Middlesbrough boss Gareth Southgate is refusing to be carried away by the success of his unfolding blueprint at the Riverside Stadium.Eighteen months into his reign on Teesside, Southgate has seen his side emerge from their early season difficulties to climb into 12th place in the Barclays Premier League and take themselves to within a replay of the FA Cup quarter-finals.

Southgate put into place a long-term development plan after accepting chairman Steve Gibson's offer to step into the manager's office following Steve McClaren's departure for England in the summer of 2006.

He is happy with the progress which has been made since, but as he prepares for Saturday's difficult trip to Liverpool, he knows two bad results - Boro have lost just one of their last 10 games on the road - could change the whole complexion.

Southgate said: "I use the quote of Alex Ferguson along time ago that it took him 18 months to move on the players he did not see as part of the future, another 18 to get the ones in he wanted and then a further 18 to coach them in the way he wanted to play.

"People can see what we are trying to do. The players can see what we are trying to do and the way we are trying to play.

"We are a much fitter team than we were last year, which is one of the things we set out to be.

"The style in which we are playing has at times been what we want and at other times, we have not quite attained it.

"But everybody is aware of the attacking way in which we want to play and that we want to pass the ball.

"It is going to continue to take time. We are having a good spell at the moment and we have got to enjoy that.

"But I am very conscious that can turn on its head with a couple of poor results, so I wasn't carried away when we were third bottom, and I am not getting overly-excited now we are 12th."

That position at the end of the season would match their finish during Southgate's first campaign, and after having to blend in a series of new signings and deal with a succession of injuries, would be no disgrace.

However, the manager has his sights set higher and is happy to do his work away from the more intense interest in local rivals Newcastle.

He said: "We are quite happy to be the last game on on the highlights programme and to be the team nobody talks about because we are trying to build quietly.

"There is still enormous work to be done, but people are starting to see what we are trying to do and how we are trying to do it.

"The focus can be everywhere else. We don't mind that at all."

The focus has been firmly on Liverpool boss Rafael Benitez in recent weeks and will continue to be so despite the midweek Champions League victory over Inter Milan which helped to salve the pain of the club's FA Cup embarrassment at the hands of Barnsley.

Southgate, however, will not allow himself or his players to be caught up in the ongoing debate.

He said: "Everybody is under different levels of scrutiny and Liverpool are a huge club.

"He is obviously more experienced in the position than I am, so he will be more than capable of coping with the added interest."

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