Neil Warnock: Rotherham United boss can't wait for Owls hostility

Former Sheffield United manager Neil Warnock, now in charge of Rotherham United, heads to S6 tomorrow looking to help the third-bottom Millers win their battle for Championship survival.

And the 67-year-old said: “I just think managers have gone bland at the moment with their writing pads and everything. Why not have a bit of stick? I give a bit of stick back as well. As long as there’s nothing violent, it’s fine. I encourage it and enjoy it.

“Let’s have a South Yorkshire derby with a lot of vociferous shouting and chanting.”

The relationship between Warnock and Wednesday supporters has always been volatile, and he revealed: “I did think once about taking a crash helmet with me when I was at Bramall Lane.

“I asked my mate, Mick Jones, who said: ‘You can’t, Neil. I know it’s a joke, but you can’t walk out with a crash helmet on.’

The Owls, in sixth place, are promotion contenders and Warnock appreciates the size of the challenge facing his side who go into the match boosted by last weekend’s 2-1 win over Brentford.

“Wednesday have not had a lot to shout about over the years so when I’ve gone it’s usually been the highlight of their season,” he said. “They’ve got other things than Neil Warnock on their minds this year because they’ve got a great chance of going up.”

Carlos Carvalhal’s team, who wll be without key man Fernando Forestieri through suspension, are unbeaten at Hillsborough in nearly seven months, but the Millers manager believes he can buck the trend.

“They haven’t lost since August at home, which is quite formidable,” he said. “There are two ways of looking at that, I think. I look at the positive side.”

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