Neil Warnock relaxed as Middlesbrough fire transfer market blanks

Centre-back Grant Hall has been the only addition to date, though the 71-year-old is optimistic of adding another new face before the September 11 Championship opener at Watford.

“It might be me!” he said after seeing targets such as Kieffer Moore and Charlie Goode go elsewhere. “Not many players want to play for me, do they?

“I've missed out on a few but I'm not really worried if I'm honest. I've always been like that. If I miss out on a player because he goes somewhere else I always think it's their loss and move onto the next one. We're still looking at some good players and not rushing into it. I'm optimistic we might get one next week and two or three before the deadline.”

Goode, who moved from Northampton Town to Brentford in the summer, is a centre-back but it is former Barnsley and Rotherham United man Moore's position – centre-forward – where he is most keen to add.

“I need a couple of strikers because you've got to have at least four strikers in the Championship, so I do need at least a couple more,” he said. “I've got one or two younger lads but I think you need experienced lads at this level – a midfield player and probably another position to make sure we've got the numbers.”

Helping Warnock's anxiety levels has been the improvement he has seen in some of those he inherited since the side came back for pre-season. Friday sees the start of the competitive action, with a visit from Shrewsbury Town in the League Cup.

“Dael Fry didn't play last week and I put Woodsy (Nathan Wood) in and I thought he was super, he did ever so well, so that's given me a new thing to ponder. Do we need another centre-half? Paddy (McNair)'s played there very, very well in pre-season and he looked like Beckenbauer at Plymouth.

“But the Championship's very difficult for academy lads. When I left Cardiff there was talk about how the Cardiff academy lads were going to come into the team but not one of them's got a look-in.

“We've got some good young lads, people like Woods and (Marcus) Browne that have been out on loan and they've done well in pre-season, with (Stephen) Walker and people like that.

“Sam (Folarin), he's been exciting. I've loved watching him in pre-season, giving him the freedom to run and frighten defenders. It's nice to see these lads and he'll be involved against Shrewsbury but I do need three or four good players to supplement that and it hasn't helped with (George) Saville and Paddy McNair being away on international duty.”

As well as Saville and McNair, Hayden Coulson will miss Friday's game with illness – not coronavirus – as Warnock looks to play bis best possible side. All three should return at Watford.

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