Neil Warnock reveals his tactical decision which even surprised assistants Kevin Blackwell and Ronnie Jepson

Warnock wanted to match up the Swans by playing with a back three and wing-backs in Wednesday’s 2-1 but was without defender Anfernee Dijksteel due to injury.

The Boro boss therefore considered playing teenager Nathan Wood alongside Paddy McNair and Dael Fry in a back three but instead opted to move Bola infield, meaning Marvin Johnson started at left wing-back.

Bola was excellent against the Swans and helped keep forward Andre Ayew quiet at the Riverside.

When asked by the Mail when he decided to change Bola’s role, Warnock replied: “When I was talking to you lot, I thought they won’t think about Bola playing there because Kevin Blackwell and Ronnie Jepson didn’t think about that. I don’t think Bola did either,” laughed the Boro boss.

“He plays with a smile on his face, playing against Ayew, his heading, he came down with snow on it the other night.

“It’s just like Dijksteel, he can do anything for me, it’s just a natural area for him.

“If you see him in training you can’t believe the difference in the lad, he’s got so much ability you don’t realise how skillful he is.

“It’s just channeling it into the right areas but he has got ability and he can defend. That’s a big thing nowadays, have you got full-backs who can defend?

“I’ve been lucky since I came to the club, I wanted to bring in two full-backs who can defend and I’ve had them here all the time.”

Warnock could revert to a back four for this weekend’s trip to Stoke and says his players are ready to adapt if they are asked to change positions.

“I think most of the lads know I might ask them to play in a different position at some stage, especially with substitutes now,” added Warnock.

“You can put two on and then another two, and the lads coming on have to go watch and know where the weaknesses are and how they can help out where.

“But that’s what we try and go through with them anyway, so they’re not just being thrown in at the deep end.”

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