Reading v Middlesbrough: Neil Warnock hoping for a noisy Madejski Stadium welcome

His Middlesbrough side have won on their last two trips to Berkshire, including a precious survival victory early on in Warnock’s reign in the summer of 2020, which did much to secure safety for the Teessiders.

Prior to that, Warnock’s trips to Reading, results wise, were far from memorable in front of fans and with home followers present again unlike on his last two visits, he hopes it is not a precursor to normal service resuming.

Even if a spot of stick does not bother him; quite the opposite.

He said: “We have done alright (at Reading). When I first came, we needed to get that result and that was probably the most important result of my early tenure.

“It is a place I always enjoy going and I am glad there is a crowd. I always get stick down there, but I think it is a nice atmosphere.

“We have played some good stuff lately without getting the right results. We have just got to keep working hard to try and eliminate those mistakes and take advantage of more of the chances we get.

“We are well up the table on chances created in the league and have just got to take one or two more.”

According to reports this week, Reading could lose as many nine points in the Championship for breaching profit and sustainability rules and become another second-tier club to be hit with a significant deduction like Derby County.

Despite that, Warnock believes that the current uncertainty will not affect Royals players in any shape or form.

He added: “I don’t think they worry about anything other than themselves. I think that is how players are at every level.”