THE Barnsley boot room might not be as fabled as the Anfield one, but when it comes to producing top-class managers, there is clearly something in the water at Oakwell.

Back in the late 1970s, Neil Warnock was a senior professional at Barnsley when a young centre-half arrived at the club and, as part of his apprenticeship, was tasked with the job of cleaning his boots.

The name of the teenager, who was desperate to make his mark with his hometown team? Mick McCarthy. More than four decades later, and the pair will cross paths again tomorrow afternoon when Warnock’s Middlesbrough host McCarthy’s Cardiff at the Riverside.

“We were at Barnsley together,” said Warnock, as he cast his mind back to the days when he was a sprightly winger. “I was a player at Barnsley, and he was an apprentice in his last year. He was six foot two then, I think, as an 18-year-old.

“He was the same old Mick McCarthy, just with a slightly younger head on. He used to clean my boots, although he wasn’t much good at it.

“He was a good player though, heading, kicking – he could play a bit could Mick. We’ve always kept in touch, and I don’t think Cardiff could have chosen anyone better to take over.”

It is no surprise that Warnock and McCarthy shared a dressing room in their formative years, as in so many ways, tomorrow’s opposing managers are cut from the same cloth. Their South Yorkshire upbringing seems to have engendered the same gruff yet engaging personality, with a sharp tongue accompanied by a cheeky smile.

Their footballing philosophies are broadly similar too, although that has not always worked in their favour when it comes to being courting public opinion. Like Warnock, McCarthy is often regarded as something of a footballing dinosaur, with a long-ball playing style and a mistrust of modern methods. Like Warnock, when it comes to the former Sunderland and Republic of Ireland boss, the caricature tends to miss the mark.

Yes, both managers tend to like to get the ball forward and eschew possession for possession’s sake. But as Warnock is right to point out, you only have to look at their respective records to see that their approaches work. Warnock transformed Middlesbrough in the space of a few weeks last season, turning a side that had looked destined for relegation into a team competing for a play-off place this season. Since McCarthy’s appointment as Neil Harris’ successor last month, Cardiff have claimed six wins and two draws in the space of eight games.

“I think I’ve said before about an interview I had at Norwich,” said Warnock. “I went round the table and was asked, ‘Do you think our fans would like your style?’ After a few seconds, I said, ‘What do you mean, winning?’ I didn’t get the job.

“It’s the same thing now, Mick is winning every game. Management is about getting the best out of what you've got, finding a style to suit them and getting results. It hasn't taken Mick long to realise that this is the best way.

“It’ll be interesting to see some of the message boards down at Cardiff now, all those who were wanting pure football when I was there. ‘Thank goodness Warnock has gone’, and all of that.

“It won’t bother Mick though, he doesn’t want to please anybody. He wants his team to be horrible, and why not? He’s some great players, with great ability, and they defend for their lives. It’s a great recipe, and Mick will be loving it.”

Seven members of the Cardiff side that started Wednesday’s 2-1 win at Bournemouth played for the club under Warnock, who only left South Wales in November 2019, and the Boro boss has clearly retained a strong affinity for his former employers.

“If they get themselves into the play-offs, who would want to play them?"he said. "Why would you want to get battered for 90 minutes if you’re a striker, get kicked if you’re a midfield player, or get tormented with long balls every minute if you’re a defender?"

Middlesbrough (probable, 5-3-2): Bettinelli; Fisher, Dijksteel, Fry, McNair, Bola; Morsy, Howson, Saville; Watmore, Assombalonga.