WHAT a shock. Not so much the sacking, just the timing. When Gareth Southgate headed up to the press room at the Riverside Stadium at 10.50pm on Tuesday night, I can honestly say he knew nothing about what was around the corner.

After chatting with Justin Hoyte about the merits of keeping Southgate in charge after the victory over Derby County, Southgate seemed relaxed in the tunnel as he walked out of the dressing room. He also seemed relaxed when hit with a post-match question from the press pack which was along the lines of "Do you fear the sack?"

"I don't fear anything," was Southgate's short and sharp response.

That has been his attitude throughout the last year, as the number of Middlesbrough fans losing faith in his leadership have gradually increased.

In the end, the most powerful supporter of all of them, agreed. Chairman Steve Gibson might never have wanted to do it, but he just felt he had little choice.

With a look around the Riverside on Tuesday, Gibson was faced with more empty seats than normal - more than there has ever been for a league game at the venue, with a crowd of just under 17, 500.

But it is not just the lack of fans on Tuesday that convinced Gibson the time had come for change, it was the run of three consecutive home defeats coupled with the increased number of stayaway fans that provided the final straw.

So, ten minutes after chatting to the journalists and outlining his confidence that the Riverside hoodoo had been broken, he returned to the tunnel.

While there, when he would normally have shared a drink and a decent chat with Derby boss Nigel Clough, he was summoned for a meeting.

Such post-match meetings have taken place before during Southgate's three-and-a-half years at the helm. This time, however, it must have felt different. He must have feared the worst. It duly arrived.

Southgate, the club's former captain, was fired, sacked, axed. Gibson is now faced with appointing a new manager before this Saturday's trip to Preston.

We will see if Gordon Strachan - the bookmakers' clear favourite - does emerge as the man to fill the void, whether his appointment will put plenty bums back on the red seats is another matter.

One certainty is that Gibson clearly felt Southgate could no longer do just that.