‘BEST WIN OF THE SEASON’
But where does win over Wolves leave Bluebirds in drop zone scramble?:
WHEN Neil Warnock awoke on Saturday morning, he must have allowed himself an even wider smile than usual.
Not because the Cardiff City boss was celebrating his 70th birthday – he told the Sky Sports cameras on Friday night he’d wish people would stop mentioning that – but because of the nature of his side’s 2-1 victory over Wolves.
Aron Gunnarsson and Junior Hoilett got themselves on the scoresheet, but it was a mammoth team effort that inspired the Bluebirds’ third win of the season – another one in which they fought back from behind to win.
These are the major talking points to emerge from the match... BEST WIN OF THE SEASON
Forget Wolves’ barren run of form – now just one point from a possible 18 – and look at their players, their budget and their aspirations for the season.
This was Cardiff’s best win of the campaign, wholly deserved and with no shortage of character or quality.
And, unlike against Fulham, the Bluebirds weren’t aided by a kamikaze defence that invited shots from all angles.
Unlike against Brighton, it wasn’t against 10 men sitting back and showing virtually no adventure.
No, Wolves are a good side who will bounce back from this rut and likely finish in mid-table.
They were out-thought and outfought by Cardiff, however, Warnock’s 3-5-2 ensuring Joao Moutinho and Ruben Neves, try as they might, couldn’t get a grip on possession for any length of time.
Neither could Willy Bolly or Conor Coady at the back, the duo who had dictated the tempo of Wolves’ 1-0 win at Cardiff City Stadium back in April.
Harry Arter was a menace in midfield, Callum Paterson a nuisance up
front and Cardiff gradually wrestled Wolves into submission.
For Warnock, it must have been a joy to outsmart opposite number Nuno Espirito Santo in such emphatic terms.
WING-BACKS WON’T BE BACK?
Warnock joked that he wouldn’t be fielding Hoilett or Victor Camarasa as wing-backs again any time soon and you could understand his logic.
Defensively, the system was a little too reliant on Cardiff ’s back three registering a flawless performance.
It was a little risky for Warnock’s liking, with Hoilett and Camarasa pushed up on Wolves’ wing-backs Matt Doherty and Ruben Vinagre leaving yards for the likes of Helder Costa to race into.
Bruno Manga did wonderfully to shut down that space when the ball inevitably came into his channel, while Sol Bamba played a risky game diving into challenges against the pacy Adama Traore.
The 3-5-2 seemed to be a way of shoehorning Joe Ralls into the side when Cardiff would surely be better served by allowing Camarasa a central role alongside Arter and Gunnarsson.
It also ushered Josh Murphy into a slightly uncomfortable central position.
When Joe Bennett and Greg Cunningham are fully fit, Warnock will surely return to a 4-3-3 (or similar).
HOILETT GETS HIS MOJO BACK
Where on earth did that come from, Junior?
Anybody who has watched Hoilett this season – Warnock included – would scarcely had thought it possible that the Canadian could score such a ludicrously good goal. In fact, it was odd that he was still on the pitch. He’d been hitherto anonymous.
In truth, Hoilett has lacked confidence all season long, to the extent that his very selection against Wolves was met with murmurs of discontent from the Cardiff crowd.
Warnock had faith and he was rewarded with Hoilett’s first Premier League goal in six years.
Cardiff will hope the moment of magic is a turning point for the 28-year-old, whose 12 goals last season – many of them spectacular – played a major part in their success.
When he’s on form he makes a huge difference to this side, possessing
a deft touch and turn of pace that will worry most defenders.
If the wonder strike proves the spark that lights Hoilett’s flame, Bluebirds fans are in for a treat.
MANGA CENTRAL TO SUCCESS
So many Cardiff players deserved the plaudits after this win. Gunnarsson, Arter, Sean Morrison, plenty of others.
But the unsung hero of this side is Bruno Manga, who unsurprisingly shone when given a more central role in defence against Wolves.
It was the same when Morrison went off with injury against Brighton and the Gabon international moved into the centre. He just looks more at home, less stretched and unburdened with overlapping. Just defending.
Whether Warnock will accommodate Manga, in place of either Morrison or Bamba when the back four returns, seems doubtful. He’s loathed to break up that partnership between his two leaders at the back.
Yet if Manga continues in this vein, he elevates himself in the mind of the manager.
Do Cardiff have a better out-andout defender than big Bruno? On recent evidence, perhaps not.