Ian Holloway has stated that Jonathan Woodgate has a bit of the 'old Real Madrid' in him as he looks to be successful in his Middlesbrough managerial career.

Woodgate hasn't had the best of starts as boss of Boro, but Holloway has insisted that he's a top coach and that time is so important for the manager.

Middlesbrough currently sits 20th in the Championship and are dangerously close to the relegation zone after 11 games of the new campaign.

They've won just twice in the current season and there have already been questions raised about the new style being implemented at the club.

Holloway has expressed how highly he rates Woodgate and that there's a bit of Real Madrid still in him.

Speaking to talkSPORT, Holloway said: "I've watched him coach and I loved him, I absolutely loved it. There's a little bit of the old Real Madrid in there, I think it was a bit of the defensive brain that he has and the playing out. How much would he be worth now?

"I know Tony Pulis, who is a great friend of mine, and he rates Jonathan really highly. You have to get them to buy into what you're club means to you and he's doing it the hard way."

The Verdict

Ian Holloway clearly rates the Middlesbrough coach quite a lot, and that's good to see but he has to start picking up some more victories otherwise he'll naturally be under pressure.

Yes, it's a rebuilding period for the club but Boro supporters won't accept a relegation battle regardless of the manager and if the team slip into the bottom three then there may be cause for concern for Woodgate's side.

It's interesting to hear about how good of a defender he once was, but it makes it slightly more odd to see his side's weakness being their defensive shape and play. Conceding four at home to Sheffield Wednesday was a major indicator that things need to improve.

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