WARNOCK MAGIC SEES BLUEBIRDS FLYING TO PREM

THE race for promotion from the Championship is one of the tightest for years.

Wolves have led from the front for much of the season, Aston Villa were one of the favourites and Fulham have hit form at just the right time.

But entrenched in the second automatic place are Cardiff City, whose unlikely push for the Premier League is being led by Neil Warnock (above), the master when it comes to promotion.

Warnock, 69, is on course for a recordbreaking eighth promotion in a colourful career, which has taken in 16 different clubs.

But this is arguably one of his best achievements to date because Cardiff have been a difficult club to manage and have one of the smaller budgets.

While some of the Championship big guns have complained about Wolves and the influence of super-agent Jorge Mendes, just look at Cardiff’s squad.

There are no stars, just journeymen and hungry players with a point to prove and, at this rate, they are on course for a return to the big time.

Their win at Brentford in midweek was their seventh on the trot and has seen them go seven points clear of thirdplaced Villa, with just nine games to play. It would take one hell of a collapse to see Cardiff not make the promised land.

There can be few better managers around than Warnock, who deserves more respect than he is often given for his no-nonsense approach.

He took over at Cardiff when they were struggling, they were no one’s choice for promotion – and yet they keep going from strength to strength.

The magic of Warnock and what he has done again this time is to build a spirit within the group, an unbreakable dressing room and players who are determined to win.

Cardiff’s controversial owner Vincent Tan (above) definitely got lucky in choosing Warnock, who wanted one more crack at management to satisfy his ambitions to get back into the Premier League.

Where Cardiff deserve credit is in giving

Warnock a new deal earlier this season after a wobble – and their faith has been repaid.

He always divides opinions – often due to his outspoken attacks on referees and chairmen – but Warnock has forged an unlikely partnership with Cardiff and can take them all the way to the top again.