Middlesbrough manager Neil Warnock has compared his side's current situation to that of League One side Sunderland.

Championship side Boro are sat just two points above the drop zone and have three games left to play to keep their second tier status in tact.

Facing Reading on Tuesday evening, Warnock's side will know that just four points separates 17th place Stoke City and 22nd placed Hull City, meaning anything less than a win could put the former Premier League club in real danger of the drop.

Having replaced Jonathan Woodgate as Boro boss earlier this season, Warnock has now discussed how a relegation to League One would draw comparisons to Sunderland, who dropped out of the Championship in 2018.

Speaking ahead of his side's game with Reading, Warnock is quoted as saying by Sunderland Echo: “Well the problem Sunderland have is the same problem Middlesbrough would have, is that every team comes to your stadium and it’s like Wembley.
“The atmosphere, the crowds, you all want to play above yourselves and that’s what makes it harder for clubs like Sunderland, Middlesbrough, et cetera to come straight back up.
“Players do lift themselves 20-30 per cent and it’s hard enough at that level without people playing above themselves against you.
“I do realise how difficult it is.” Sunderland failed to gain an automatic promotion or play-off place this term, meaning they will now undergo a third successive campaign in England's third tier.

Warnock certainly has a point here and it not uncommon for so-called bigger clubs to struggle upon relegation to League One. Sunderland are certainly an example of this having failed to bounce back to the Championship in two successive seasons now, whilst the likes of Sheffield United, Sheffield Wednesday, Leeds United, Nottingham Forest and Norwich City have all found themselves stuck in the third tier in the past.

From Sunderland's point of view however, they would love their north east rivals to be relegated as it would give them two derby fixtures to look forward to next term.

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