Middlesbrough 0 Manchester United 2

GARETH SOUTHGATE is determined to shield his players from the nerve shredding build-up to what he admitted will be “possibly the last throw of the dice” at St James’ Park next Monday.

The Middlesbrough manager revealed his squad won’t return to the training ground until tomorrow as he bids to conserve energy and reduce tension ahead of what’s shaping up to be the most crucial North-East derby for 19 years.

“If we flog them for the next few days they will be drained physically and emotionally by Monday week,” noted Southgate before adding: “We’re looking for a miracle over these two weeks to get results.”

At home to Manchester United last Saturday, both teams seemed to have half an eye on the huge challenges that await them over the next seven days. As Sir Alex Ferguson’s men limbered up for their Champions League semi-final decider against Arsenal, Boro appeared to be saving themselves for their do-or-die encounter at Newcastle.

Southgate, below, praised the world club champions but the Teessiders’ limp showing handed Ferguson’s side a routine victory. A similarly tame effort against their local rivals a week from today will surely guarantee the Riverside can start preparing to host Doncaster Rovers and Plymouth Argyle next season.

After PFA Player of the Year Ryan Giggs punished hesitancy in the home defence to thump home a 25th minute opener, belief drained from home players and supporters as Southgate’s side showed no sign they have the stomach for the massive challenges facing them this month.

Wayne Rooney was the best player on show and he was also the hardest-working. If Boro have any hope of launching a last-gasp bid for survival – which Southgate admitted must start with victory in the Tyne-Tees derby – they’d do well to note that great players usually expend great effort.

As reporters loitered outside the changing rooms after Saturday’s match, a request for Rooney to share his thoughts on the game was met with the reply: “Sorry lads, I’m off to the coach, I need a rest.”

You could hardly deny the England forward a wellearned spell with his feet up after he had outplayed and, more significantly, out-fought Southgate’s men.

Boro were always expected to struggle against the champions-elect whose inventive, talent-packed squad will almost certainly retain the Premier League title.

Seven players were rested from the team that defeated Arsenal in last week’s Champions League encounter but Ferguson still began the game with powerhouses like Rooney, Giggs, Dimitar Berbatov and Paul Scholes. Substitutes Cristiano Ronaldo and Carlos Tevez were on hand if required: they weren’t.

The United boss bawled at his players during the first half where even the likes of 17-year-old Federico Macheda weren’t safe from the touchline prompts of a manager who remains the toughest taskmaster in the business.

Ultimately, United were able to conserve energy ahead of their run-in, but not before Fergie had ensured they put in an hour of graft to destroy Boro’s feeble resistance.

After Ji-Sung Park’s smart first-time shot from Rooney’s sublime reverse pass secured all three points, the visitors continued to show the greater desire and could have scored four or five had they stepped up a gear.

Only the languid Dimitar Berbatov, who appears to expend as little energy on the pitch as John Higgins does playing a frame of snooker, failed to show the kind of athletic endeavour demanded by Ferguson.

Boro had a couple of early chances to take a confidence- boosting lead but Ben Foster denied their best effort; saving with his feet from Jerem i e Aliadiere’s low shot.

And they should have been awarded a first half penalty after a ball into the box struck Nemanja Vidic’s wrist and Berbatov’s arm before referee Mark Halsey waved away claims.

United’s veteran midfield pair Giggs and Scholes belied their combined age of 69 to play like a pair of spring chickens and had Boro’s youngsters chasing shadows.

Southgate refused to publicly castigate his players for their flat display, preferring instead to build fragile morale ahead of the upcoming showdown on Tyneside.

“I think we have nothing to lose now we have to have a go for it. We are out of the league as it stands, as we have been for a number of weeks, and we just have to play and try give our supporters something which gives them some passion and some pride,” he admitted.

“It is hard to keep lifting everybody. How do you give team belief when you are goal down at half-time to world champions.

“We are not playing the world champions in next three matches but teams we are capable of getting results against.”

Matchfacts

Goals: 0-1: Giggs (25mins, crashed home left foot drive into Jones’ bottom left corner) 0-2: Park (51mins, applied a first time finish to Rooney’s clever reverse pass)
Bookings: Macheda (38mins, foul), Huth (56mins, foul)
Attendance: 33,767
Referee: Mark Halsey (Bolton) Denied Boro a decent penalty shout but otherwise a quiet afternoon 5
Entertainment: ✰

MIDDLESBROUGH (4-4-2):
5 Jones: Caught flat-footed for Giggs opener but not helped by hesitant defence
5 Hoyte: A right-footed left back was likely to struggle against Berbatov and Park
4 Wheater: At fault for the opener - an afternoon to forget
6 Huth: Battled gamely to prevent the visitors from adding to their goal tally
5 McMahon: Struggled to cope with the threat of the evergreen Giggs
5 O’Neil: Created nothing of note when Boro were desperate for some invention
6 Tuncay: Some impressive touches but became increasingly isolated
5 Bates: Started brightly but given a lesson by the visitors’ veteran midfielders.
5 Downing: A flat, aimless performance typifying his side’s afternoon
3 King: Vidic and Evans can’t have had many easier afternoons – woeful
4 Aliadiere: Spurned Boro’s best chance but it was only a half chance.

Subs:
Digard (for McMahon 55mins): Worked hard to little effect 5
Emnes (for O’Neil, 70): made no real impact 4
Alves (for King 55): added nothing to the Boro side 4
(not used): Turnbull (gk), Arca, Adam Johnson, Grounds.

MAN UNITED (4-4-2): Foster 6, O’Shea 6, Vidic 7, Evans 7, Evra 7 (Rafael Da Silva 78), Park 8 (Nani 74), Scholes 8, Giggs 8, ROONEY 8, Berbatov 6, Macheda 6 (Tevez 55, 7). Subs (not used): Kuszczak, Ronaldo, Anderson, Gibson.

MAN OF THE MATCH
 WAYNE Rooney – Showed superb vision to set up Park’s goal and, worked like a Trojan all afternoon.