Julio Arca Insists Middlesbrough Players Back Southgate

Middlesbrough veteran Julio Arca has affirmed the players' faith in their manager Gareth Southgate, a figure who has looked increasingly vulnerable in recent weeks as the spectre of relegation looms ever larger on Teesside.

Arca has joined club chairman Steve Gibson in publicly backing the manager, as the team look to pull together to beat the drop.

"We are behind him all the way," the player told The Middelsbrough Gazette.

"We have to stick together now all the way because we need to be positive and to get points.

"It’s good that the chairman keeps backing him and is giving him the chance to turn things around.

"It’s probably the best thing that could happen for us because we need to be able to concentrate on the games and to get as many points as we can.

"The worst thing to happen would be to bring in a new manager because a new manager would come in and they have to get to know the players and don’t get much time to turn things around.

"I’m glad the chairman keeps backing the manager and giving him the opportunity to turn things around and hopefully we can do that."

Boro have begun to look doomed in recent weeks, as fortune hasn't favoured a side who've struggled to win games all season. The last eight games of the campaign are therefore crucial, and Arca insists that the squad are thinking positively ahead of the weekend's game with Bolton Wanderers.

He concluded, "As a player you have to think positively. Mathematically the chance is still there so it’s up to us to put in good performances and hopefully keep Middlesbrough in the Premier League.

"Hopefully in the next eight games we all can change things around."

Zack Wilson, Goal.com