Gareth's got kind words for Roy; 'It's a tough environment'.

Byline: Jack Pickering 

MIDDLESBROUGH manager Gareth Southgate yesterday revealed he was "not entirely surprised" to see Roy Keane resign - and highlighted the heavy pressures facing young bosses.

Southgate, in his third season at the Boro helm and now 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 has had something to do with it. I don't know.

"Those results at the Stadium Of Light 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.

The former England international defender has learned his management ropes the hard way, but he has overseen continual changes on Teesside in working closely with enigmatic chairman Steve Gibson.

Southgate takes his side to Hull City today hoping 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.

Since then Brown has taken Hull into the Premier League and onto the verge of consolidation in the top flight, and Southgate believes there are similarities between Hull and Boro.

Southgate said: "I attended a dinner with Phil Brown last weekend and I found him a very impressive guy, not to mention the fact that he enjoys a pint of Guinness.

"He comes from a background of experience, having worked so closely with Sam Allardyce at Bolton, and he has been able to take that experience into his work at Hull.

"The job he has done is phenomenal, and there are so many similarities between them and us in the way in which he and his chairman are developing the club's facilities while at the same time going out into the community."

Southgate's influential skipper Emanuel Pogatetz has returned to training following a shoulder injury and will keep his place in the heart of the Boro defence.

HULL CITY (from): Myhill, Duke; McShane, Turner, Zayatte, Ricketts, Ashbee, Boateng, Marney, Geovanni, Barmby, King, Cousin, Dawson, Doyle, Windass, Hughes, Garcia, Halmosi, Giannakopoulos, Mendy.

MIDDLESBROUGH (from): Turnbull, Jones; Hoyte, McMahon, Taylor, Grounds, Wheater, Pogatetz, Huth, Aliadiere, O'Neil, Arca, Walker, Digard, Downing, Johnson, Emnes, Mido, Tuncay, Alves.

Last time: Hull City 1 Middlesbrough 1 - FA Cup, January 2007.

Last five League matches: Hull L L D D D; Middlesbrough D W D L D.

Top scorers: Deiberson Geovanni (Hull) 6; Mido (Middlesbrough) 5.

Match odds: H 7-5; A 19-10; D 23-10.

Referee: Steve Tanner (Somerset).

Kick-off: Today, 1500.

TV: Highlights on Match of the Day - BBC1 2200 and Football First - Sky Sports 1 2215.

CAPTION(S):

READY Emanuel Pogatetz, above right, is fit. Left, Gareth Southgate.