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From the moment Gordon Strachan gave his first press conference, declaring that he didn't need the Middlesbrough job, it was evident that he was going to have an uphill struggle winning over the Boro faithful. And that's exactly how it proved.

When you start off on the wrong foot, the only way you can make amends is by winning football matches, and Strachan failed to do so. From his first 17 games in charge, the former Coventry City, Southampton and Celtic boss guided Boro to just three wins which saw the club drop from the fringe of promotion to below mid-table. All this was done with a playing squad that now included half a dozen players signed from north of the border which led to the Teesside club being nicknamed McBoro in some quarters.

And Strachan's assault on Scottish players didn't stop there. Before a ball had even been kicked this season Stephen McManus had been signed permanently, whilst Kris Boyd and Kevin Thompson were brought in from Rangers. On paper, Boro had an excellent looking squad, so good in fact that they were made pre-season favourites to win the Championship title.

But the team failed to gel, suffered injuries, and looked particularly weak in defence thanks to Strachan's failure to sign any full-backs worthy of a mention. Results were poor and attendances at the Riverside fell to a record low, whilst off the field rumours began to surface of player unrest, with the likes of Boyd and Scott McDonald being linked with moves away from the club in the January transfer window.

But it was Strachan's attitude and arrogance that ultimately sealed his fate with the fans. After losing a two-goal lead to Portsmouth the Boro boss was asked how he handles pressure, "I take drugs, drink and smoke", was his uncalled for, erroneous reply.

Strachan leaves Middlesbrough with a record of just 13 wins from 46 games with the club languishing in 20th position in the Championship, just two points and two places above the drop zone.

But the news isn't all bad if - like me - you're a Boro fan. And that's because Middlesbrough legend Tony Mowbray is being hotly tipped to succeed Strachan as the next manager, and if Chairman Steve Gibson wants to give the club an immediate lift, then he must appoint Mowbray as soon as possible.

Mowbray is the man - on the field at least - heralded as the saviour of Middlesbrough Football Club after it was officially wound up in 1986. However, a consortium led by Gibson completed the club's registration with the Football League ahead of the 1986-87 season, and a group of young local players led the club to glory. Under the guidance of Bruce Rioch and the superb captaincy of Mowbray, Middlesbrough won back-to-back promotions to become members of the top-flight of English football once again.

The spirit shown by those group of players - that included the likes of Gary Pallister and Bernie Slaven - has never been forgotten on Teesside and never will.

Mowbray had lived in the area all his life, he knew the traditions of the town and knew how big a part the football club played in people's lives. He was an inspiration on the field, so much so that Rioch once said that if he ever had to fly to the moon, Tony Mowbray, his captain, would be the only man he'd ever take with him. A Boro fanzine called Fly me to the Moon was created and still exists to this day.

Mowbray - who endured personal tragedy when his wife Bernadette died in 1995 - went on to play for Celtic and Ipswich before having managerial spells at both clubs, as well as at Hibernian and West Brom. He remains a model professional in every sense, and is seen as the only man who can resurrect Middlesbrough's faltering season.

Boro have enough quality within their squad to go on a roll in this division but for that to happen they need the backing of the fans, attendances to increase, and the players to believe in themselves again. Mowbray has won promotion from this division before with West Brom, he's the only man who can instantly increase Boro's home attendance by as many as 10,000, but more importantly, he's the only manager the Middlesbrough fans want. For Gibson, I believe it's an easy - and perhaps the only - call to make.

By Mike Norman