BLADES CAN CUT US UP
Bluebirds set for top flight, but Warnock is wary of his old club
SHEFFIELD UNITED v CARDIFF CITY Championship, Bramall Lane, 7.45pm NEIL WARNOCK returns to his old club tonight desperate to beat them and take a step closer to the Premier League.
The Cardiff boss has overseen a remarkable turnaround at the Welsh club this season.
The Bluebirds have won eight league games in a row and could move 10 points clear of third-placed Fulham with a victory at Sheffield United.
It would also move City to within three points of leaders Wolves, who are not in action until tomorrow when they host Hull.
But Warnock is wary of slipping up. He said: “I’d take a point at Sheffield United, that’s for sure. Chris Wilder has done a great job there and they will still fancy a play-off place with seven games left to play.
“I told the lads they need to enjoy every game. We’re not looking at anything beyond our next match.
“We’ll just keep doing what we’re doing and playing without pressure. You can see the way we’re playing that we’re doing that. There are no easy games in the Championship though. They’re all tough but we’re looking forward to the final eight games now.”
Nathaniel Mendez-Laing, who scored in Good Friday’s 3-1 win over Burton (below), said: “We’ve eight games to go and they’ll come thick and fast. We just need to keep pushing and see what happens.
“We’ll be back on the TV on Monday which is nice, although it doesn’t really change anything. Hopefully we’ll go there and get another three points.”
Blades boss Wilder is not surprised Cardiff, who started the campaign unfancied, have been among the front runners – but would be if they now failed to reach the Premier League. “They were lower in the league last year but they have a manager who has seen it and done it,” he said.
“I don’t go with the message they haven’t spent a few quid as they have international players like the captain of Iceland, and Gary Madine, and took a boy out of Liverpool.
“They are a powerful Championship side.
“They are fully deserving of their position and everyone will be surprised if they don’t go on and seal automatic promotion.”
The Blades drew at Griffin Park on Friday and Wilder still hopes to join the promotion party. He said: “We’ve some brilliant games coming up and if we play like we did against Brentford for the remainder then I think we’ll be in the mix.”