CARDIFF V ARSENAL
SEE SPORT FOR A BIG MATCH PREVIEW
NEIL Warnock was in relaxed mood as he prepared his Cardiff City side for tomorow’s game with Arsenal (1.30pm).
Here’s what he had to say at his press conference...
Has the start been as poor as many pundits are saying? NW:
“I think the lads are giving everything they can. I’ve been quite pleased with their performances including against Bournemouth. In every game we could have got something. The other two we should have won both games, I know we nearly lost the Newcastle game. I’ve been fairly pleased but as you go higher you’ve got to take your chances, we haven’t taken them.”
Has it been difficult for the players to adjust to Premier League? NW:
“It’s down to me a bit more than them. I’ve got to come up with solutions. What we could get away with in the Championship, we can’t get away with in the Premier League. You’ve got to change all the time as a manager.
“We’re slightly different from the other two promoted clubs and haven’t got the money they’ve had. I would have loved to bring in a striker but I’m not bemoaning it, I want to try and enjoy the games against the big clubs if I can – I know that sounds silly – and my tactics have got to be like that whether we win or lose and that’s by giving us a chance to score goals.
Has the Premier League changed since you were last here? NW:
“It changes every year when you look at the managers and how things have changed. I’ve been pitting my wits against Wenger for so many years and my favourite story is from my 1000th game – at the Emirates – and I was looking to Arsene and said ‘look at the dugouts Arsenal, they’re miles away, you won’t hear me today!’ And he looked nonchalantly and said ‘Neil, you will find a way!’.
“I’ve had some good times with Arsene and I was sad (when he left). The grass isn’t always greener. But I like Emery I think he’s got great vision and some good players.
“Arsenal is very special to me. The first game I remember going to with my dad was at Highbury with the big clock there and my dad used to put £5 per week away and sneaked me into his hotel room and into the ground. The same at Bramall Lane, the first I remember was against Arsenal... a lovely club.”
What have you made of Arsenal’s first three games so far? NW:
“I thought they had a great patch against Chelsea and created loads of chances, they’ll have been quite pleased about it.
“When a new manager comes in it’ll be about asking people to do new things and I’m sure they will be up there around the Champions League places at the end of the season.”
How will you approach these three tough games? NW:
“You say three (tough games), I’d say 33! But if you let it worry you too much you’d never sleep at night. We’ve got to try and create chances against the top teams – who we know will have a lot of possession – and that won’t be down to us parking the bus, whether we like it or not they’ll have the ball these teams.
“But I’m definitely going to enjoy it, we could be in the Championship going round the country so I’ll enjoy going to these stadiums. I’m disappointed the Spurs new stadium wasn’t up and running for our match. And if we got 40 points I’d be doing somersaults!”
What’s the latest injury news? NW:
“That’s disappointing (Mendez-Laing’s injury) because he had started really well this season, Junior we’re not sure about either and we’ve got one or two little niggles. There’s two or three quite doubtful so it’s a bit up in the air, I’m dreading going into the physio room today. But we’ll pick the best possible team to win the game.”
How can you stop media affecting players? NW:
“I don’t think the group of players I’ve got are affected by anything. We have to work harder than most teams to create chances, because we’ve come up through the Championship and we haven’t
bought all these top class players that other teams have bought. But everyone’s positive in the dressing room and they’re enjoying it.
“We’ve got players who could definitely play in the Premier League. I look at the midfield three: Joe Ralls can play in the Premier League, Harry Arter is a super player and Victor has done well too considering it’s his first season in English football. We’ve got the materials there, it’s about harnessing it and coming up with a formula.”
Will one goal lead to more? NW:
“It depends which way you look at it. I don’t know how many Burnley scored last season but it was a very small amount and they finished 7th and they played some good football!
“It all depends on your philosophy, we’re never going to score two or three per game are we?! We never have done. But we need to get the best out of what we’ve got.”
What about the occasion on Sunday? NW:
“I enjoy the home games because of the atmosphere. Going back to when I turned up 18 months ago or whenever it was, who’d have thought we be getting full houses, turning people away three or four days before kick off? They’d have said I was in cuckoo land!
“In the supermarket the other night, I must have had 10 selfies with kids and their mothers. It’s just great in a time when there’s lots of negativity in the world, here in Cardiff people have got something to look forward to each week.”