" NEIL WARNOCK CLOSE TO SIGNING "

Neil Warnock close to signing final missing piece of Cardiff City jigsaw as his Bluebirds seek to bash the bookies



By Chris Wathan

Wednesday 12th July 2017


Warnock's Cardiff being written off, but manager confident of promotion push and is in talks to land creative midfielder


The bookmakers, so the old saying goes, rarely get it wrong.

However, if there is one person you'd back to give them a bashing, then look no further than Neil Warnock.

Despite his vast experience, know-how and undoubted knack of getting good results by hook or by crook, Warnock's Cardiff City have been written off as Premier League promotion contenders for the looming season.

They are ranked down in 15th place out of 24, below Sheffield United, Brentford and Birmingham, marginally above Bristol City, Preston and Nottingham Forest.

Perhaps predictably, according to the bookies, Aston Villa, Fulham and Middlesbrough are the hot tips to go up from the Championship in 2017-18.

Yet almost unnoticed on a national scale, Warnock has been busy behind the scenes compiling players for a squad he genuinely feels is top six material as the Bluebirds boss seeks a personal career record of eight promotions.


Warnock hopes Kenneth Zohore's goals can fire promotion
Warnock, of course, took Cardiff from rock-bottom no-hopers to a highly respectable 12th-placed finish last time around.

The pressure will be different this season, greater expectation. But if Warnock can get it right, then Cardiff City, with thousands of fans ready to flock out of their armchairs to back a winning team, threaten to be a real force in the coming 10 months.

There is one piece missing in the Warnock Cardiff jigsaw, a creative 10 to play off Kenneth Zohore and provide forward momentum and inspiration.




Having missed out on Celtic's Johnny Hayes, whom he was ready to build a team around, Warnock is locked in talks with a new target and we're told it will be 'an exciting capture'.

Bristol City's gifted playmaker Lee Tomlin is one name being linked, exciting or not. Whoever it is, though, the creative midfielder come second striker will be the icing on the cake.

For the most part, Warnock is there with his building and his Bluebirds are ready to ruffle feathers.


Warnock is chasing a creative 10... could Lee Tomlin be in the frame?
The experienced Lee Camp will be in goal. Jazz Richards and Joe Bennett should start as full-backs, but new capture Calum Paterson will feature heavily when fit, while Lee Peltier is no bad back-up.

At centre-back, how do you perm between Bruno Manga, Sol Bamba and Sean Morrison? Manga and Bamba could form the best partnership outside the Premier League, but Warnock places great store in Morrison's effectiveness in either penalty box and hasn't entertained a £3m Sheffield Wednesday bid for his captain.

We haven't even mentioned promotion lucky omen Matt Connolly. Name a Championship side with better defensive options than that little lot?

Further forward, Aron Gunnarsson has stayed, even though there has been interest from elsewhere. He is settled in Cardiff and, arguably more than any other Bluebird, has benefited from Warnock's arrival.

It's not clear whether Joe Ralls or new From French capture Loic Demour plays with Gunnarsson. Warnock likes the legs and energy Ralls offers, but he's also been impressed with the athleticism and presence Demour brings.

Short of a £15m-plus bid from elsewhere, Kenneth Zohore is staying. And that is the best news of the lot.

Warnock has got the best out of the front-man and he has the potential to tear up this division with his goals, pace, physicality and aerial ability. Zohore can be a beast of a centre-forward in the Championship 2017-18.


Kenneth Zohore is very much the kingpin for Cardiff

The jury is still out on the three men directly behind Zohore. Junior Hoilett will play on one flank and hopefully have an excellent campaign, while Kadeem Harris or newcomer Nathaniel Mendez-Laing looks like being on the other.

Neither is liable to be consistently good. Yet Warnock thought highly enough of Harris to offer him a new deal, while he also believes there is a cutting edge he can bring out of Mendez-Laing, even though the winger was only with Rochdale last season.

The No10 playmaker, whether it is Tomlin or whoever, will also start and complete the line-up.

That means Cardiff can boast a bench where they perm from Neil Etheridge, Peltier, Greg Halford, Connolly, Stuart O'Keefe, Anthony Pilkington, Harris or Mendez-Laing, Danny Ward and Idriss Saadi.

Craig Noone and Declan John haven't been factored into that, but they too may have roles to play.

You need strength in depth to deal with the Saturday-Tuesday night-Saturday grind of Championship football and Warnock has those options available to him.

At present, Cardiff lack the quality going forward of an Aston Villa, Fulham or Sheffield Wednesday. They won't play with the panache of those three, but Warnock hopes the missing piece of his jigsaw who he is close to signing will close the gap.

Cardiff reckon Zohore can bag 20-plus goals, Ward 12, the newcomer 10-15. With others chipping in, they feel that could be the foundation of the promotion charge.



With Peter Whittingham having gone, the Bluebirds will probably adopt a more route one, high tempo style and try to enforce their own game onto the opposition.

Given the Warnock factor, and how Cardiff City Stadium could become a fortress for the team again, it creates a potent mix.

Other managers will be just as confident as Warnock of a top six finish. Villa's Steve Bruce has pedigree, new Middlesbrough boss Garry Monk has proven himself with Swansea and Leeds.

The foreign trio of Slavisa Jokanovic (Fulham), Carlos Carvalhal (Sheff Wed) and Jaap Stam (Reading) are highly rated. Hull's new boss Leonid Slutsky did well with CSKA Moscow and has a CV that includes being manager of Russia.

But the Championship could come as a culture shock to him, while none of the others have as much claim to the been there, seen it t-shirt as Warnock does.

We await to see who comes in as the last piece of the Warnock jigsaw. But if he's half decent, the bookies may wish to revise their odds on the Bluebirds.

As the ultimate underdog punching above his weight, Warnock would just love to give them the proverbial black eye.

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If we do get Tomlin and If Saadi stays and makes any sort of decent contribution over the season...(say it quietly) but we might..just might be in business next season.

Very difficult to beat, hard working, strong bench and a couple of genuine goals threats...exactly what you need to get out of the championship

I don't see Tomlin as a big singing?

I don't see Tomlin as a big singing?

I do...creative midfielder and all round nasty piece of work

I would welcome Tomlin here, always been a bit annoying and a thorn in our side when playing for Bristol City.
Here's a poor man's Charlie Adam, so that will do for me.

There's always been a few tubby players with a bit of skill, like John Robertson, Andy Reid, Ferenc Puskas and Alan Foggon

I don't see Tomlin as a big singing?

I do...creative midfielder and all round nasty piece of work

Me too. It's rare you find an aggressive midfielder who gets stuck in and also has some good technical ability, it's normally one or the other, Tomlin has both. I'd welcome him

I don't see Tomlin as a big singing?

I do...creative midfielder and all round nasty piece of work

Me too. It's rare you find an aggressive midfielder who gets stuck in and also has some good technical ability, it's normally one or the other, Tomlin has both. I'd welcome him

I'd wait for something a bit more official I got a feeling this has no legs but I hope I'm wrong

I don't see Tomlin as a big singing?

I do...creative midfielder and all round nasty piece of work

Me too. It's rare you find an aggressive midfielder who gets stuck in and also has some good technical ability, it's normally one or the other, Tomlin has both. I'd welcome him

Me too. I think he has a bit of class for championship and a tasty left boot. Also superb set pieces. Hopefully gets done but let's wait and see.

I don't see Tomlin as a big singing?

I do...creative midfielder and all round nasty piece of work

Me too. It's rare you find an aggressive midfielder who gets stuck in and also has some good technical ability, it's normally one or the other, Tomlin has both. I'd welcome him

I'd wait for something a bit more official I got a feeling this has no legs but I hope I'm wrong

As much as I have that gut on Saadi I've got to agree something doesn't ring true yet with this news - echo bubbly hope I'm wrong but can't see it

I don't see Tomlin as a big singing?

Who is asking him to sing?

Warnock is trying to build a football squad not a choir

I don't see Tomlin as a big singing?

Who is asking him to sing?

Warnock is trying to build a football squad not a choir

Hehehe

He'll have to sing as part of the 'new player initiation' though.

CARDIFF CITY - 8-1 To Be PROMOTED

I don't see Tomlin as a big singing?

I do...creative midfielder and all round nasty piece of work

Me too. It's rare you find an aggressive midfielder who gets stuck in and also has some good technical ability, it's normally one or the other, Tomlin has both. I'd welcome him

I'd wait for something a bit more official I got a feeling this has no legs but I hope I'm wrong

It's the supposed £3m price tag which has me wondering if this transfer will happen. A lot of eggs in one basket if there is any truth in it.