A strange thing is happening at Cardiff City........
Thu Oct 27, 2016 2:52 pm
A strange thing is happening at Cardiff City... we are only talking about the FOOTBALL for a change
Thursday 27th October 2016
BY PAUL ABBANDONATO(Media Wales)
Warnock has walked in with a smile on his face, got everyone else grinning too and discussing only the football again after four controversy-laden years
Neil Warnock does the 'Ayatollah' and gets fans talking about the football again
A funny thing is happening down at Cardiff City under Neil Warnock.
Suddenly, everybody seems to be talking about the football again. And doing it with big, beaming smiles on their faces too.
It has been a while since either of those 'phenomenons' happened with the Bluebirds.
But happening they most certainly are. I reckon you have to go back to the spring of 2012 for the last time this rather unusual occurrence took place at our capital city club, when Malky Mackay's Bluebirds were playing Liverpool in the Carling Cup Final and then West Ham in the play-offs.
Cue bedlam, as we've since debated pretty much anything other than what has actually happened on the field of play.
Where do we start? The rebrand seems a pretty good place. But even if it wasn't the red or the blue, it was invariably a plethora of other issues.
Whether Malky should be sacked, the text scandal that subsequently came to light, the plan for Kazakhstani painter Alisher Apsalyamov to be appointed as Head of Recruitment!
There was the chaos of the Ole Gunnar Solskjaer reign, the huge disquiet over first Russell Slade, then Paul Trollope. We've discussed transfer embargoes, record debts being built up, fans' protest marches and such angst directed at Vincent Tan that the owner doesn't seem to feel comfortable coming to matches any more.
Cardiff City Head of Recruitment Alisher Apsalyamov...Alisher Apsalyamov, linked with Head of Recruitment
Finally, finally, finally, football is back at the top of the agena. As the Bluebirds get ready to host Wigan, the talk is about three more points in the climb up the table.
Of whether Anthony Pilkington or Marouane Chamakh should fill in for Rickie Lambert.
Of how damn good Sol Bamba is. Of when we're going to see the sublimely gifted Keiran Richardson make his full debut. Of Craig Noone's return to form, the cutting edge Junior Hoilett has brought down the flank, Aron Gunnarsson's Euro 2016-type displays for his club, Peter Whittingham demonstrating his goal class again.
The above is happening because of Neil Warnock. It's almost as if this job is one last hurrah for a bloke who turns 68 in a couple of months' time and who just wants to thoroughly enjoy himself before retirement.
That happy-go-lucky demeanour is certainly filtering down from the manager to the dressing room and into the stands, where fans have begun going to matches again with expectation and leaving happy with what they have just seen from their team.
Warnock being Warnock, it's only a matter of time before he has his first major confrontation with a referee so the smile will turn to a scowl.
But even that scenario he already approaching in something of a jovial nature, pointing out only in semi-jest: "I'm a fully qualified referee myself, so at least I know what I'm talking about!"
Warnock reminds me a little of Craig Bellamy, who quit first Manchester City, then Liverpool, to join his home-town club. There is an element of the Pied Piper about the two men as Cardiff supporters hang onto Warnock's every word, much as they once did with Bellamy.
He has enthused, excited, energised. Just his very presence as Cardiff City manager has done that, but early performances and results have helped, too.
Look, Cardiff aren't suddenly going to metamorphose into Barcelona under Warnock's guise. He hates being labelled a Route One manager, but openly admits: "I don't want 20 passes to get to halfway" and states: "Is it a crime to knock the ball into the penalty box?"
To be frank, that is what an awful lot of Cardiff fans want anyway. They don't associate their team with Swansea-type tiki-taka. Bluebirds followers want players who are fully committed and who get the ball up to the front man early and create chances by running off him.
It was the case when Jay Bothroyd and Michael Chopra were playing, it was like that with Peter Thorne and Rob Earnshaw, Phil Stant and Carl Dale, probably the case with John Toshack back in the 1960s, too.
Fans liked the more direct approach adoped when Bothroyd and Chopra were at the club
Cardiff have certainly done that thus far under Warnock, beating Bristol City in a fiery local derby, holding off Sheffield Wednesday through resolute defending and sheer tenacity, before comfortably disposing of Nottingham Forest at the City Ground.
He and Cardiff City just seem one of those comfortable fits. Warnock's passion for the game is shared by the fans, he enjoys the 'us against the world' mentality that again sometimes the Bluebirds feel they have had down the years.
There is a natural affinity and with it comes the rise up the table.
Without Warnock, my guess is Cardiff would still be rooted in the bottom three, below Wigan in the table.
With him, we're suddenly talking about the Bluebirds only being eight points from the play-offs, even though they are still only 20th and just three points ahead of 22nd-placed Blackburn.
That's the difference a manager can make. The mind-set has totally changed.
Thursday 27th October 2016
BY PAUL ABBANDONATO(Media Wales)
Warnock has walked in with a smile on his face, got everyone else grinning too and discussing only the football again after four controversy-laden years
Neil Warnock does the 'Ayatollah' and gets fans talking about the football again
A funny thing is happening down at Cardiff City under Neil Warnock.
Suddenly, everybody seems to be talking about the football again. And doing it with big, beaming smiles on their faces too.
It has been a while since either of those 'phenomenons' happened with the Bluebirds.
But happening they most certainly are. I reckon you have to go back to the spring of 2012 for the last time this rather unusual occurrence took place at our capital city club, when Malky Mackay's Bluebirds were playing Liverpool in the Carling Cup Final and then West Ham in the play-offs.
Cue bedlam, as we've since debated pretty much anything other than what has actually happened on the field of play.
Where do we start? The rebrand seems a pretty good place. But even if it wasn't the red or the blue, it was invariably a plethora of other issues.
Whether Malky should be sacked, the text scandal that subsequently came to light, the plan for Kazakhstani painter Alisher Apsalyamov to be appointed as Head of Recruitment!
There was the chaos of the Ole Gunnar Solskjaer reign, the huge disquiet over first Russell Slade, then Paul Trollope. We've discussed transfer embargoes, record debts being built up, fans' protest marches and such angst directed at Vincent Tan that the owner doesn't seem to feel comfortable coming to matches any more.
Cardiff City Head of Recruitment Alisher Apsalyamov...Alisher Apsalyamov, linked with Head of Recruitment
Finally, finally, finally, football is back at the top of the agena. As the Bluebirds get ready to host Wigan, the talk is about three more points in the climb up the table.
Of whether Anthony Pilkington or Marouane Chamakh should fill in for Rickie Lambert.
Of how damn good Sol Bamba is. Of when we're going to see the sublimely gifted Keiran Richardson make his full debut. Of Craig Noone's return to form, the cutting edge Junior Hoilett has brought down the flank, Aron Gunnarsson's Euro 2016-type displays for his club, Peter Whittingham demonstrating his goal class again.
The above is happening because of Neil Warnock. It's almost as if this job is one last hurrah for a bloke who turns 68 in a couple of months' time and who just wants to thoroughly enjoy himself before retirement.
That happy-go-lucky demeanour is certainly filtering down from the manager to the dressing room and into the stands, where fans have begun going to matches again with expectation and leaving happy with what they have just seen from their team.
Warnock being Warnock, it's only a matter of time before he has his first major confrontation with a referee so the smile will turn to a scowl.
But even that scenario he already approaching in something of a jovial nature, pointing out only in semi-jest: "I'm a fully qualified referee myself, so at least I know what I'm talking about!"
Warnock reminds me a little of Craig Bellamy, who quit first Manchester City, then Liverpool, to join his home-town club. There is an element of the Pied Piper about the two men as Cardiff supporters hang onto Warnock's every word, much as they once did with Bellamy.
He has enthused, excited, energised. Just his very presence as Cardiff City manager has done that, but early performances and results have helped, too.
Look, Cardiff aren't suddenly going to metamorphose into Barcelona under Warnock's guise. He hates being labelled a Route One manager, but openly admits: "I don't want 20 passes to get to halfway" and states: "Is it a crime to knock the ball into the penalty box?"
To be frank, that is what an awful lot of Cardiff fans want anyway. They don't associate their team with Swansea-type tiki-taka. Bluebirds followers want players who are fully committed and who get the ball up to the front man early and create chances by running off him.
It was the case when Jay Bothroyd and Michael Chopra were playing, it was like that with Peter Thorne and Rob Earnshaw, Phil Stant and Carl Dale, probably the case with John Toshack back in the 1960s, too.
Fans liked the more direct approach adoped when Bothroyd and Chopra were at the club
Cardiff have certainly done that thus far under Warnock, beating Bristol City in a fiery local derby, holding off Sheffield Wednesday through resolute defending and sheer tenacity, before comfortably disposing of Nottingham Forest at the City Ground.
He and Cardiff City just seem one of those comfortable fits. Warnock's passion for the game is shared by the fans, he enjoys the 'us against the world' mentality that again sometimes the Bluebirds feel they have had down the years.
There is a natural affinity and with it comes the rise up the table.
Without Warnock, my guess is Cardiff would still be rooted in the bottom three, below Wigan in the table.
With him, we're suddenly talking about the Bluebirds only being eight points from the play-offs, even though they are still only 20th and just three points ahead of 22nd-placed Blackburn.
That's the difference a manager can make. The mind-set has totally changed.
You do not have the required permissions to view the files attached to this post.
Re: A strange thing is happening at Cardiff City........
Thu Oct 27, 2016 3:40 pm
Long may it continue! 
Re: A strange thing is happening at Cardiff City........
Thu Oct 27, 2016 4:31 pm
They need to capitalise on this feel good factor and get selling. Pro rata and half season tickets from as little as £ 13 per game. At the very least people need to know the cost, we get so little marketing out of the club I doubt people are aware of the reasonable costs. If Warnock continues the pick up there's no reason we couldn't add 5,000 between now and the start of the year.
Re: A strange thing is happening at Cardiff City........
Thu Oct 27, 2016 8:15 pm
Long may it continue its refreshing for a change. 
Re: A strange thing is happening at Cardiff City........
Thu Oct 27, 2016 10:56 pm
lyndipops wrote:Long may it continue!
Agree - So NO MORE - UN BROKEN PROMISES / OR LIES
Re: A strange thing is happening at Cardiff City........
Thu Oct 27, 2016 11:49 pm
Totally agree we very lucky to have an owner that puts the best for his club first over his ego and has hopefully learnt from his mistakes. As if that was enough luck he's now bless us with a great manager, back room staff, and 4 great signings. Hopefully now we all pulling this together as one, and we be back in prem where we belong. Tan do it for us once before where so many others have failed he can do it again I'm sure of it. 