' NEIL WARNOCK THE BIG DAYS AHEAD/SORT OUT PLAYERS '
By Chris Wathan
Tuesday 2nd May 2017
Who'll be arriving and what about the loan players?
Neil Warnock believes around four new starters will give enough quality and character to a Cardiff XI good enough to make the difference next term, admitting that various problems that have reared their heads at different time – sloppy defensive errors and a failure to keep clean sheets at one point, failing to have enough creative spark or cutting edge in the final third at another – can be improved upon and sorted with that initial boost.
His hope then will be that the drop-down effect will strengthen a bench he has conceded has not been good enough this term, desperate to have the options to change approach and fortunes from his reserves.
And it is the success of this plan that will define plans for those out on loan, specifically goalkeeper Ben Wilson, Matty Kennedy, Stuart O'Keefe (whose contract is due to expire) and Huws, who has caught the eye at Ipswich after leaving on January deadline day for first-team football.
“I've written to the loanee players to ask them to come in and see me on the Tuesday at a time to suit themselves as I'll be in all day. I intend to see all of them, lads like O'Keefe and Huwsy and Kennedy, people like that, I'll be having half hour with them.
“I'm really pleased for Huwsy because he was so desperate to go and play and I've never seen it before where a player paid some of his own wages to push through a move, I thought that was incredible. He's earned what he's got; he's fitted in really well under Mick and I'm pleased for him. “O'Keefe has done well at MK and Kennedy has been a revelation at times at Plymouth and helped them win promotion. They've all benefited from it. Whether they will be in my plans next year it all depends on my targets.”
When can we expect new faces?
Warnock will go into the meetings with a clear idea on plans as he prepares to meet with club chairman Mehmet Dalman in London early next week as he seeks to move on with transfer plans and thoughts on the Bluebirds' as a whole.
The man who took Sheffield United and Queens Park Rangers to the top-flight has already said he is keen to land his signings as early as possible.
And though he admits he has received mixed news over early movement, he is adamant he wants business done before pre-season having already extolled the virtues of nailing those vital weeks before the action begins and finalising plans for a camp, likely to be in his adopted Cornwall.
Speaking before the final home game of the season against Newcastle on Friday, Warnock said: “Already I have a problem with one or two I’m signing which now might not be until the beginning of June. I’d be trying to get some over the line in the first week of May, but it doesn’t appear to be as straight forward as that.
"I'm going up to London to meet Mehmet on Tuesday about one or two things and overall in the next few weeks we've got to – not just on the field but off it – we have got to move in the right direction to give us a good chance next season.
“We need some players, we need a strong subs bench, which I feel we haven’t had since I’ve been here.”
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