Middlesbrough boss Gareth Southgate is unconcerned that all three of the North East's Premier League clubs are struggling for survival. He said: "I'm not bothered about anyone else. Nobody else in the North East is really bothered about us, so we will focus on what we want to do and what we need to do.

"If other teams go, that's football. Three teams have got to go from the division.

"It's irrelevant, really. People talk about the North East, but people want their own team to do well, so from our point of view, we will focus on us.

"We wish the others good luck, as you do to every team, but it's a tough business out there.

"Nobody is going to do us any favours and we are not too concerned about anybody else."