Fans slam Strachan reign

Middlesbrough fans have delivered a damning verdict on Gordon Strachan's first year in charge at the Riverside Stadium. More than 78% of supporters who responded to a survey carried out by the town's evening newspaper, the Evening Gazette, expressed the opinion that he should not remain as manager. The paper's annual performance review asked readers to rate Strachan in several key areas either "excellent", "good", "satisfactory" or "poor", and the results were predictable with the Teessiders currently languishing in 18th place in the npower Championship table despite starting the campaign as title favourites. An overwhelming 92.8% classed his overall performance as poor, while 91.3% gave a similar verdict on the entertainment value at the Riverside Stadium under his tenure. Ironically, the famously acerbic Scot's highest approval rating came for his media dealings, with 2.7% of fans opting for "excellent" and a further 8.9% "good". Strachan's reign began with a 1-0 home defeat by Plymouth on October 31 last year, and of the 44 matches Boro have played since, they have won just 13.

Source: PA

Source: PA