Cardiff City boss Neil Warnock cautious even as record-breaking promotion beckons
Was this the most decisive night in the 2017/18 Championship promotion race? If it was, Cardiff City boss Neil Warnock refuses to allow himself or his players to get carried away.
Aston Villa, the closest of the chasing pack, fell to a 3 – 1 home defeat to Queens Park Rangers while both Wolves and Cardiff City forged clear victories, the latter 3 – 1 at Griffin Park.
Brentford took an early lead but the Bluebirds hit back with three unanswered goals. Warnock, chasing a record seventh promotion, refuses to accept that the results mean his side has one foot in the Premier League. As per a report by Derby Telegraph, this is what he had to say.
“We don’t get carried away because if you do, you get kicked in the teeth in the Championship,” the Yorkshireman declared.
“I am not confident of anything in this league because we have some difficult games coming up.”
Cardiff find themselves seven points clear of third-placed Aston Villa but have difficult games ahead, beginning this weekend with the trip to Derby. After that, they face other promotion hopefuls Aston Villa, Wolves and Sheffield United.
Warnock is confident that his players are in the right frame of mind for the run-in.
“All the boys are enjoying it,” he said. “They know that all the pressure is on the big clubs because of the expectation of their players.”
They proved to their manager their strength of character after what seemed a disastrous December. “To win seven on the trot is a great feeling,” Warnock said.
“In December I thought we’d never win another game because we lost four on the trot, but this is amazing.”
Recovering their form so spectacularly means he has no worries about going a goal down during matches.
“We showed great character after going one down but that’s what (the players) are like. They are together with great spirit, and long may it continue.”
Warnock praised Brentford as “brilliant” in the first ten minutes but was happy his players responded before the halfway point of the opening forty-five minutes. They won’t be allowed to rest on their laurels.
“Everyone put a shift in tonight but now it’s on to the next game,” Warnock said, ahead of a difficult few weeks ahead.