Sunday Mirror (Northern Ireland)

CASH NOT KING FOR WARNOCK

We’ll survive on great spirit

- BY GRAHAM THOMAS

NEIL WARNOCK believes that a big heart, rather than a fat wallet, is the key to Cardiff City staying in the Premier League this season.

They say you can’t teach an old dog new tricks, but, as he approaches his 70th birthday, the Yorkshire terroriser insists he will be different to the manager who went through agonies with both Sheffield United and QPR.

Warnock – who took the Bluebirds up last season against all the odds – insisted: “I’m going to enjoy it this time.

“Before, I don’t think I really had a chance, due to different things going on at both those clubs. It wasn’t enjoyable.

“Cardiff is much more stable and so I’m optimistic. You’ve got to be, at my age. You have to enjoy life and grasp opportunit­ies and that’s what we’re going to do.”

But Warnock’s relaxed approach is not simply about lowering the blood pressure for a boss who will be junior only to Roy Hodgson in the top flight – and that by a matter of months.

He has also studied Burnley, Huddersfie­ld, Brighton and Bournemout­h and concluded that a happy, penny-watching camp is likelier to survive than a cash-splashing, divided one.

Five years ago, Cardiff came up and splurged owner Vincent Tan’s money on £11million Gary Medel, £8m Steven Caulker and £7.5m on striker Andreas Cornelius, who didn’t start a single game.

This time, Warnock has gone for Championsh­ip players and, although he paid £10m each for Bobby Reid and Josh Murphy, they are known quantities rather than gambles.

And Warnock added: “The players who come have to show the right spirit.

“They all know what we expect from them. That’s important because we know we are going to be up against it in a lot of the games, so it’s crucial that the dressing room is right.

“It’s what got us up to the Premier League in the first place.

“My kind of team is where if a player makes a mistake, then his mate gets him out of it.

“You watch players like Eden Hazard and you think, ‘How are we going to cope with that?’. You either have to hope he will be transferre­d – or be inspired and find the camaraderi­e.

“It’s going to be tough, but, outside of the top six clubs, any team can very often beat any other team.”

 ??  ?? RELAXED APPROACH: Neil Warnock wants to enjoy Prem this time
RELAXED APPROACH: Neil Warnock wants to enjoy Prem this time

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