Interim Derby County head coach Wayne Rooney has claimed that he knows what to expect from Neil Warnock's Middlesbrough tomorrow as he prepares the Rams to face eighth placed Boro at the Riverside on Wednesday evening. 

Rooney's side will be seeking to end their recent winless run but face a tall order against a Boro side who have largely impressed so far under the guidance of the seasoned Warnock, who has quickly implemented his unique style on the team he inherited from Jonathan Woodgate back in June.

Both sides will be seeking to pick up maximum points for their own reasons, but Rooney seemingly believes he knows what to expect from Warnock's men, with the former Manchester United striker stating the following, as quoted by Gazette Live:

"I've played against Neil Warnock's teams many times. The one thing you know is it's not going to be an easy game. His players will always work extremely hard and run.

"Watching Middlesbrough, they go man to man a lot, they can make it really difficult for you. It's up to us to figure out where the spaces and weaknesses are and exploit that."

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The last time the two sides met in the league was 11th January, with the Rams earning a share of the spoils thanks to goals from Jason Knight and Duane Holmes.

The Verdict 

Derby should realistically know what to expect when going up against Boro tomorrow, with Rooney and his wider staff having a good idea on what sort of game plan they will be looking for the players to implicate.

Whether the players can carry out that plan is another matter entirely - with their hosts sure to provide stern opposition for a Derby side that hasn't won a league game since the start of October.

The Rams simply must start turning their domination of possession into goals tomorrow night, otherwise they could well be staring yet another defeat in the face.

Rooney is doing his best with what he has at his disposal right now but there is a growing feeling that the club's managerial situation needs to be resolved sooner rather than later.