Middlesbrough academy players have already gone onto become first-team regulars at the Riverside in recent years including Stewart Downing, Lee Cattermole, David Wheater, Adam Johnson, Ross Turnbull and Chris Riggott, evidence if any were needed that a reliance on youth is not misplaced.

Having a conveyor belt of talented and hungry youngsters has paid dividends for the club in this transitional period, not to mention the wage bill, something Southgate was tasked with downsizing upon appointment.

With the squad finally falling into place, the time is right for Gareth Southgate to prove to Steve Gibson and the people of Middlesbrough that they were right to show a little patience in him and to repay the time he has been given to learn the intricacies of the managerial role.

The time this transition has taken has not been easy on the fans of Middlesbrough who have been forced to alter their expectations accordingly. By allowing Southgate to see the job through to the finish, Gibson has shown a longsighted vision for the Teeside club and a loyalty to his manager that is rare in modern football and will ultimately pay dividends.

Under Gibson and Southgate’s leadership Middlesbrough are adjusting their reputation from one of high spending underachievers to a vibrant young club that is community driven, and represents the town. 

This is no mean feat in an era for football where money rules and decisions are taken with the bottom line in mind.

Having been given the time to mould his own team, admittedly making mistakes along the way, Southgate, Gibson and Middlesbrough look set to make a return to the Premier League stronger for their experience.

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