Neil Warnock demands Middlesbrough play twice as hard to relegate Sheffield Wednesday

The Teessiders’ 2-1 win at Rotherham was greeted with relief by the likes of Sheffield Wednesday and Derby County, but Boro chief and boyhood Sheffield United fan Neil Warnock is certainly not in any mood to dish out favours to the Owls when they visit the Riverside Stadium on Saturday.

A win, of course, would also help Rotherham, a club whom Warnock has affection for from his short spell there in 2016. It explains why he felt for his former side a little bit after Boro’s success at the New York Stadium.

Warnock, whose side also host Wycombe on the final day, said: “I am happy we have got the points, but disappointed it is against Rotherham, if I am honest, as I want to see them stay up. So I said to the lads that I want us to try twice as hard on Saturday, me being a Unitedite.

“You have seen a good performance and it’s hard against Rotherham. But I felt sorry for them. Four games in nine days in the Championship is tough. At least, they have got an easy one on Saturday: Barnsley!

“They have got to win difficult games. They will be disappointed but will be on the training ground and Warney (Paul Warne) will get them going again. They will give everything. It might not be enough, but they will give everything. You cannot ask any more than that.”

Warne confirmed that Jed Spence missed the Millers game with a groin issue while Darnell Fisher has undergone a scan on an injury which could rule him out for the rest of the season.

Britt Assombalonga and Ashley Fletcher have also played their last game for the club – with the pair out of contract in the summer and having lined up new clubs, according to Warnock.

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