Given what Southgate, Benitez and Keane are going through, who would be a manager? Martin Lipton's tea-time read

By Martin Lipton in Laptop with Martin Lipton

Published 17:30 21/10/09

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Middlesbrough chairman Steve Gibson did his best to justify the decision today indicating that Southgate was a dead man walking into the home dressing room before the game.

Yet while Gibson's patience is legendary - look how he kept faith with both Bryan Robson and Steve McClaren long after the fans had given up on them - he has been too premature on Southgate.

I am not close to Gareth at all, although I did have the pleasure of ghostwriting his diary column during Euro 96, when his intelligence and humour was sorely tested by the chap on the other end of the telephone.

But I do recognise somebody who has the capability and know-how to become a truly top manager in the future - and a potential long-term successor to Fabio Capello in the toughest job of all.

Southgate managed the difficult transition from player to boss, sticking to his principles and even having the courage to stand up to Sir Alex Ferguson when he knew his players needed to see it from him.

And while Boro fans still slate him for the £12million he spent on Brazilian Afonso Alves, I defy any of them to say they did not believe it was a good signing at the time for somebody who had scored so many goals for Heerenveen .

Southgate is too bright, too determined and too talented not to come back. Remember, too, that Bobby Robson was sacked by Fulham at the start of his managerial career. He didn't do that badly in the end, did he?

Then again, in modern football every manager is only as good as his last performance - or last but one game in Southgate's case - and that is why Rafa Benitez and Roy Keane are feeling the heat.

Keane, in charge of the only club in the top four divisions without a win to their name, received what looked like the dreaded vote of confidence from Ipswich chief executive Simon Clegg after Nathan Ellington's last-kick goal for Watford left the Tractor Boys on the bottom of the Championship pile .

Benitez, meanwhile, faces an injury crisis to add to the crisis of confidence in his dressing room after Liverpool's fourth straight defeat.

Just what you want when Manchester United are next up.......!