Middlesbrough boss Gareth Southgate is confident he is beginning to find his feet as a manager.
Rookie enjoying life on The Riverside
Middlesbrough boss Gareth Southgate is confident he is beginning to find his feet as a manager.
The rookie tactician endured a steep learning curve last season when stepping into the breach left by Steve McClaren's appointment as England coach.
However, with a full pre-season behind him, which allowed him to reshape his squad, Southgate is confident he is now learning the tricks of the managerial trade.
He does, though, concede that life as a player was a whole lot easier.
Tough job
"Playing was easier, although it is still one of the hardest things in the world to step over the white line and put your body on the line every week and perform in front of thousands of people," he told a fans' forum.
"But the difference is that once you have finished, all you need to worry about is yourself. You worry about how you played and you worry if the team has won or lost.
"As the manager, you worry about the 11 players who played, five substitutes, all your staff, 30,000 supporters and everybody phoning in and millions watching on the television.
"The difference is extreme, but I must admit, the longer I'm doing it, the more I am enjoying the challenge and the more I have a clear picture of what I want to do and how we want to get there.
"I get a bit more sleep each month that goes by and the players are starting to believe what we are about.
"I am relishing the challenge of managing. I don't think anything could ever beat being a player, but it's a close second."
