WE’VE DONE IT AT LAST
THE BEST ANALYSIS OF A BRILLIANT BLUEBIRDS WIN
WHENEVER Cardiff City first tasted victory in the Premier League this season, it was never going to be easy.
The Bluebirds’ maiden victory in this season’s top flight over Fulham was the culmination of Neil Warnock’s Premier League education from the opening eight matches.
His side have been beaten, bashed and belittled, both on and off the pitch. Through it all, Warnock has played the lovable role he always has.
Self-deprecating and self-aware, he has had to answer the doubts that he is merely a Championship manager not cut out to grace the higher echelon that is the Premier League.
One swallow doesn’t make a summer, just as one win doesn’t make a Premier League season, but this was a sign that Warnock and his Championship ways have some lessons of their own to dole out while they receive their footballing education from the big boys.
The win over Fulham was ultimately two teams trying to convince themselves and the footballing world that they belonged at the top table.
To survive at this level you need to adapt. But you also need to keep the essence of what got you there in the first place.
In winning and the manner in which they achieved it, Cardiff showed they can adapt. More importantly, they rediscovered the essence
of how they got here.
The first half was a chaotic affair. Cardiff showed their attacking side, with Josh Murphy and Bobby Reid causing problems to a Fulham defence that hardly inspired confidence.
Victor Camarasa had a field day in midfield, finding pockets of space to intricately move the Bluebirds forward with the added protection of Aron Gunnarsson and Harry Arter behind him.
Even Callum Paterson, a rightback playing as a centre-forward, linked well and contributed to a promising first half.
There were some new tricks added to what Cardiff had won promotion with, that much is certain.
There was far more interplay and neat passing, with Camarasa at the heart of it all, than Warnock would ever have dreamed of unleashing on the second tier, but the same back-tofront-in-the-blink-of-an-eye basic principle remained.
The Cardiff attack was thriving on the chaos that was driving the opening 45 minutes. Unfortunately, so were the defence.
They played an increasingly high line, with Bruno Ecuele Manga and Sean Morrison pushing high on the right side of the pitch.
Once Fulham recognised this and exploited it with the pace of Ryan Sessegnon, Cardiff were fortunate to get into the break all square.
You sensed at half-time that Fulham had worked Cardiff out and, if either side was going to get on top, it would be the visitors.
But Warnock had other ideas. He spoke afterwards about how he felt the Bluebirds should be sitting on a lot more points than they currently have. Home games against Newcastle, Arsenal and Burnley were seen as missed opportunities.
In particular, he spoke about the Arsenal defeat and how his side’s “naivety” had cost them victory against the Gunners.
Speaking about the 3-2 defeat to one of the Premier League big boys, he said: “I thought we should have won the game if we defended like we did last year.”
So that’s what he did. Warnock defied the chaos that was the first half, shunned the naivety that had cost them before and set about capturing the very core that saw them secure the unlikeliest of automatic promotions, ahead of Fulham it’s worth adding, last year.
They defended like they did in the second tier, sitting deeper and inviting Fulham to break them down.
The game was still frenetic and fast-paced. That’s how Warnock had Cardiff playing last year. Only now, the screws at the back were tightened.
When they got their chances, they took them.
First, Paterson with a scruffy finish that nestled perfectly into the bottom corner, then Kadeem Harris late on to secure that elusive victory and send Cardiff City Stadium — and Warnock — into delirium.
This victory saw the many sides of Neil Warnock.
This was Warnock the naive. Warnock the chaos merchant. Warnock the pragmatist. Warnock the fistpumper. All in one afternoon.
Ultimately, there was only one that mattered.
Warnock the winner.