'It's a bit like being a panto dame' - Rams boss Warne
Derby County boss Paul Warne has likened the abuse he gets as an under-pressure manager to the jeers aimed at pantomime characters.
Chants questioning the quality of football played under Warne were sung during their defeat by Sheffield United on Saturday, with boos then ringing around Pride Park at the end of the game.
It was the Rams' eighth straight loss in all competitions and as a seventh successive defeat in the Championship, it equalled their worst league run for 17 years.
After the defeat which leaves Derby in the relegation places, two points from safety, Warne spoke defiantly about continuing to work as normal despite the pressure he is under and added that the personal abuse does make the job "sad".
"It's obviously growing because our performances, or our results, haven't changed, so that is something I have to address," Warne told BBC Sport.
"It's a little bit like being a panto dame. You are going to get a bit of stick now and again."
Warne says he accepts voices of discontent in professional football, and added that it is something his family has also had to come to terms with after decades of following him as a player and coach.
His wife was in the stands for the latest defeat, and Warne said his mother had been at recent matches when he was the subject of similar taunts.
"In fairness, my family are quite leathered up," Warne said.
"They have had a son or brother that had a very average [playing] career, so they are probably used to hearing a good bit of abuse off the terraces.
"I wouldn't want to go see my son play on a Sunday morning and see him getting abused, that would obviously upset me. You don't want to see your loved ones get abused.
"I would never ask my wife to stay away, but if she ever felt uncomfortable then I couldn't force her to [attend matches].
"However my wife does know I'm a football manager."
Sheffield United boss Chris Wilder offered a message of support to Warne when he spoke to the media after Saturday's match, with the two bosses also talking in person immediately after the game.
When asked about how he is coping with the mounting criticism and pressure, Warne was his usual unflinching self.
"It's not nice, is it," he added.
"Most people have empathy. And I think most people will know that my intention when I get up in the morning isn't to get the team to lose.
"However, I understand that there is always going to be a vocal amount who are very frustrated when it comes to me.
"Am I doing great? No. But it doesn't make me any worse at my job. How I feel doesn't affect how I work, it just makes you more motivated to get the next win.
"Obviously everyone is down, my staff will be down, but it's my job to pick them all up again."
