Neil Warnock set to begin rebuilding job after agreeing to stay on at Middlesbrough FC

The 71-year-old took over at the Riverside for the final eight matches of last season after Jonathan Woodgate was sacked a game into the restarted campaign.

After talks with chairman Steve Gibson, Warnock has agreed to stay on and try to guide the Teessiders towards the top end of the Championship, but has warned it will require plenty of transfer activity to address a squad he sees as unstructured.

“It won’t be easy, we need quite a large influx of players and I’ll be doing my best over the next few weeks to get the right ones,” said the much-travelled manager, who won four of his eight matches in the run-in.

“(Chief executive) Neil Bausor is helping as well, we’re all singing from the same hymn sheet really in terms of improving the squad. There might have to be sales as well but you don’t know what’s around the corner regarding that.

“It’s important that it’s a lot more structured squad than it has been and there are more options, especially defensive-wise.

“We need a bit of luck because you need the new lads to settle quickly.

“Some of the players I’m trying to sign have been there and done it all, I want one or two down that spine who can change the mentality.”

Having fought a relegation battle this season, Warnock’s aim is to be competing around the play-off places in 2020-21.

“This is a great club, and I’d like to take it towards the other end of the table,” he said.

“I just felt it was the right thing to do, to continue to shape the squad and take it forward.

“That’s what I’m going to try and do.”

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