SOCCER MORRISON BACK TO COULD PATERSON

THE nature of Cardiff City’s 1-0 loss to Tottenham Hotspur means that, unlike after heavy defeats to Manchester City and Chelsea, Neil Warnock really can take the positives this time.

Yes, Spurs were slightly off colour and spurned numerous chances to kill the game off, but Cardiff were in the contest for the full 90 minutes. Even after going down to 10 men.

So where does the defeat leave under-fire Warnock and his troops?

It’s another body blow to their confidence of course, but going into the international break, they will take encouragement.

Here are the main talking points...

SPURS 1-0 CARDIFF

SPURS were glad to get away with 1-0.

Warnock made a sound point in his post-match press conference. It’s not very often you see Tottenham – with their glittering array of World Cup stars – wasting time in the final minutes against a newly promoted team, “little old Cardiff” as he put it.

Mauricio Pochettino rightly thought his team should have done better. You got that sense from the Wembley crowd too.

This was a team who’d gone toeto-toe with Barcelona just three days earlier. A team who are regularly challenging for the title.

Yet Cardiff scrapped and made life difficult for Harry Kane and company to the point where Spurs were content with 1-0.

The Bluebirds were even able to retain a threat once Joe Ralls had been dismissed. Sean Morrison came agonisingly close to equalising when he stole a march on the hosts’ defence from Victor Camarasa’s deep freekick.

ANOTHER TALE OF WHAT MIGHT HAVE BEEN

EIGHT games in, three systems tried, but it finally appears Warnock has settled on a formation that suits his squad.

Camarasa was returned to a central position as Warnock picked both Josh Murphy and Junior Hoilett to be his wingers, with Callum Paterson a surprise option up front.

Bar Bruno Manga at right-back, it meant all Cardiff ’s players were in positions that played to their strengths. Debate still rages about how best to fit the Gabon international into the Bluebirds side.

Yet it said a lot that Kane – as pointed out by Match Of The Day – was forced to drop into deeper positions to pick up possession, such was the Cardiff skipper Sean Morrison tangles with Harry Kane balance and discipline displayed by the visitors.

The gut-wrenching part was another sloppy goal conceded from a set-piece against one of the ‘big six’ sides. It proved the difference in Cardiff ’s 3-2 defeat to Arsenal, when Shkodran Mustafi was the beneficiary, and again here with Eric Dier.

PATERSON COULD BE AN OPTION UP FRONT, BUT WHERE DOES THIS LEAVE ZOHORE?

CALLUM Paterson is nothing if not a willing runner.

And the way he chased lost causes into the Wembley channels perhaps sent a message to Kenneth Zohore, who simply hasn’t exhibited the same sharpness and drive when he’s featured this term.

It’s clear Zohore is woefully out of form, therefore Warnock was forced to improvise and select Paterson – signed as a right-back let’s remember – as his No.9.

Zohore wasn’t summoned from the bench at any stage, even when Danny Ward hobbled off just seven minutes after replacing Paterson. The Dane cut a forlorn figure when the TV cameras briefly captured him