Stoke City v Middlesbrough - No fans, no trouble Neil Warnock won’t be heard

Boro face the Potters, who are two points and three places clear of Warnock’s charges, after defeat against Swansea City last weekend kept them teetering dangerously above the relegation places.

Warnock, who has managed close to 1,500 fixtures, will be at the helm for the club’s final eight games after being appointed earlier this week and although he has seen an absence of leadership, he has been pleased with other things he has witnessed.

“We have probably not got that many leaders in the dressing room,” said Warnock.

“That is not being detrimental to the players, it is not the nature and the way they are.

“I have already seen one or two really good things in there and we are trying to work on a pattern to give ourselves an advantage.”

Warnock will get his first taste of Championship action behind closed doors but admits the lack of supporters will make sure the Boro players hear his touchline instructions loud and clear.

He said: “One of the reasons I have been in the game so long is because of the atmosphere.

“The Championship is super, there are so many teams that have such good crowds.

“The plus thing is the players will be able to hear my shouting from the touchline, there won’t be any crowd to put them off.”

Stoke drew their opening game of the Championship restart 1-1 at Reading and Warnock hopes to make full use of his squad in the final stretch.

He added: “Everybody over the next eight games is going to have to contribute something. I don’t see us going through a game without using the five subs, especially with the number of games coming up now.”

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