Boro need an edge, says Southgate

Middlesbrough manager Gareth Southgate has warned his side to toughen up to help end their four-game losing run.

Boro wasted a hatful of chances in Saturday's 1-0 defeat by West Bromwich Albion and Southgate admits that his side must learn to grind out results.

"We have got to get tough and ruthless very quickly," he told BBC Tees.

"If you don't deal with things in both penalty boxes then you won't win, and at the moment we've not got that edge to get results."

The Teessiders have not been helped an injury to striker Tuncay Sanli who was sidelined with damaged medial knee ligaments in Turkey's World Cup qualifier against Belgium in September.

However Southgate was quick to dismiss the 26-year-old's absence as an excuse. And he believes that there is strength in depth to cope with such losses of personnel.

"Tuncay is an international-class player," he said, "so you're going to miss players like that.

"But we've got enough quality to win matches and we can't rely on one person for that."

Including the League Cup defeat to Manchester United, Boro have now lost their last four games and have dropped to 16th in the Premier League table.

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