Gareth Goes

I SUPPOSE it's a bit late to ponder the question posed in my most recent blog. Gareth Southgate has been relieved of his duties. And blimey, I'm slightly shocked.

I bet there are even a few Southgate-bashers left flabbergasted by this evening's late news. Despite the year-long barracking to have the boss removed, I wonder if any of them thought Steve Gibson actually had it in him?

Southgate will be remembered fondly as a player

With the exception of Bryan Robson, it's Gibbo's first sacking in his 15-odd years stearing the club to semi-greatness and back again. And Robbo was an exception. After all, Gibbo didn't necessaily get rid of him. Rather, he told him to sit upstairs while El Tel got on with it.

I for one am gutted. But it's a strange sort of gutted. It's not because I reckon we've lost one of the country's fine managerial prospects. But because Gareth was a good bloke, and a Boro (playing) legend to boot.

There's no telling now whether he'd have guided us back up, but I reckon we wouldn't have been far off. I didn't want to chuck in the standard line about "strange timing"; but boy, doesn't it seem like strange timing?

Gareth must have been thinking his job was temporarily safe after putting Derby to bed earlier tonight. Just an hour ago, the Press Association reported the pressure easing on Southgate. (Damian Spellman might just be wishing he filed his copy a little late tonight.)

Boro fans will wake up in the morning in fairly unchartered territory: that of discussing the next manager. Early contenders? Steve Coppell? Darren Ferguson? Maybe Coops if he avoids the same fate as "football consultant" Alan Smith.

Whoever it is, it'll be a strange adjustment to a Southgateless dugout. Especially for fans like me who were praying he'd win over the Boro boo culture.

But, I never imagined watching Countdown without Carol Vorderman. Sometimes change is for the best.