Warnock fires warning
> Cardiff boss takes aim at players but remains upbeat about survival
NEIL WARNOCK has warned his players that mistakes can no longer be tolerated if Cardiff City are to make their dreams of Premier League survival a reality – but insists he is still confident his side’s chances of avoiding the drop.
The Bluebirds were dealt a chastening lesson in the ruthlessness of Premier League football on Saturday as top-of-the-table Chelsea, lead by the imperious Eden Hazard, came from behind to cruise to what was eventually a comfortable 4-1 win at Stamford Bridge.
Having taken a shock early lead from Sol Bamba’s bundled effort, a well-taken brace from Hazard handed the hosts a deserved halftime lead.
Cardiff enjoyed a decent spell after the break, but were ultimately undone by a costly final 10 minutes.
“We’ve got to try and eliminate elementary goals,” he said.
“They’re not just elementary in the Premier League, they’d be silly in the third division, let alone top flight.
“We haven’t got to gift goals, we’ve got to make them work hard for them.
“I can’t accept it,” he added. “I’ve got to say to the players: ‘You can make a mistake once, but if you do it twice I’ve got to leave you out.’
“You can’t keep making mistakes that cost us goals, we’ve got to eliminate them.
“So, if you want to be in the team you can’t make the mistakes. Not at this level.”
It’s a warning that comes ahead of another daunting clash for the Bluebirds, who take on champions Manchester City at the Cardiff City Stadium this weekend, before facing the likes of Liverpool and Spurs next month.
Such a run would arguably send shivers down the spine of any manager bidding for survival, but Warnock insists his team will not be intimidated into changing their approach.
“I don’t think we’re in awe.... Yes we lack a bit of quality. When you look at one of their players has cost £50-odd million (RM275m) to play in midfield, that’s our squad!”
Warnock remains confident that his team can soon start picking up the points they need, although he admits he may face a challenge in picking his players up again after such a difficult start.
“You haven’t got to get too down when you look at the circumstances because I think there are three worse teams than us.
“They’re a good group, and nobody likes losing. But what we’ve got to hope is that the results go for us.
“When you look at Man City to come, Liverpool, Spurs, we’re going to be down there in the next few games. But I think we’re quite capable of getting good results, especially at home.” – Wales0nline