Neil Warnock engineered another fine performance at Sheffield Wednesday and is the logical choice for Middlesbrough

Yet the same can’t be said for Neil Warnock, the man who kept Boro up by winning four of his eight games and is now being urged to stay on Teesside.

Warnock will speak with Boro chairman Steve Gibson today to discuss next season and the manager’s future.

Over the last few weeks, the 71-year-old has certainly given the impression he wants to stay, speaking highly of the area, the club and its owner. His passion for the game remains clear.

Warnock hasn’t directly said he wants to carry on, yet it seems the logical decision if all parties agree.

In the last few weeks, the manager has held discussions with Boro’s recruitment team about potential signings and given his verdict on the current squad.

With the new season expected to begin at the start of September, do Boro really have time to pick out another new manager and take another change of direction?

Warnock already has a good understanding of this squad, as shown during Wednesday’s 2-1 win at Sheffield Wednesday.

Boro matched the Owls up by playing with wing-backs, a tactic they have used throughout the season at different stages.

The slight difference here was that Anfernee Dijksteel played as a right-sided centre-back due to the squad's lack of central defenders.

Following a long-term knee injury, it seems we are finally seeing the best of Boro’s summer signing, with Dijksteel once again looking assured at the back.

In fact, all three of Boro’s centre-backs stood up to a physical challenge at Hillsborough, with Dael Fry and George Friend keeping close tabs on Wednesday frontmen Connor Wickham and Atdhe Nuhiu.

The first half was an open affair with chances at both ends. Jacob Murphy’s deflected 10th-minute opener was cancelled out by Paddy McNair’s equaliser in an evenly-contested 45 minutes.

McNair and George Saville covered plenty of ground in the middle of the park while Marcus Tavernier showed flashes of creativity operating behind strikers Britt Assombalonga and Ashley Fletcher.

Yet Boro found themselves retreating after the interval, a spell where they had to withstand pressure and keep things tight at the back.

That has been a theme under Warnock when Boro have played away from home, with their wins at Stoke, Millwall and Reading full of grit and hard work.

Boro have also packed a punch on the break in those games, and did so again here, after Fletcher’s cross in stoppage-time was converted by Assombalonga.

Despite the team's struggles on home turf, Warnock has found a winning formula on the road which has ultimately kept the Teessiders up.

After the game, he spoke about how Boro should be challenging at the opposite end of the table next year.

Surely their best chance is under Warnock’ leadership.

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