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MIDDLESBROUGH v FULHAM - SOUTHGATE WANTS TO BE A MILLIONAIRE
Middlesbrough manager Gareth Southgate is targeting a £1million reward for winning Sunday's final Barclays Premiership game against Fulham.
The Boro boss insists that far from being an end-of-season damp squib between two sides with nothing to play for, the match has, financially speaking, a huge amount riding on it.
Currently sitting in 12th position, six points behind Aston Villa, Boro cannot finish any higher.
But if they lose or draw on Sunday and Newcastle and Manchester City win, then they could slip down to 14th, losing as much as £1million in Premiership prize money in the process.
For Southgate, who is busy planning his summer spending spree, it is a sum of money that would come in useful, especially as £7million has already been spent in signing Jonathan Woodgate.
And although he is relieved the threat of relegation has disappeared following last weekend's 1-0 win at Wigan, the Boro boss will demand one last big performance from his players.
"We didn't want to be biting our nails at the Riverside on Sunday, so I'm pleased that's been resolved," he said.
"We know we can now push on with our plans for next season. We have to win against Fulham to send everybody home in the right frame of mind for their holidays.
"There's plenty riding on this for us. We can finish higher than we did last year with a better points total than we achieved last season.
"We can also know that the difference between 12th and 14th is almost £1million. That's a sum that could have a significant impact in all areas of the club."
Boro have lost their last two home games, although they have picked up four points out of six away from the Riverside.
It is a sequence that has turned a season-long trend of home resilience and woeful away days on its head.
Southgate would like to make amends for the defeats to Spurs and Aston Villa by giving the fans a match to remember.
He said: "Our home form has been something of a shining light this season, we've picked up more points at the Riverside than we did last season.
"We want to play well and finish on a positive note and there's no better time to do that than on Sunday."
The battle for north-east bragging rights is also a major issue at stake.
Three points will guarantee Boro a higher league position than Newcastle, a regional battle taken very seriously by fans on Teesside and Tyneside.
Southgate is well aware of the rivalry, saying: "It's important for us and the local area.
"It's not the be-all and end-all finishing above Newcastle, it doesn't automatically mean you've had a successful season, but it would be nice to finish above them, there's no doubt about that."
By Bettingzone.co.uk
Used with permission.
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