OPPORTUNITY WARNOCK’S

Veteran boss Neil looks likely to make the most of his chance at Boro as he says: I want to show the chairman what kind of manager I am

NEIL WARNOCK has hinted that he is ready to stay on as Middlesbrough manager beyond the end of the season.

The 71-year-old answered chairman Steve Gibson’s emergency call last month with Boro in grave danger of relegation to the third tier for the first time since 1985.

But a point today against Cardiff at the Riverside should be enough to keep Boro in the Championship. And while Warnock insists he will not make a final decision until next week, his sights seem set on doing for Boro what he did when in charge of the Bluebirds – keep them up and win promotion the following year.

“I’ve always wanted to work up here, even before my days at Cardiff,” he said.

“And I’ve always fancied working for Steve Gibson but it’s never come off for one reason or another.

“If I’m honest, I want to show Steve what kind of manager I am, more so than the fans or anything else.

“I’ve had a lot of owners and chairmen over the years and working for someone like Steve has been great so far – I’m getting his full support.

“So it would be nice to get this club on a footing. I always think wherever I am, I can do something special. There are some good players here but this club needs quite a few more in the coming weeks to give itself a chance.”

Victory at Reading in midweek has eased the pressure on Boro, despite them not having won at home since Boxing Day.

And Warnock, who replaced Jonathan Woodgate, was in good humour as he looked ahead to a game against opponents he insists he knows far better than the team he currently manages.

Asked if he was looking forward to the clash, he said: “No, not when I know how good Cardiff are.”

Replying to a question about Boro playing for a draw he added: “It’s hard to park the bus when you have no defenders.”

Boro fans have not had the chance to welcome Warnock so far and he joked: “If we stay up, I’ll have to have a drive around the town and announce an open-top bus or something.”