NEIL WARNOCK

If you’re a Football League outfit desperate for a boost in fortunes, the solution has long been obvious – send for Neil Warnock.

The 71- year- old may not be known for frilly football, but he’s developed a career as a Championship specialist – earning promotion to the Premier League with a trio of different teams.

After taking boyhood side Sheffield United into the top flight in 2006, he then repeated the feat in his first full campaign with QPR in 2011, and did the same with Cardiff in 2018. On all three occasions, he had walked into the club when they were languishing in the Championship’s bottom five.

True, his longevity is partly due to his less- than- stellar record once he reaches the top flight – in each of his five seasons at that level, he’s either suffered relegation or got the sack.

But no gaffer can match his tally of Championship Manager of the Month awards – 10 at the start of this term – and he’s not all about promotions.

He steered Crystal Palace back to the right end of the table in 2007- 08, and saved Rotherham from dropping into the third tier in 2015- 16. He also steadied the ship at Middlesbrough last season, after agreeing to come out of retirement for what seemed like the 318th time – despite living in Devon. That’s a hell of a commute.

Since the turn of the century, his only gig without success has been at Leeds – probably doing his popularity with Blades fans no harm. Less than affectionately called ‘ Colin’ by those he’s upset over the years ( and there have been a few), Warnock overcame coronavirus to return to the dugout for his 1,500th match as a manager.

How did he celebrate? With victory over Barnsley – a classic Warnock result for a classic Warnock fixture.