Southgate 'not surprised' by Keane exit
Middlesbrough boss Gareth Southgate today revealed he was “not entirely surprised” to see fellow north-east manager Roy Keane resign as Sunderland boss - and identified the heavy pressures facing young managers in the game.
Southgate, in his third season as Boro boss and currently the only north-east manager in a full-time role, stressed that managing at Premier League level was now an all consuming task.
“When your clubs are in such a close situation like we three clubs are in the north-east, you get a feel for what is going on at the other clubs,” he said. “Football can be such a small world and you get a lot of feedback from what is happening elsewhere.
“So I was not entirely surprised to hear the news of Roy’s departure, though I have to admit that I felt a lot of disappointment.
“Whenever you see young managers coming into the game you want them to succeed. But at the same time you know the pitfalls and the pressures that they face. It’s a very tough environment and there is a lot of pressure to bring immediate success.
“I know that Roy is a fighter and I am well aware of what everybody at Sunderland is hoping to achieve.
“They are an ambitious club and they have worked hard to keep looking upwards over the last two years.
“Maybe the recent run of disappointing home results ... may have made things difficult. But I am disappointed to see Roy go and I wish him all the best in the future.”
Like Keane, Southgate was thrown into the managerial deep end when he took over from Steve McClaren at the Riverside Stadium in the summer of 2006.
Southgate takes his side to Hull City tomorrow looking to extend a run of four away games without defeat.
He will lock horns with Hull boss Phil Brown for the second time, Boro having pipped the Tigers in the FA Cup shortly after Brown had taken over the reins at Hull two seasons ago.
