Warnock’s ready to break bad news to the players he no longer wants...
Cardiff City’s stars aiming to be part of Neil Warnock’s promotion plans for next term have been told when they will discover their fate after the Bluebirds boss detailed how he will spell out players’ futures in the coming days.
Warnock has made no secret he is looking to reshape his squad this summer as he looks to craft Cardiff into a team capable of delivering his eighth promotion as a manager.
It will involve the veteran boss attempting to land as many as five new faces once the Championship campaign ends next weekend.
But it will also include current figures moving on – with Warnock not ruling out surprise exits as he looks to mould a squad good enough to challenge at the top-end of the table, as well as balancing tight budgets at Cardiff City Stadium.
Warnock has already outlined the current status of a number of players whose futures are uncertain, including the out-of-contract quartet of Bruno Manga, Junior Hoilett, Kadeem Harris and long-serving fan favourite Peter Whittingham.
And he has delivered a contract extension for Kenneth Zohore, promising that confirmation of new deals for some key men in the near future.
But there remains question marks over others in the current 24-man Bluebirds squad, as well as those out on loan, including Wales international Emyr Huws.
And now Warnock has told of how he will meet each of the men in his ranks as he makes clear his thoughts on their future and whether they are wanted at Cardiff City Stadium for next season. The meetings and potential surprises It will involve players speaking in person to Warnock next weekend, with the Yorkshireman opting to hold the majority of his talks before the final game of the season at Huddersfield.
The Cardiff chief revealed: “In terms of the lads here, I usually speak to them after the last game but with it being at Huddersfield and some lads from up north, I’ll probably speak to them on the journey up to Huddersfield or at the hotel. I’ll be having a word with every player individually for five or ten minutes.”
It could see players currently featuring under Warnock told they can find new clubs. Warnock warned in January, as he admitted he would be prepared to sell Bruno Manga, that his need to balance budgets, manage the wage bill carrying hangover salaries from previous big spending, and fund any additional spending beyond the money to be signed off by the Bluebirds board, means he cannot rule out cashing in on players that might surprise fans.
It prompts the question whether players head into this final week concerned over their position, but Warnock insists: “It depends what you call worrying. I don’t think they’ll be worrying financially because of the contracts they’ve got. Everybody wants to play football and everybody wants to be in the manager’s plans. You have to change things. We’re a club that needs fresh blood now.
“We need a bit of a turnaround in and you always lose one or two. Sometimes it’s a blessing for them because they go on to better things, they get inspired by a transfer. I’ve got to balance the books and I don’t want to use any of the money I’ve been given unnecessarily so, if I can add to that money by transfers, then I will do.
“Will fans be surprised? Everyone would probably pick a different team to the one I would. That’s the beauty of football. You’ve got fans who believe one player is the best thing since sliced bread and another fan will say ‘no, you’re wrong there’. It’s just about who the manager is at that time, the luck of the draw for some people. In Junior Hoilett’s case and Sol Bamba’s case, they’re lucky they’ve got me who believes in them. For the other lads, they’ve all be trying to impress and you’ve seen that over the weeks.” Plans for the summer There will those who may be told they are not frontline part of plans, but no-one – at least those with time left on their contracts – will be excused from the detailed off-season schedule laid out for players as part of Warnock’s plans to hit the ground running.
He said: “There’s a number of players who have a year left and they are contacted to the club and they have to come back in pre-season and give it their best shot. We will be giving them all schedule for what we require for them to do in the summer, so they don’t put weight on for example. But they are good pros nowadays. They will all go away with a schedule and stick with it and we won’t have much problems – it’s all changed since my days thinking about training a week before the season starts.” Who’ll be arriving? Warnock believes around four new starters will give enough quality and character to a Cardiff XI good enough