Gareth wants Boro to toughen

Middlesbrough boss Gareth Southgate has admitted he is happy his side have survived two relegation battles in two years, but wants his team to toughen up and push for a top 10 finish next season.

"We have got over the line but the manner in which we have done it shows just how much work has to be done," said Southgate, who will also be armed with the extra £60,000-aweek wages being saved from the departing Gaizka Mendieta this summer. "Perhaps that is a good thing in a way because if we had got safe three or four weeks ago it might have papered over a few more cracks, which have emerged over the last couple of weeks.

"Everybody has questioned me because I am a young manager. If more senior managers make decisions regarding leaving players out, substitutions, they are just accepted, where I am at the moment I have an open door policy and I might have to review that.

"We have a group of players I love working with but at times they have to realise that we are 14th in the league, so perhaps we're not as good as we think we are.

"This is the time to say 'I am no longer Gareth Southgate the footballer'. That has always been a difficult thing because when you play with people and then your relationship changes, because you have to manage them, it is very hard. There are decisions that have been made throughout the season which have nudged towards that but the end of the season is a good cut-off point to say that is it."