Gareth Southgate has urged everyone at the club to "stand up and be counted" as he tries to reverse an alarming slide.

Boro have gone 10 league games without a win and were beaten 3-0 at the weekend by bottom club West Brom and had midfielder Didier Digard sent off for a lunge at Albion midfielder Borja Valero.

Southgate admitted he could have no complaints if he was sacked by chairman Steve Gibson after such a sequence of results.

But for now the former England defender is concentrating on trying to revive Boro's fortunes and get the best out of a squad that only a couple of months ago was occupying a spot in the top half of the table.

Southgate said: "We can't hide from the run of results we've had. Everyone will be questioning what we do but we have to battle through that and there is no hiding place for any of us.

"We can't get a lot worse than the feeling (yesterday), when you come to the bottom team and lose 3-0.

"We can't keep standing here and saying 'we are a good side.' We've got to show it. We are where we are for a reason and we've got to work our way out of it.

"Hard work has to get us out of it, what we do on the training ground has to get us out of it, but staying together is the most important thing.

"Within that dressing room, they've got to be very tight and make sure everyone takes responsibility and they graft their way through this."

Southgate added: "We need strong leadership at this time - and it is not a case of anyone ducking a challenge. Any sign of weakness from any of us, and people will pick holes in that.

"We roll our sleeves up, go back to work on Monday and we put things right. That has always been my mentality on things. Other people might have different views of what should be done but we are strong enough to deal with that.

"It is a time when everyone has got to stand up and be counted. Everyone has to look at themselves first and ask are they doing enough and then as a collective group.

"The key is getting the best out of the squad we've got. This squad was half way up the table seven or eight weeks ago. There is a loss of confidence through results."

Southgate has given his backing to £12million striker Afonso Alves despite him spurning four gilt-edged chances against Albion.

The Boro boss said: "He had scored three times in the previous two games. We have created the chances at West Brom and he hasn't taken them.

"As a forward, you've got to keep getting in those danger areas. We've got to be putting the ball in those danger areas and we have to hope that things will change because he is more than capable of getting goals."

Albion boss Tony Mowbray is confident his side can beat the drop after moving off the bottom by registering a third successive home victory.

He said: "We were written off by people before Christmas but nobody here was saying that and I don't think we've ever been adrift.

"I think the maximum we've been off the safety line was five points so I don't think we've ever felt we were going down.

"I know I don't think that way. I've never had a bet in my life. I don't read odds or what the bookies say. I am not interested in them. You've got to believe in your team.

"Whilst we've got a real hard slog, 16 games to go, we've got to look forward to them and be positive and feel we can win enough of them.

"There are a few teams that, when they come to the Hawthorns, we've got to make sure they have uncomfortable days."

Mowbray was a Boro player for 12 years and is optimistic they can survive despite their current dismal run.

He said: "I've got a lot of affinity for Middlesbrough and, particularly on the evidence of what we saw today, particularly in the first half, I think they will be fine.

"They've got enough quality players. I think they will be fine - just as long as it is not at our expense - as long as they can hold onto their best players."