Middlesbrough have steadily climbed the table under new boss Chris Wilder and are now unbeaten in their last three league fixtures - and Dael Fry has admitted to the Northern Echo that he feels the new style is 'better' than the previous one.
Boro looked solid under former boss Neil Warnock and looked like they could challenge in the top half of the table under the former QPR boss this season. Whilst the club certainly didn't struggle, they ultimately though decided it would be best to part ways with Warnock.
That made room for Chris Wilder to come in and try and lead Boro back towards the top six in the Championship. He's got off to a decent start at the helm at the Riverside Stadium and he already has his new players praising the new philosophy and tactics he has implemented.
One of them is Dael Fry, who looked a good level defender even before Wilder came into the equation. Now, with the former Sheffield United boss insisting that his backline use the ball and play with the ball at their feet, the 24-year-old is thriving even more.
The player himself has now admitted to the Northern Echo that he is enjoying the new style of play and has even claimed it is 'better' than the football that his team played before.
He said: "I was a bit gutted when Warnock went because I learned a lot from him, especially defensively. But since the new manager has come in, he’s been fantastic with us as well.
"It’s a different way of playing football, and for me personally, I think it’s a lot better than the previous way of playing."
He remains a key player for them featuring 13 times this year - and under Chris Wilder, he can expect to play an even greater role in the second half of the season.
The Verdict
Dael Fry has been a top-level Championship defender for quite some time.
The 24-year-old was solid under Warnock and is proving to be even more exciting under Wilder.
He's taken to his new role well and it's allowing him to further improve as a player and utilise some of his extra skills. With Wilder often utilising his defenders more, it could allow him to really thrive now this season.