MIDDLESBROUGH and Newcastle enjoyed comprehensive wins on Saturday but there was more misery for Sunderland, who lost at Watford.

The season can't end soon enough for the Black Cats, when attention will then swiftly turn to the appointment of a new manager and some key transfer decisions. The future of one 'target' features in today's North East notes, as does a Boro youngster in fine form and Anthony Gordon's Newcastle transfer delight.

Sunderland 'target' contract uncertainty

Sunderland are reportedly eyeing up a summer move for QPR's Chris Willock who, as things stand, will be a free agent at the end of the season.

Versatile midfielder Willock has been a key player for the Hoops since joining from Benfica four years ago and has played a pivotal role in helping the West London side climb away from relegation danger since the appointment of Marti Cifuentes.

He's scored four goals and chipped in with four assists this season, including one in the 4-0 dismantling of Leeds on Friday night.

His future at this stage is uncertain. Middlesbrough have been linked with Willock in the past and if he does decide to leave Loftus Road this summer, Sunderland are likely to have competition.

Rangers remain hopeful they can convince him to stay.

Boss Cifuentes said this week:  “He knows how much we rate him, and I think he knows how much we like him.

"But what is going to happen in the future I don’t know. What is sure is that he showed today that he loves this club and that he wanted to play here and help us.”

Boro youngster's dazzling run

It's Boro's Player of the Year awards at Middlesbrough Town Hall on Thursday night and there's been a stunning late entry in the battle for the Goal of the Season prize.

How about this for a hit from George Gitau for Boro's Under-21s in their defeat to Crystal Palace on Friday night.

Gitau's current run of goalscoring form would delight a centre-forward, never mind a right-back.

The 20-year-old has scored in his last four outings, including the winner at Sunderland, and there's been a couple of assists since the start of March as well.

The men and women's team will both be in attendance at the awards night this week, as well as bosses Michael Carrick and Michael Mulhern - and George Friend is returning to Teesside as the special guest and will be doing a live Q&A on the night.

Tickets are available HERE.

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Gordon opens up on Newcastle move

A year ago today, Newcastle thumped Everton 4-1 at Goodison Park but despite the scoreline it wasn't necessarily the Goodison Park return Anthony Gordon would have had in mind.

He was on the bench and introduced for the final three minutes, by which stage the goals had been scored and United's victory wrapped up.

It was a challenging first few months for Gordon on Tyneside but never did he doubt his decision to join the Magpies.

Gordon wants to reach "the very top" and believed - and still believes a year and a bit down the line - he can do that at St James' Park.

The 24-year-old opened up on his controversial Everton exit in conversation with Gary Neville on The Overlap this week.

"The process was difficult," he said.

"It was so hard at the time. Liverpool's biggest strength is everyone being together. To leave that environment, nobody is going to like it. But I'm too ambitious to turn down the opportunity that was presented to me.

"Newcastle are only going one way. They were flying when I signed, it was a no brainer. My ambition is to be at the very top of football, whatever that looks like, and I couldn't do that where I was."

The early days at Newcastle were eye-opening for Gordon.

"Eddie is so relentless," he said.

"The first part is the hardest because he's putting that much pressure on you to succeed. The demands are massive. Every session, if you take a breather for one second, he sees it. But it helped to get me to where I am now."

Morgan Rogers 'surprise'

When Aston Villa's January interest in Morgan Rogers first emerged, the initial reaction on Teesside was surprise.

Not because Rogers wasn't rated and wasn't impressing, rather the fact that the former Manchester City youngster had only established himself in the Boro team in the month prior.

There'd been frequent flashes of what he was capable of but he was still very much a work in progress.

With that in mind, the question asked on Teesside in January - and it was fair at the time - was whether Rogers would feature much at an Aston Villa team flying high and pushing for the Champions League.

Villa's players instantly had their answer - as John McGinn revealed this week as he told of his response the first time he watched the former Manchester City forward in training.

"His confidence is growing, he's so strong, so powerful, he's even surprised me a bit when he first signed and his first time in training," McGinn said of Rogers, who scored a fine goal in Saturday night's draw with Chelsea.

"But the last three or four games he's been outstanding. That's great to see, he's playing football with a smile on his face and I wish I was that good at his age."