NEIL Warnock has given a positive assessment of how his new signings fared on their first Riverside outing for Middlesbrough.
Andraz Sporar, Onel Hernandez and James Lea-Siliki all made their home debuts in a disappointing afternoon on Teesside where Boro were on the receiving end of a 2-1 defeat to Blackpool.
Both Sporar and Hernandez have opened their Boro accounts when they put the sword to Nottingham Forest with a 2-1 win last Wednesday.
In the programme notes, Warnock was quoted as saying Sporar was in awe of the travelling Boro support to which the Boro boss told the Slovenian to wait until he makes his Riverside bow to hear a real noise.
Warnock said: “It was good wasn’t it. It was a great atmosphere. It’s a pity we couldn’t give them a result to go home with.
“I think he (Sporar) thrived on it but I think they (new signings) all did."
Thank you Boro fans for amazing support! Home debut didnt go as i imagined, but i am sure we are gonna share great moments at Riverside in future🔴 @Boro pic.twitter.com/uDPRydqbEL
— Andraž Šporar (@andrazsporar90) September 18, 2021
“I was a bit disappointed with Onel (Hernandez) near the end when we were playing some good football and it went out to him on the right and he was offside. But he isn’t offside. When you look at it he’s onside.
“I give him a rollocking and it’s not his fault. I said ‘I’m sorry Onel’. It was the lad in the middle but it’s difficult for the linesman because there is two or three of ours who are coming back from offside positions.
See you tomorrow guys 😍 (Can’t wait to meet you) #UTB pic.twitter.com/wZvAo5xYfU
— James Lea Siliki (@lsjames95) September 17, 2021
“He’s done alright. He’s getting up a bit sharper and I thought James (Lea-Siliki) did alright but he just tired a bit because we were asking them to do a lot of work those two in there."
All three signings should play a part in Boro's crunch lunchtime kick-off on Saturday when they travel to the Madejski Stadium.
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