The Neil Warnock interview: Cardiff City will be promoted, the one team who could stop them and my delight at summer signings doing so well
By Paul Abbandonato
Thursday 16th July 2020
Neil Warnock has delivered a tub-thumping message to his former Bluebirds players and the fans
Given the ferocious nature of professional sport it would be wrong to suggest Neil Warnock has mixed feelings ahead of Cardiff City's Championship clash with Middlesbrough this weekend.
His focus is on acquiring the one point, at least, Boro require to avoid relegation.
After that, however, nothing will give Warnock greater satisfaction than to see Cardiff smash Hull in their final game and rampage through the play-offs into the Premier League.
Which, by the way, Warnock believes his former Bluebirds players will do.
NEIL WARNOCK:
"I said when I left I still thought they'd get into the play-offs," he tells WalesOnline. "When they let in a few goals in the next few games everyone must have thought 'He's in cloud cuckoo land.'
"But I always felt the second half of the season would be more favourable for Cardiff in terms of the fixtures to come. They grind teams down and were always going to pick up more points as the season wore on.
"Well, they're in the top six and I think they'll go up. I really hope they do, that group of players.
"I can only see Brentford perhaps beating them over two legs, but I don't see any other team doing it. Cardiff have to hope Brentford go up automatically. If so, I'd be confident about them overcoming West Brom, Fulham or Nottingham Forest. I really would.
"There's momentum with Cardiff, they're so hard to beat. I don't think those other teams can stop them.
"They've got a good record against the sides above in the table and there's a reason for that - when you have players of Cardiff's quality, attitudes don't change, no matter who you are playing. You don't get ups and downs with that squad there.
"Junior Hoilett is a manager's dream, always an eight or nine out of ten. Never a six. Joe Ralls is the same for a manager, Sean Morrison too. Either goalkeeper, Alex Smithies or Neil Etheridge. You just know before a ball is kicked what the players in that team are going to do. That's a great position to be in as a manager."
Neil Warnock feels Cardiff will be celebrating more goals like this in the play-offs (Image: Chris Fairweather/Huw Evans Agency)
He quipped: "I wish I had it up here!"
Which brings us nicely onto Warnock's new day job. Though don't worry Bluebirds fans - there is still plenty more to come on a Cardiff team Warnock still kind of thinks of as his own. Certainly the one he put together, albeit new boss Neil Harris has evolved the style to a more easy-on-the-eye fashion and taken the side into the top six.
Warnock often said Cardiff City would be his last job in management, but you always knew deep down that wouldn't be the case.
And so when Boro owner Steve Gibson came calling, asking Warnock to perform another of his great escape acts, the enthusiast inside a 71-year-old body simply could not say no.
Boro were in freefall at the time, smashed 3-0 at home by Swansea and apparently doomed to the third tier for the first time in 33 years.
"At least I've got eight games without being booed by anybody, it'll be strange for me that," quipped Warnock upon taking the job - not that the jeers happened too often during his three years at the Bluebirds helm.
Unlikely away wins at Stoke, Millwall and Reading have just about secured Boro's Championship future. There is even talk of him doing the job full-time next season. If so, what price Boro even challenging for the top six?
"So many changes were needed, it's very similar to Cardiff really when I first went in there," says Warnock.
"It's probably more difficult because I had more time to sort things out down there.
"I look at what it was like the time when I first came to Cardiff. Fragmented club, the supporters, players, directors. Everybody really. We pulled it together that first season then were promoted the next.
The Neil Warnock fist salute we'd come to know and love
"Funnily enough I did the same at Queen's Park Rangers. They too were in the bottom three. We stabilised and like Cardiff went up the following year. That shows how quickly things can be turned around.
"I've only got fond memories of my time with Cardiff and I left the club in a much better situation than the one I inherited.
"In fact, I couldn't wish to leave behind a better squad than the one I did, whoever took over.
"You don't usually inherit squads as strong as that one when you've been out of work.
"But I just felt it was the right time to go. We lost to Bristol City and it happened very quickly after that.
"The chairman Mehmet Dalman tried to talk me out of it, but I didn't want things to go sour or anything like that. The time had come for a parting of the ways.
"But I left with great memories. Not just the promotion and the Premier League year, but the players I brought in.
"Junior Hoilett, who we got for nothing. Sol Bamba too. Look at the quality they brought to that team.
"We got Nathaniel Mendez-Laing for next to nothing from Rochdale. What value for money that proved to be.
Neil Warnock with Nathaniel Mendez-Laing, who has proved to be huge value for money
"People only seem to talk about my bad signings. Gary Madine. Vincent Tan certainly mentions that!
"But we sold Kenneth Zohore for £8million, we got £3.5m for Bruno Manga. There were some pretty good deals in there for Cardiff, you know."
Some of the unsung players Warnock captured during the summer are the inspiration behind the post-lockdown charge into the play-off positions.
Like centre-half Curtis Nelson, who has suddenly blossomed next to skipper Sean Morrison at the back.
"I watched him quite a few times at Plymouth and was always impressed, tried to sign him for one of my previous clubs," says Warnock. "I remember telling his agent to wait a couple of weeks and we'd get him, but it wasn't to be and he ended up at Oxford instead.
"But I always kept an eye out for him, signed him for Cardiff and his success has not surprised me in the slightest. Not one bit.
"He made a few mistakes early on which we tried to cut out of his game, but he's got rid of those and is looking a very accomplished defender, which I knew he would be."
Then there is Will Vaulks.
"Like Nelson, a really good guy who deserves his success," says Warnock. "Will was unfortunate that we signed Marlon Pack on the last day of transfer window, which meant he didn't get much game time.
"But he was always going to get his chance at some point and he's taken it well. I really like that Cardiff midfield, hard-working - and Lee Tomlin in front of them is always likely to get you a goal, isn't he?"
Alex Smithies, a surprise replacement under Harris for Neil Etheridge, was another Warnock capture.
"We needed two quality goalkeepers in the Premier League, but because of Etheridge's excellent form his opportunities were limited," says Warnock. "He's another who just needed to get a chance, to settle in, and is really showing his worth. I've watched him make some super stops."
However, the player you sense Warnock is most delighted to see hit his straps is Robert Glatzel, his £5.5m summer signing from Heidenheim in Germany.
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