CANNY NEIL GETS THE BEST OUT OF PLAYERS
NEIL Warnock has done a remarkable job at Cardiff. To take that group of players to the Premier League is unbelievable.
The Bluebirds didn’t have that one individual to bail them out, a Jota, a Robert Snodgrass or a Tom Cairney.
Every victory relied on them playing well as a team, pressing in midfield, working for each other, scrapping until the very last second.
If that work-rate had been sprinkled on Derby or Aston Villa – both sides with much better squads on paper – just imagine what they could have done.
It just shows what a quality manager Neil is. I spoke to him earlier this season and he was telling me a story about Jamie Ward, the Cardiff striker.
Neil loves Wardy – his work-rate and endeavour. But he wasn’t having his best game and Neil slaughtered him in front of the lads. He was trying to get a positive reaction, but it went the other way. He kind of went into his shell.
So afterwards, behind closed doors, Neil apologised and put an arm round Jamie, building him right back up.
His style is all about getting to know people, working out what makes them tick. It’s allowed him to wring the very best out of every player in that squad – and that is why they are in the Premier League.