Saturday 4 July 2020 11:05, UK
Neil Warnock feels the job he has taken at Middlesbrough might be the toughest assignment of his managerial career.
The 71-year-old was drafted in to replace the sacked Jonathan Woodgate last month, with Boro sitting just above the Championship relegation zone on goal difference with eight games remaining.
They have since played twice, winning once and losing once, a pair of results which have put them a point above the drop zone.
Warnock has managed in countless high-pressure situations during his long career but says the imbalanced squad he has inherited has been a real challenge for him.
"It's probably as difficult a job as I've had, this," he said. "Even when I went in at Rotherham I had a group of five or six defenders and we were able to build from the back.
"We've got attacking defenders here and quite a lot of midfield players, good midfield players and good wide players.
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"We have no back-up regarding full-backs and we're limited at centre-half so it's difficult. It's going to be a fight for our lives and a scrap to get over the line.
"I didn't realise the numbers situation. We've got decent numbers but not many fit defenders compared to what we have in midfield and attack."
Middlesbrough go into Sunday's home game against QPR on the back of a 2-1 loss at Hull City and with Warnock predicting a fight against relegation which will go down to the final day of the season.
"I think even before I arrived they knew they were in a battle and I don't think that has changed," he said. "It's going to go right down to the death this year.
"We don't score enough goals but the other day I think both the goals we conceded were preventable.
"We've just got to be organised and give ourselves as much opportunities as we can get to scramble over the line. It looks like it's going to be like that for everybody down there."
