Patrick Roberts has a big fan in Neil Warnock – even if the new Middlesbrough manager has to resist the urge to temporarily “rollock” the Manchester City borrower.
Roberts had the backing of former manager Jonathan Woodgate, who wanted to build his team around him, and the 23-year-old will be just as important under Warnock.
The new manager is known for the fact that his teams are hard to beat, but he also appreciates and appreciates sparks and magic in the front third and knows that he has a player in Roberts’ hands.
Boro confirmed Rudy Gestede and Dani Ayala’s exit on Saturday, but the other five unsigned players remain until the end of the season. In fact, Jonny Howson will be with Boro next season after confirming that he triggered a contract renewal.
(Image: Alan Stanford / Focus Images Ltd)
And Warnock says Boros surrogates have also agreed to stay next month.
Moukoudi, Morrison and Nmecha were on the bench on Saturday, but Roberts played for an hour, with Warnock being careful to get too much out of his thigh injury.
The manager loved what he saw from the former Fulham man – most of the time.
“I love exciting players like him,” he said.
“I could give him a bit of a rollock, a couple of times he was too greedy to use players, but if you’re a wide player and exciting, I don’t mind as long as you do it in the right areas and you don’t do it in your own half. “
Warnock said Moukoudi still has a “minor injury” while Hayden Coulson was also excluded from the Stoke game.
The left-back should take part in a light cooling session yesterday and will be available to Hull on Thursday.
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