Strachan expected to take over at Middlesbrough.

Byline: MARTYN ZIEGLER

GORDON STRACHAN could be appointed as the new Middlesbrough manager before the weekend following Gareth Southgate's shock sacking.

The 52-year-old Scot is understood to have held talks with Middlesbrough chairman Steve Gibson in the wake of Southgate's departure and is the overwhelming favourite for the post.

Strachan stepped down as Celtic manager in May after a spell in which he took the Glasgow club to three consecutive league titles and to the knockout stages of the Champions League for the first time.

The League Managers' Association (LMA) have been critical of both the reasons and timing of the decision to terminate Southgate's contract immediately following Boro's 2-0 win over Derby on Tuesday night.

Gibson's explanation was that he feared the club would fail to win promotion back to the Premier League this season.

The Boro chairman said: "When I sat down and considered our start to the season, I felt that the league table was actually more favourable than some of our performances.

"Then I looked at the important games against the teams immediately around us and took those results into account.

"In general the results and the performances have not been to the level I would have hoped for.

"Before last night, our five home games had brought in seven points. That will not get us promoted and promotion is the only objective for the season."

Middlesbrough have already lost four times this season, and against some of their main promotion rivals - West Brom, Bristol City, Leicester and Watford.

The club had suffered a run of home defeats without scoring that was the worst for 77 years.

Gibson added: "As difficult a decision as it was to make, the decision was made before the match. One good result wasn't going to change that decision."

Gibson revealed that plans to appoint a new manager had begun before Southgate was sacked.