By Ollie Irish
Wee Gordon Strachan in his playing days (Scale 1:1)
Gordon Strachan has parted company with Middlesbrough following their poor start to the season – Boro managed just three wins in their opening 11 games, which is hardly the form of a pre-season favourite. A 2-1 home defeat by Leeds United (of all clubs – Strachan played almost 200 games for Leeds) last weekend proved to be the final nail in Strachan’s coffin.
But Boro chairman Steve Gibson (yes, he’s still there) had warm words for Strachan: “Gordon is a man of great integrity. He has torn up his contract and walked away without compensation because he felt it was in the best interests of this football club.
“There are very few managers who have ever done that but that is the mark of the man.
“He feels he has given it everything he has got here but it hasn’t worked out and he has taken full responsibility for that. He knew that first-team results weren’t anything like as good as we had hoped they would be and he agreed that the change had to be made.”
Coach Steve Agnew has been put in caretaker charge of the team as Gibson looks for Strachan’s successor.