Southgate accepts Cup criticism

Middlesbrough boss Gareth Southgate admitted that he had to accept any criticism that came hi sway after Cardiff dumped Boro out of the FA Cup on Sunday. The end of the match saw Boro receive a chorus of boos from their own fans.

Southgate said: "What we have to do is accept that there will be plenty of criticism.

"The fans will rightly be disappointed, angry, frustrated. We are most of those things and we have to respond.

"For the fans, that pain is going to take a long time to heal and as the manager, I have got to take that on the chin.

"I said last week the ground [atmosphere] was flat and got slaughtered for it, but I thought it was flat.

"But I am the first to stand here and say we got a full house here and I was desperate to put on a performance that would bring them back - and we didn't do that.

"Whatever criticism comes my way, I have got to accept; whatever criticism comes the team's way, we have to accept."