Venables tries talking cure

Terry Venables trotted out yesterday for his first training session as Middlesbrough's head coach and was greeted by a typical north-east of England welcome of driving rain, freezing wind and a black sky.

Not as cosy as a warm TV studio. And he soon had the players back inside the club's lavishly-equipped, £7 million complex at Hurworth, near Darlington, to prepare for today's derby meeting with Sunderland at the Stadium of Light.

With less than 30 hours to go before kick-off, Venables believed talking was more important than physical work and he certainly arrived with something to say to players who have managed just one point from their last 24. With the manager Bryan Robson sitting alongside and looking relaxed, Venables later explained how he has already pinpointed weaknesses.

"I've been watching a lot of videos in the last 10 days," he said. "I purposely looked at the games with the worst results and I could see where players need to be helped.

"There are four or five things particularly that have to be sorted. That's where you start. Then you try to maximise the things they do well and hope you solve the problems. I've seen strengths and weaknesses. But the players lack confidence and I can't paint a different picture, that's the way we are at the moment."

"I got here last night and Bryan and I met really early today," he added. "Bryan has set the team up and reaction from the players has been good, but it's only one morning, my first.

"We discussed a few things and they are concerned about the situation, as you would expect, but there's a good attitude. I want to try to make everyone feel better. Then points will get performances.

"You have to go into things thinking you can achieve them. You have to be positive. I'm optimistic and think the players will be fine."

Venables and Robson presented a united front, both steadfastly denying that Robson had effectively been ousted.

"I personally can't see any problem," said Venables. "As far as I'm concerned, we had a meeting where it may have been that I took over a long period of time. That wasn't to be and what we felt then was, is there anything that can be done after that?

"Bryan is staying in place, he's the future of the club. He will be the manager, I'll be the head coach and take the team and he will do all the other functions that he's been doing."

Venables will watch the first half today from a seat in the stand, then move pitchside: "I like to look at the first half from on high because half-time is very important for coaches. So I want to see exactly what I can get most from at half-time. And then I'll be on the bench because I want more of an involvement, to make changes or whatever."