Derby County defeated Boro, but manager Paul Warne claims they are a ‘bang your house on’ team.
Paul Warne may have guided Derby County to a victory over Middlesbrough on Saturday, but he still believes they will make the Championship play-offs this season, describing them as a ‘bang-your-house-on’ squad.
Warne studied Boro’s win over Swansea City in preparation for Saturday’s encounter at Pride Park, which the Rams won 1-0 thanks to Kayden Jackson’s early goal, and was then present on Wednesday night when Michael Carrick’s side hammered Leeds United 3-0. He described them as ‘frightening’.
Even though he arranged their first defeat of the season, he still expects them to finish in the top six this season. He made his point with former Rotherham player Dan Barlaser, who acknowledged Carrick’s depth at the Riverside.
After the game, Derby manager Warne commented, “I thought they were excellent against Swansea.” I saw them play against Leeds, and their counter-attacking with such much velocity was terrifying.
“I really enjoyed them last year. If they hadn’t had such a shaky start, they’d be right in it. They have a good balance of experience and youth. When I looked at the teamsheet, I believe there were eight or nine players under the age of 25, which is a good thing since they are courageous.
“I told the guys all week that I think they’re a top-six squad. As always, the teams coming down have great firepower, but I enjoy the way the team plays and the players they’ve signed. I’m biased, but Dan Barlaser can’t make the team. If you have him on the bench, he is a formidable opponent. I believe Middlesbrough’s bench may be used to assess the team’s quality. You had £4 million, £4 million, we’ll take £3 million for him… it was a joke!
“They’re well-coached, it seems like a really good culture and football club and they have a really good team. So I would expect them to be a massive bang-your-house-on top-six team.”