BREAKING NEWS “ NEIL WARNOCK UPDATES LIVE THIS MORNING “

Neil Warnock is facing the media on Thursday morning ahead of Cardiff City's home clash with Norwich City on Friday night.

The Bluebirds can make it four wins on the bounce against Daniel Farke's struggling side. The likes of Nathaniel Mendez-Laing and Aron Gunnarsson may return from injury and Cardiff could go to within a single point of Championship leaders Wolves with a win.

After Warnock held an engaging Q & A session with fans — in which he hinted about January transfer plans, as well as updating on certain players' futures — questions could surround the identity of transfer targets and the progress of new contracts.

Warnock will also be speaking about the challenge Norwich will pose, plus the Bluebirds' winning run.




Injury update from Warnock

Mendez-Laing and Gunnars did some light training yesterday and we’ll see what they’re like this morning. Ken and the other lads are carrying on and won’t be in the reckoning, but I don’t think the other lads will be back either.
I don’t envisage any changes at this moment in time.


Gunnarsson rejects new contract

We’ve spoken numerous times and I’ve been asking him since pre-season to commit. I can understand his point of view. He’s at an age now where he’s been in the Championship for 10 years. When you’ve been in the Championship for that long, it’s bloody hard work. To play 46 matches, plus your Cup games and your internationals all over the world...

He feels he doesn’t want to play in the Championship next year. I can understand that and I don’t blame him. He’s said he’d love to get us up and then it’s a different ball game, he’d love to play for us in the Premier League. If I wanted him!
I love Gunnars, not just as a player as a person. He’s a special person and with what Iceland have done, it just shows what can be done in football. Iceland in the World Cup... I think that’s a job for me when I retire. The Warnock way... the Iceland way.



Gunnarsson’s future?

I think it’ll be Italy or Spain. I’m not naïve to think there won’t be people talking to him.

I don’t worry about it. I can’t persuade him any more unless he lives with me. I see him everyday. It’s not like I think he’s doing the wrong thing. He has an opportunity. He’ll play in a World Cup, on the big stage and if he has a good one... wow, there could be all sorts of clubs looking at him.



More from Warnock on Gunnarsson

He loves Cardiff and he’d love us to go up. He’s said to me ‘I’d love to help you get your record promotion, gaffer, I’ve got no interest in leaving in January’. You’re always going to lose the odd one you don’t want to, but with the new players who have come in we’ve had great value. We haven’t had that in the past. Players don’t want to sign things when they think there might be something at the end of the rainbow. Ten years in the Championship is hard work and I have to have my afternoon naps now, it’s a tough league.



Loic Damour’s contract

I’d like to extend it. We only took him on the lowest wage at the club, because the agent I’ve known many years said to have a look at him and I’d love him, I took him, I only did it for him. We looked at a couple of clips, he was a bit rash in the second division in France, but he’s been fantastic around the place, a bright spark, lovely lad, he wants to do well it’s time we put him in line. Yes, we don’t have to give him a new contact because he’s tied down but I think you should reward people and look after them when they’ve proved something. He’s got two years but I want to improve the terms. I’ve had directors in the past who have questioned me giving out better deals, they don’t understand that’s how you get a good dressing room and team spirit, because you don’t wait to reward lads, you reward them when they deserve it. He deserves it.




Norwich are in poor form, does that make Cardiff City favourites?

You don’t look at things like that in the Championship. You look at the team sheet and it’s bound to turn because they’ve got good players, but we worry more about ourselves than opponents - we’re probably underdogs most of the time looking at team sheets. We just get on with it.



Players to come back, we can improve

We’re halfway through at Christmas against Bolton, and we’re looking to have a strong second half of the season because I think we can get better as a team. Whether results can get better I don’t know, but I think we can improve in certain areas.
If we can get three or four main players back from injury, people like Kadeem Harris who is a game-changer and we’ve missed that type of player, and to lose Ken, Mendez and Gunnars for such a long period is all credit to the lads the way we’ve continued, but when we get them back it would be like three new signings. If we can get them fit for the second half of the season we’re in a good place. Looking at the league table, all we know now is that if we have a half-decent run and second-half of the season we’re in the play-offs. That’s how I look it.




11 points above seventh-placed Middlesbrough

That’s what I look at every week, not who’s one below us but who’s seventh. If we get into the play-offs we’ve done remarkably well this year, I don’t get carried away with the lofty position we’re in. My feet are on the floor. The lads are the same, they’re not that type of lads, they’re level headed, they all like what we’re doing at the moment. They all like looking at the newspapers in the morning and seeing the league table and they want to continue that. I know the fans, the owners and everybody is the same. But it’s a long slog and you don’t get ahead of yourself, you’ve got to keep your eyes focused.



Warnock on Etheridge

We knew he had a lot to learn, to come to this level, we almost wanted him to come to be understudy but he’s been thrust in with Camp’s injury and done very well, he’s improved in every aspect. His kicking has got to be more consistent for him to go any higher, but he knows that. He’s working with Andy Dibble who’s done a good job. We’re very fortunate because I’d play Murphy tomorrow and not worry about it. I’m pleased to have them all, they have great attitudes. He’s made crucial saves to get us points in the last few weeks, it’s an important position and I think he’s revelling in it. He’s relaxed a bit more, he knows the harder you work the better you become and that’s what he’s done.



Warnock responds to Nottingham Forest legend, Kenny Burns

You get bitterness in the game, usually when you’ve beaten somebody. I read some of the stuff Kenny Burns said. I remember him coming down at half-time at Bramall Lane when he was only a club ambassador or something, we were losing 2-0 or something like that to them in the play-off semi-final second leg and we ended up winning 4-3. The Warnock way hey?

Anybody can criticise. I look at pundits now. Kenny had a go at managing and lasted three weeks. It’s easy to criticise. He contradicted himself, saying surely you’d prefer to watch a team like Warburton’s who pass it and entertain and it’s free flowing, winning the last five home games. He’s answered his own question, do we let them have a free flowing game and let us be the sixth team to lose? I’m sure he realised we’re in professional football and we’re not here to let people have a lovely afternoon at our benefit. It didn’t really make sense. But listen, I’ve had bigger people than Kenny Burns criticise me over the years so it don’t bother me.



Forest game was men against boys

I’ve got a few friends who are Forest supporters, one of them said it was like men against boys. I think it was a good performance. Say what you want about time wasting, but their keeper was taking longer when we had the watch on him, but you can’t criticise your own keeper. I thought it was quite funny that.



Warnock’s perfect birthday present?

It’s unusual to have a game on my birthday. I won’t be having drink, I’ll be driving to see the grandkids and stopping off in Nottingham. I won’t be seeing Kenny Burns. I’m doing the Notts County FA Cup game on the Saturday (for BT Sport) so it’ll be nice to go to the other side of Nottingham and be welcomed. I’ve been told the new 70 is 50 so i’m 49 on Friday and looking forward to it.



Criticism of Cardiff’s style?

My dad used to say to me when I was criticised as a player ‘son, it’s when you stop getting criticising you that you need to worry’. He was right in his own way. If everyone started saying ‘Warnock is fantastic, let’s all play his way’ you’d think there’d be something wrong. We’d probably be losing every week! You don’t worry. I’ve had criticism from everybody. We usually have a bet between me, Blacky and Ronnie on how long it takes for the away fans to say ‘Warnock is a banker’. We stopped doing it after Ipswich when they did it as I walked out - none of us won because it was too early! It’s banter. Press conferences are so bland nowadays. You have to enjoy me while I’m here! Like at Forest when I cupped my ear to them, or when there were two or three mouthing off behind the dug-out and I turned to Blacky and said: ‘Bloody hell the abuse used to be so much louder here!’
All that makes it more enjoyable. They’ll go home and say ‘Bloody Warnock’, but I think that’s great.

Injury update from Warnock

Mendez-Laing and Gunnars did some light training yesterday and we’ll see what they’re like this morning. Ken and the other lads are carrying on and won’t be in the reckoning, but I don’t think the other lads will be back either.
I don’t envisage any changes at this moment in time.

Gunnarsson rejects new contract

We’ve spoken numerous times and I’ve been asking him since pre-season to commit. I can understand his point of view. He’s at an age now where he’s been in the Championship for 10 years. When you’ve been in the Championship for that long, it’s bloody hard work. To play 46 matches, plus your Cup games and your internationals all over the world...

He feels he doesn’t want to play in the Championship next year. I can understand that and I don’t blame him. He’s said he’d love to get us up and then it’s a different ball game, he’d love to play for us in the Premier League. If I wanted him!

I love Gunnars, not just as a player as a person. He’s a special person and with what Iceland have done, it just shows what can be done in football. Iceland in the World Cup... I think that’s a job for me when I retire. The Warnock way... the Iceland way.

Gunnarsson’s future?

I think it’ll be Italy or Spain. I’m not naïve to think there won’t be people talking to him.

I don’t worry about it. I can’t persuade him any more unless he lives with me. I see him everyday. It’s not like I think he’s doing the wrong thing. He has an opportunity. He’ll play in a World Cup, on the big stage and if he has a good one... wow, there could be all sorts of clubs looking at him.

More from Warnock on Gunnarsson

He loves Cardiff and he’d love us to go up. He’s said to me ‘I’d love to help you get your record promotion, gaffer, I’ve got no interest in leaving in January’. You’re always going to lose the odd one you don’t want to, but with the new players who have come in we’ve had great value. We haven’t had that in the past. Players don’t want to sign things when they think there might be something at the end of the rainbow. Ten years in the Championship is hard work and I have to have my afternoon naps now, it’s a tough league.

Loic Damour’s contract

I’d like to extend it. We only took him on the lowest wage at the club, because the agent I’ve known many years said to have a look at him and I’d love him, I took him, I only did it for him. We looked at a couple of clips, he was a bit rash in the second division in France, but he’s been fantastic around the place, a bright spark, lovely lad, he wants to do well it’s time we put him in line. Yes, we don’t have to give him a new contact because he’s tied down but I think you should reward people and look after them when they’ve proved something. He’s got two years but I want to improve the terms. I’ve had directors in the past who have questioned me giving out better deals, they don’t understand that’s how you get a good dressing room and team spirit, because you don’t wait to reward lads, you reward them when they deserve it. He deserves it.

Norwich are in poor form, does that make Cardiff City favourites?

You don’t look at things like that in the Championship. You look at the team sheet and it’s bound to turn because they’ve got good players, but we worry more about ourselves than opponents - we’re probably underdogs most of the time looking at team sheets. We just get on with it.

Players to come back, we can improve

We’re halfway through at Christmas against Bolton, and we’re looking to have a strong second half of the season because I think we can get better as a team. Whether results can get better I don’t know, but I think we can improve in certain areas.
If we can get three or four main players back from injury, people like Kadeem Harris who is a game-changer and we’ve missed that type of player, and to lose Ken, Mendez and Gunnars for such a long period is all credit to the lads the way we’ve continued, but when we get them back it would be like three new signings. If we can get them fit for the second half of the season we’re in a good place. Looking at the league table, all we know now is that if we have a half-decent run and second-half of the season we’re in the play-offs. That’s how I look it.

11 points above seventh-placed Middlesbrough

That’s what I look at every week, not who’s one below us but who’s seventh. If we get into the play-offs we’ve done remarkably well this year, I don’t get carried away with the lofty position we’re in. My feet are on the floor. The lads are the same, they’re not that type of lads, they’re level headed, they all like what we’re doing at the moment. They all like looking at the newspapers in the morning and seeing the league table and they want to continue that. I know the fans, the owners and everybody is the same. But it’s a long slog and you don’t get ahead of yourself, you’ve got to keep your eyes focused.

Warnock on Etheridge

We knew he had a lot to learn, to come to this level, we almost wanted him to come to be understudy but he’s been thrust in with Camp’s injury and done very well, he’s improved in every aspect. His kicking has got to be more consistent for him to go any higher, but he knows that. He’s working with Andy Dibble who’s done a good job. We’re very fortunate because I’d play Murphy tomorrow and not worry about it. I’m pleased to have them all, they have great attitudes. He’s made crucial saves to get us points in the last few weeks, it’s an important position and I think he’s revelling in it. He’s relaxed a bit more, he knows the harder you work the better you become and that’s what he’s done.

Warnock responds to Nottingham Forest legend, Kenny Burns

You get bitterness in the game, usually when you’ve beaten somebody. I read some of the stuff Kenny Burns said. I remember him coming down at half-time at Bramall Lane when he was only a club ambassador or something, we were losing 2-0 or something like that to them in the play-off semi-final second leg and we ended up winning 4-3. The Warnock way hey?

Anybody can criticise. I look at pundits now. Kenny had a go at managing and lasted three weeks. It’s easy to criticise. He contradicted himself, saying surely you’d prefer to watch a team like Warburton’s who pass it and entertain and it’s free flowing, winning the last five home games. He’s answered his own question, do we let them have a free flowing game and let us be the sixth team to lose? I’m sure he realised we’re in professional football and we’re not here to let people have a lovely afternoon at our benefit. It didn’t really make sense. But listen, I’ve had bigger people than Kenny Burns criticise me over the years so it don’t bother me.

Forest game was men against boys

I’ve got a few friends who are Forest supporters, one of them said it was like men against boys. I think it was a good performance. Say what you want about time wasting, but their keeper was taking longer when we had the watch on him, but you can’t criticise your own keeper. I thought it was quite funny that.

Warnock’s perfect birthday present?

It’s unusual to have a game on my birthday. I won’t be having drink, I’ll be driving to see the grandkids and stopping off in Nottingham. I won’t be seeing Kenny Burns. I’m doing the Notts County FA Cup game on the Saturday (for BT Sport) so it’ll be nice to go to the other side of Nottingham and be welcomed. I’ve been told the new 70 is 50 so i’m 49 on Friday and looking forward to it.

Criticism of Cardiff’s style?

My dad used to say to me when I was criticised as a player ‘son, it’s when you stop getting criticising you that you need to worry’. He was right in his own way. If everyone started saying ‘Warnock is fantastic, let’s all play his way’ you’d think there’d be something wrong. We’d probably be losing every week! You don’t worry. I’ve had criticism from everybody. We usually have a bet between me, Blacky and Ronnie on how long it takes for the away fans to say ‘Warnock is a banker’. We stopped doing it after Ipswich when they did it as I walked out - none of us won because it was too early! It’s banter. Press conferences are so bland nowadays. You have to enjoy me while I’m here! Like at Forest when I cupped my ear to them, or when there were two or three mouthing off behind the dug-out and I turned to Blacky and said: ‘Bloody hell the abuse used to be so much louder here!’
All that makes it more enjoyable. They’ll go home and say ‘Bloody Warnock’, but I think that’s great.

Cheers Ned

Cheers Ned

Not quite as good as yours Annis, but doing my best in your absence

Cheers Ned

Not quite as good as yours Annis, but doing my best in your absence

Appreciated Ned, without a computer and hardly any internet, I can hardly come on here for the next 7 days, so your info I am relying and you always reliable to keep us all updated Cheere

Cheers Ned

Not quite as good as yours Annis, but doing my best in your absence

Appreciated Ned, without a computer and hardly any internet, I can hardly come on here for the next 7 days, so your info I am relying and you always reliable to keep us all updated Cheere

Criticism of Cardiff’s style?

My dad used to say to me when I was criticised as a player ‘son, it’s when you stop getting criticising you that you need to worry’. He was right in his own way. If everyone started saying ‘Warnock is fantastic, let’s all play his way’ you’d think there’d be something wrong. We’d probably be losing every week! You don’t worry. I’ve had criticism from everybody. We usually have a bet between me, Blacky and Ronnie on how long it takes for the away fans to say ‘Warnock is a banker’. We stopped doing it after Ipswich when they did it as I walked out - none of us won because it was too early! It’s banter. Press conferences are so bland nowadays. You have to enjoy me while I’m here! Like at Forest when I cupped my ear to them, or when there were two or three mouthing off behind the dug-out and I turned to Blacky and said: ‘Bloody hell the abuse used to be so much louder here!’
All that makes it more enjoyable. They’ll go home and say ‘Bloody Warnock’, but I think that’s great.

I love this quote - sums Warnock up perfectly!