Chris Wilder targeting January transfer window with Middlesbrough

Having been appointed as Neil Warnock’s successor on Sunday morning, Wilder has taken charge of a Boro side currently sitting in 14th position in the Championship table, four points adrift of the play-off positions.

The former Sheffield United boss has stressed he has moved to Teesside in the hope of being in place for a lengthy spell, and expects to work with head of football, Kieran Scott, to overhaul Boro’s recruitment processes and tweak the relationship between the club’s first team and academy.

Those changes should have long-term benefits, but the more immediate priority is to ensure the Teessiders are able to challenge for a place in the top-flight this season, something Wilder feels is a viable ambition despite his new side having won just six of their 17 league games.

“It’s tough to get out of the Championship,” said the new Boro boss. “I think everybody knows that, especially with the teams that get relegated and the parachute payments and how strong they are financially. But’s it’s not impossible. I’ve seen that in my last experience and that’s what we’ll all be aiming for.

“There’s obviously the three clubs that are top at the moment (Bournemouth, Fulham and West Brom), that I think would possibly be favourites to go up and maybe will open up a gap, so it’s important to keep on their coattails.

“Consistency and results have maybe not been great this season, so if you can find that, then you know you can go and win three, four or five games on the spin, pick up points along the way, and get a bit of momentum.

“There is still a hell of a lot to play for. I’m here for the long term, but I know that the next game is the most important as well, and that’s what we’ll all be focusing on - that first game against Millwall.”

Boro have eight matches before the transfer window reopens at the start of January, and another on New Year’s Day, so there is clearly a compelling need for Wilder to get the best out of the current squad.

However, the January window will offer an opportunity to strengthen, and discussions around potential recruitment options have already taken place.

Warnock bemoaned the fact that his successor would probably get the kind of support he felt was lacking during his own time in the Riverside hotseat, and Wilder clearly intends to target January as a key part of his rebuilding plans.

“I know a lot about the players,” he said. “I’ve done my homework and I know a lot about how they go about their business. There’s some talented boys, so we have to make some quick decisions of course. January is coming up, so I’ll talk to Steve (Gibson) and Kieran and Neil (Bausor) about improving in that window as well.

“I think it’s a very exciting club to come and join. A very attractive one with the facilities that it’s got, the history that it’s got, the people that are involved in it. Hopefully, I can bring my little bit towards that as well.

“The one thing we’ve done is create some fabulous connections and networking with some of the main actors in the Premier League. Whether it’s young players on loan that we can attract or other areas, I think it’s a real attractive club to come and join. Hopefully, we’ll be able to do that.”

Another priority will be to avoid the kind of injury crises that plagued Warnock during his time on Teesside. Wilder is aware of Boro’s ongoing injury issues, and is keen to identify the underlying causes that explain why so many players have been absent at various stages of the current campaign.

“There is work to be done, and it’s obvious some situations need to be addressed,” he said, in an interview with Middlesbrough's official website. “I think the previous manager talked about it from the injury point of view. There’s far too many injuries, so we’ll have to look deeply into that. But there is a core group of talented boys that, on their day, can mix it with the best teams in this division.”