Joe Nicholson's verdict: How Neil Warnock transformed Middlesbrough's struggling side to claim huge Stoke City win

Neil Warnock’s appointment as Middlesbrough boss on Tuesday appeared to immediately improve the Teessiders’ chances of staying in the Championship this season.

In the short-term, fans and pundits alike agreed there wasn’t a better man for the job, while bookmakers lengthened Boro’s relegation odds with immediate effect.

Yet Saturday’s 2-0 win over relegation rivals Stoke, as well as the accomplished team performance which came with it, went well beyond many people’s expectations, especially after last weekend’s calamitous 3-0 defeat by Swansea, a result which cost Jonathan Woodgate his job.

Warnock was thrown straight into the thick of it against a direct relegation rival, a Stoke team which, like Boro, has been performing well below its sum of parts.

Defeat here would have seen Boro drop into the bottom three with seven games to go. Instead, the Teessiders are two points clear of the drop zone and, while still far from safe, appear in much better shape following Warnock’s arrival.

This is the sort of challenge the 71-year-old Yorkshireman says he relishes, and the way he transformed a flailing side after just four days on the training pitches was hugely impressive.

Warnock’s first side showed six changes from the team which started against Swansea, some of which clearly had to be made.

Britt Assombalonga, Ashley Fletcher and Patrick Roberts, who has just recovered from a hamstring injury, were surprise omissions against the Swans but are evidently among Boro’s best assets.

Warnock praised the ‘unbelievable’ trio after the game, highlighting their energy and quality while pointing out the importance of defending from the front.

Assombalonga and Fletcher have played together before this season, yet apart from an impressive first half against Hull City back in November, it hasn’t really clicked for them this season.

Here, though, the pair complimented each other well in an excellent team display, with Assombalonga regularly drifting out to the left to keep the pressure on, while Fletcher showed his energy and neat touches through the centre.

Anyone expecting a cagey affair between two struggling teams was hugely mistaken.

Both sides created chances while Warnock encouraged full-backs Djed Spence and Marvin Johnson to get forward when Boro were in possession.

There was one moment in the first half when Spence skipped past several Stoke players before winning a free-kick on the edge of the penalty area.

Warnock will allow his creative and attack-minded players to take risks in the right areas and that was demonstrated at the bet365 Stadium.

Playing with a back four, there were times when Boro were left exposed on the flanks, yet midfield battlers Jonny Howson and George Saville repeatedly plugged the gaps.

Huge credit must also go to Boro goalkeeper Dejan Stojanovic, a man who waited patiently for his opportunity after joining the Teessiders in January.

The 26-year-old made two excellent saves to deny Stoke winger James McClean either side of half-time, one when the game was goalless and one straight after the interval.

Those saves could have impacted the final result, yet Warnock’s immediate impact was clear to see.