GARETH SOUTHGATE has warned his young players to get out of the playground and down to serious business as Middlesbrough seek a shock result at the Emirates Stadium tomorrow afternoon.

The manager has become concerned that, with only five games of the season to play, some of his youthful squad are underestimating the huge challenge they face if they hope to drag themselves clear of the Premier League’s bottom three.

With Arsene Wenger’s attention distracted by next Wednesday’s Champions League meeting against Manchester United, the Arsenal boss is expected to field several of his younger, fringe players against Boro; making this weekend’s game a clash of the kids.

Youthful exuberance has often been regarded as the most positive aspect of Southgate’s squad as the likes of David Wheater, Matthew Bates, Josh Walker and Adam Johnson have belied their relative inexperience to play with freedom and confidence this season.

But Southgate has given his players a sharp reminder that, if they hope to take something from an Arsenal side unbeaten in 16 games, their joy of playing must be matched by discipline.

“I think one or two of my players think they can just go out and play a game of football. Some of them think they’re still in the playground and it’s just a little bit of fun,”

said Southgate, right.

“It’s a job of work!

Some of them need to get their mentality right in these games.

“Their discipline and concentration needs to be better.

“A lot of them would like to have an eight-aside every day and enjoy themselves.

“There are certain disciplines you need to have.

The age group we’ve got means you sometimes spend more time educating them as people as much you do tactically in the football field.”

A trip to the Emirates Stadium offers Southgate’s players a timely reminder of the kind of world class stage they’ll miss should they relinquish their top flight status at the end of the campaign.

And the manager urged his players not to take their privileged position for granted.

“The youngsters we have at the club have only known Premier League football,’’ said Southgate, who includes experienced midfielders Didier Digard and Gary O’Neil in his squad.

“They assume football is always like this and that life is always like this. It will probably have surprised them with tax changes in this week’s budget that a very low percentage of the country earn over £40k a year.

“They possibly aren’t worldly wise enough. I accept these are difficult things for young players to take on board. But they have to appreciate their privileged position.

“We’ve got to make sure we develop them as players and as people. If they want to play at a higher level you have concentrate all the time and realise how serious the situation is.”

Southgate confirmed he’s studied video of last Tuesday’s eight-goal thriller between Arsenal and Liverpool.

But he revealed that if he really wanted to put the wind up his pampered starlets, he’d be more inclined to show them footage of Alistair Darling than Andrei Arshavin.

“If I wanted to scare them to death I’d have shown them a video of Arsenal for an hour,’’ he said. “We didn’t bother doing that. I’d sooner mention the budget than Arshavin to them!’’ And the prospect of Wenger resting some of his first teamers cuts no ice with Southgate who added: “We’ve seen in cup completion when they’ve played their fringe players and wiped the floor with full strength Premier League sides. With their young players there is more pressure on the opposition than on them.”