Neil Warnock dismissed the idea that Barnsley play like his old Sheffield United team, as he insists their first thought is always about 'hoofing it'.

The Tykes are perhaps the biggest overachievers in the Championship so far this season, sitting fifth with five games to go. Despite that, Valérien Ismaël's men have come in for criticism because of how they play.

Wayne Rooney was vocal with his thoughts on the Yorkshire outfit, and speaking to reporter Leon Wobschall, Warnock wasn't happy with comparisons to his former Blades side, who also loved upsetting the odds.

"My Sheffield United side, I am not being funny, but I think Chris Morgan looked like Beckenbauer in comparison with them. They don’t think about anything but hoofing it straightaway do they?"

The Middlesbrough boss was talking after his team were beaten 2-0 by Barnsley at Oakwell, with goals from Alex Mowatt and Daryl Dike condemning Boro to a fourth game without a win.

Meanwhile, Barnsley look nailed on to finish in the play-off places, as they hold a five-point advantage over seventh as we approach the end of the season.

The verdict

This may come across as sour grapes from Warnock, so it should be stated that he did reveal he wanted Barnsley to go up.

However, he clearly isn't a fan of the way they play, although Barnsley fans will feel that it's rich coming from him as his teams haven't exactly been known for playing free-flowing football over the years.

Ultimately, it's all about the results, and Barnsley are obviously doing something right because they're punching above their weight and have a real chance of winning promotion.

Thoughts? Let us know in the comments below.