Middlesbrough manager Gareth Southgate said that his team's 5-0 battering at the hands of Chelsea was a horrible experience for both himself and the fans. Middlesbrough, whom Egyptians Ahmed Hossam 'Mido' and Mohamed Shawky plays for failed to show any sign of class throughout the home defeat. "You lose at home and it's hard to take. But when you're beaten like that it's a very humbling experience to us," Southgate said after the game. Despite admitting Chelsea's superiority, Southgate stressed that it was his team's poor performance that led to the heavy loss. "There's a danger when you play a side like Chelsea that that can happen, but I don't think they had to be at their best, and yet they annihilated us." Southgate showed sympathy for the Middlesbrough faithful, adding his hopethat his players can learn the hard way from the game's result. "It's a lonely place when you are standing on the touchline and your own fans are very disgruntled with things, and understandably so," added the former England defender. "It's painful, but we have to learn from the experience as a group."
