Warnock’s up for revenge
NEIL WARNOCK is determined to show his long list of former employers what they are missing by securing a record-breaking eighth promotion tomorrow.
The 69-year-old will overtake Dave Bassett, Graham Taylor and Jim Smith if Cardiff can beat Reading or match Fulham’s result against Birmingham. Warnock wants to get one over on the chairmen who have let him go down the years.
“Proving ex-chairmen wrong is probably my biggest drive,” he said. “It still burns with me, I still like to show people who I’ve not had a great relationship with what they’ve missed.”
The first promotion of Warnock’s career came when he took Scarborough into the Football League, before back-to-back successes with Notts County. He found the formula again with Huddersfield and Plymouth and then took his beloved Sheffield United to the promised land.
He made it seven with QPR seven years ago and now only Reading stand in his way of another.
Warnock added: “I’ve brought the whole club together. That’s the biggest plus over the 18 months I’ve been here. To be challenging at this stage is a miracle, but miracles do happen and I’m hoping this is another.”
Fulham boss Slavisa Jokanovic knows he is relying on a Cardiff stumble but, after 23 league games unbeaten, he does not fear the play-offs. “We need to be calm,” he said. “The last time we lost is last year, so we must be confident. We’ve shown character and no reason exists why we should change.”