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Le Tissier: stability needed

You look at Newcastle's squad and there are probably five or six players that you'd think would probably move on; you look at Middlesbrough's squad and you'd probably say: Tuncay, Stewart Downing, maybe Alves.

Matt Le Tissier
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Soccer Special analysis

Gareth Southgate will have to rebuild Middlesbrough's fortunes with diminished resources, according to Matthew Le Tissier.

A 2-1 defeat to West Ham confirmed Boro's relegation to the Championship and although there is unlikely to be a mass exodus of players from the club, chairman Steve Gibson has already hinted he will have to sell some players to raise funds.

Le Tissier told Soccer Special that Southgate's position appears safe at present, but that it is uncertain whether the likes of David Wheater, Stewart Downing and Tuncay Sanli will be at the Riverside next term.

"The noises that you hear coming from Middlesbrough all say that they will (retain Southgate) and Gareth is speaking very confidently about his future, almost as if he has been told 'you are going to be there next season'," said Le Tissier.

"So from that point of view they look as though they are going to have stability. Whether or not they are going to be able to keep hold of their main men is a different question.

Better off

"You look at Newcastle's squad and there are probably five or six players that you'd think would probably move on; you look at Middlesbrough's squad and you'd probably say: Tuncay, Stewart Downing, maybe Alves.

"You'd think they have a chance of keeping hold of the others. (David) Wheater is a local lad may want to give them a season in the Championship and try to get them back up again. So from that point of view they may be a little bit better off than Newcastle."

Gibson has said publicly that he does not believe the solution to Boro's problems lies in sacking Southgate, whose side has struggled to find the net all season, scoring just 28 times in league football.

But Le Tissier accepts that he now has little choice but to offload some of the squad after the club's 11-year stay in the top flight came to an end.

"He couldn't forever keep funding the football club; fair play to him, he's made those decisions and if Gareth has got to do that it will be a real test of his managerial skills."