Neil Warnock will see Cardiff City promoted to the Premier League in one of the automatic places if his tactics are as devious as his money-making skills, reckons Paul Peschisolido.
Warnock already has a record seven promotions to his name and is on course for his eighth as the Bluebirds chirp happily in second, seven points clear of third-placed Fulham.
But the Canadian striker recalls a tale from his Sheffield United days which underlines just what a wily character Warnock is.
A team-building weekend in Scarborough saw the Sheffield-born manager organise a ten-pin bowling match. Peschisolido takes up the story in his wife, Karen Brady’s column in The Sun,
“He convinced us all to put £10 in the pot, winner takes all.
“We agreed for some fun, then he pulled out his own bowling shoes and custom ball, shot 250 and took all our money!”
Warnock is a marmite character with his abrasive outbursts winning him as many fans as detractors. Few can argue with his footballing nous as he lifted a Cardiff City squad which finished 12th in 2016/17 to 2nd this season, all with a net spend of £10m during the season’s two transfer windows.
Add into that, when his players needed him to react, he found the answers. Four consecutive defeats, including a damaging 4 – 2 home loss to Fulham, brought nine wins in eleven unbeaten matches, with seven on the bounce.
Cardiff City are not to be under-estimated. Wolverhampton Wanderers visit south Wales next week followed by a match which may seal the Bluebirds return to the top-flight: Aston Villa away.
No-one is left in any doubt with Warnock about who is boss. His motto is “Work hard, listen to what I say, do what I say and we can achieve something together.”
After arriving at the club, he told the squad he wanted his eighth promotion with them despite witnessing their 2 – 1 Carabao Cup defeat at home to Burton Albion.
Warnock weaved his magic so far but can he find the spell to cast over his Midlands rivals when it counts?