Timeless trio rolling back years at Boro
AT A combined age of 189 you would have thought the oldest football swingers in town would have had enough by now.
But Neil Warnock, 71, and his loyal lieutenants Kevin Blackwell, 61, and Ronnie Jepson, 57, refuse to exit the stage.
Today they will continue their latest assignment, ensuring Middlesbrough remain in the Championship.
They are up against one of their many former clubs – QPR – at the Riverside.
Blackwell, who was once signed by Warnock as a keeper for Scarborough back in 1986, knows what makes him tick.
“His manmanagement skills are second to none. He is a master at getting people to play for him,” he said.
“I believe we get jobs because we all know what we’re doing. We never complicate things.”
Blackwell insists that the strong-willed Warnock doesn’t get things all his own way though.
The former Leeds and Luton boss added: “Neil respects that I have my opinions as well and he knows I’m not afraid to have my say. Our record together suggests that we are on the right line.
“If there is a big decision to be made it’s made quickly – there is no messing about.”
Blackwell admits it was a no-brainer to join Warnock on Teesside.
“I think we were all surprised when Boro came calling. It was out of the blue,” he said.
“I’d spent much of lockdown doing jobs around the house including building a new kitchen.
“That can wait. This was too good a job to turn down.
“Already Neil has made a really big impression.”
With one win and one loss to his name as Boro boss, Warnock needs to act quickly to keep his new side up.
STEVE BRUCE has revealed the blueprint he hopes will keep him in the Newcastle job next season.
The veteran Toon coach has ordered the club to spend on two or three quality players in August to “bridge the gap” with the runaway elite.
And Bruce (right) has vowed to maintain the core squad’s spirit and atmosphere that has knitted the club together since they were promoted three years ago.
Newcastle fans are hoping for a verdict from the Premier League on the proposed £300million takeover by the Saudi state investment fund in the coming days.
If approved, the Saudi consortium will make bold statements about their ambitions, including challenging for the top four and eventually being contenders again. Bruce’s position will come under scrutiny, but guiding Newcastle to within a couple of wins of the top seven so far this season – and being on target to top Rafa Benitez’s 45-point haul last term – shores up his claim to stay on.
Asked how the chasm to the top four can be narrowed, Bruce said: “To mix with the elite is difficult, when you see the standard of play of Liverpool and Manchester City.
“You have to purr at both teams. The elite are still a long way off. For me we have to take the club forward year by year.
“We have to keep adding that bit of quality. Make no mistake, they are the ones who make the difference.”
United spent £80million on their current strike force and Bruce added: “In the past few windows we’ve got Miguel Almiron, Joelinton, Saint-Maximin.
“Add quality. How can we get the scouting department to find another Allan SaintMaximin. That bit of quality makes the difference and helps bridge that gap.
“Behind the scenes, we’re already scheduled for meetings as early as next week to see what we’re doing in a mini pre-season, when does the transfer window close and what have we got in the kitty after what’s been