Middlesbrough manager Chris Wilder watches Nottingham Forest loanee Djed Spence ahead of potential recall for defender

Wilder takes over from Neil Warnock who left his position at the club following a 1-1 draw with West Bromwich Albion at the Hawthorns on Saturday.

But the Teessiders didn’t hang around in finding their replacement with Wilder unveiled on Sunday.

Wilder, 54, arrives at the Riverside with Boro sitting 14th in the Championship table after an inconsistent start to the season, something which he highlighted in his opening interview with the club.

“Consistency and results are what we need,” he told the club website.

“If we can find that and win three or four games on the spin, get a bit of momentum – it’s all to play for.”

Wilder now has two weeks on the training ground during the international break to get to know his players and his staff before his first game in charge of the club against Millwall at the Riverside.

But here, though, we round-up what’s been happening on Teesside and around the Championship over the past 24 hours.

Wilder’s watching brief

Having handled his club media duties, new Boro boss Wilder was quick to get into the swing of things as he took in the club’s U23’s fixture against Birmingham City at Bishop Auckland’s Heritage Park.

Wilder and his assistant Alan Knil, along with head of football Kieran Scott, were spotted at the Northern League ground as Boro’s academy side were beaten 3-0 by the Blues.

Among those to feature in Boro’s U23 side were fullback Williams Kokolo, who was sent off in the game, and midfielder Toyosi Olusanya.

Wilder watches Spence

While Wilder was not officially announced by the club until Sunday, reports from The Athletic suggest the former Blades boss was on unofficial Boro duty on Saturday.

As the Teessiders were in action against West Brom, Wilder was in place at the City Ground to watch Nottingham Forest’s win over Preston North End.

Boro host Preston later this month at the Riverside in what will be Wilder’s second game in charge, so the 54-year-old may have been on an opposition scouting mission but he will also have been able to take in the performance of Boro loanee Djed Spence.

Spence was sent to Forest on a season long loan and has impressed in his time leading several supporters to question ex-manager Warnock’s decision to loan him out in the first place.

But Boro supporters may get to see Spence in action this season after all with a return clause agreed as part of the deal which could see the 21-year-old return to the Riverside in January.

Pundits give Wilder reaction

It’s not just been Boro supporters who have been impressed with the news of landing Wilder as their new manager as pundits have also taken to social media to express their appraisal of the appointment.

Former Manchester United and England defender and BT Sports pundit Rio Ferdinand responded to the club’s tweet with a fire emoji to show his approval of Wilder’s appointment while BBC football presenter Mark Clemmit insisted Wilder’s appointment was a ‘coup.’

EFL pundit Carlton Palmer also took to social media saying he ‘can see nothing but success,’ for Boro moving forward.

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