Middlesbrough boss Gareth Southgate accepts his squad has been "exposed" this season.

"I'm still confident we can stay up, I think it's going to be close. If players play to their capabilities I believe we've got the players to get there. We know our weaknesses and we know what our strengths are," he told the Sunday Sun.

"The size of our squad's probably been exposed, the inexperience has been exposed. When things are going well it's a lot easier for young players to deal with it but when things are going against you, that's maybe why it was 4-0 at Tottenham, rather than from 2-0 down, ending 2-1.

"But there's still a long way to go and a lot more football still to be played. I've got a group of players who are working together, who I've got to try and get the most out of.

"We've got some very talented players but they've got a lot of work ahead of them to make careers at this level. But they have that opportunity."