Gordon Strachan parts company with Middlesborough

• Gordon Strachan won less than a third of his games as manager

The 53-year-old Scot won just 13 of the 46 games for which he was in charge despite his side being installed as pre-season favourites to win promotion back to the Barclays Premier League.

The former Celtic manager signed a host of Old Firm players in the summer, including Kris Boyd from Rangers and Scott McDonald from Celtic.

Speculation over the former Strachan's future has been circulating for several weeks, and that grew today when he cancelled his pre-match press conference, although the official reason was that he was ill.

Chairman Steve Gibson confirmed Strachan's departure by mutual consent live on BBC Radio Tees this evening.

He said: "It's a sad day. Gordon worked very hard for the football club.

"He would be the first to admit that things haven't turned out as we would have hoped.

"We have had some hard, long, very honest discussions in the last month, and today Gordon met with me mid-morning.

"We had a long discussion and during that debate, he offered his resignation and I accepted it."

Gibson said: "Gordon is a very rare guy. He is better for knowing. I like him enormously, but it just hasn't worked and we had to face up to it.

"The integrity he has shown, he made life very easy for me. Not only did he offer his resignation, but in doing so, he tore up his contract.

"He sought no compensation, he walked away from the club with empty hands, and it's a measure of the man."

The Scot was appointed as successor to Gareth Southgate on October 26 last year with chairman Steve Gibson deciding the club needed a change despite lying in fourth place in the Championship table and only a point behind then leaders West Brom.

But they finished the campaign 40 points worse off than eventual champions Newcastle and eight behind sixth-placed Blackpool, who went on to win the play-off final.

Boro were installed as pre-season favourites to win promotion back to the Barclays Premier League this time around, but head into tomorrow night's clash with Nottingham Forest 16 points adrift of current leaders QPR and seven shy of the play-off places.

Former Middlesbrough defender and Hibs manager Tony Mowbray is the fans' favourite to succeed Strachan, but Gibson refused to be drawn on Mowbray's potential as a successor.

He said: "I am not going to talk about specifics. To concentrate on one individual wouldn't be the wisest thing to do.

"There is a list, and since the rumours broke about Gordon, I have got agents putting forward all sorts of names.

"I have been in football a long time and I know a lot of people in the game, so we will see what happens.

"It's not going to be something we will rush into."