MeasuredWarnock has no need to get hairdryer out, insists Bennett
JOE Bennett has lifted the lid on Neil Warnock’s half-time team talks, insisting the Cardiff City boss rarely flies off the handle in stereotypical ‘YouTube’ style — even at Reading on Monday night.
The Bluebirds trailed 2-0 to Jaap Stam’s side at the break after conceding through Callum Paterson’s unfortunate own goal and Modou Barrow’s deflected strike.
But — not for the first time this season — they rallied after the break, with Bennett’s 83rd minute volley paving the way for Lee Tomlin to snatch a point in added time.
They also roused themselves at home to Norwich following a poor first-half last week, leading many to believe Warnock’s infamous half time dressing downs have been behind the astonishing second half improvements.
Bennett however, claimed Warnock is often very measured in his approach and certainly didn’t rant and rave at the Madejski.
“He was a little bit angry but he had every right to be because we weren’t great,” admitted the full back.
“But second-half we showed can respond. Once we got the first goal we knew we could go on and get the second goal and we could have even had time to nick it at the end. It didn’t happen but we’d take a point.”
Warnock revealed after the Jekyll-and-Hyde 3-1 win over Norwich that fans would “have to look on YouTube” for an idea of his team talk — referencing the viral internet videos of a younger Warnock dishing out half time rollickings.
But Bennett, who has been consistently selected by Warnock at left back since the Yorkshireman arrived in South Wales 14 months ago, set the record straight.
He explained why Warnock was a master motivator, always honest with the players.
“The gaffer is like that, he’s a winner, he always wants to win and he wants his players to be like himself,” he added.
“He gives us that extra incentive to get results, even when we are poor as we were in the first-half.
“He wasn’t that mad at us at halftime (at Reading), he was encouraging, telling us we had that 45 minutes, plenty of time, that we could push on.
“He has five minutes with the staff first and lets us have a think and talk amongst ourselves and then he comes in and, good or bad, and says his words.
“It can be the worst part that five minutes, depending on how we’ve played, as you’re waiting to see what will be said, but he’s encouraging.
“We haven’t really had a hairdryer this season, it’s been mainly positive.
“Even at Reading he was stressing we still had time, to put the first 45 minutes behind us and show everyone what we can do.”
Bennett cited Reading’s effective high press as the reason for Cardiff’s slow start at the Madejski.
The visitors were stifled and unable to get talented forward players like Junior Hoilett and Nathaniel Mendez-Laing on the ball.
But a combination of Warnock’s words of wisdom and other “big characters” in the Bluebirds dressing room really helped them pull through. “It was below par,” Bennett said. “We started sluggish, we couldn’t really get on the ball because they were pressing us high and making us go high. But the second-half changed things, we played with a lot more intensity and it worked and we got a point in the end.
“We have big characters, guys like Sol (Bamba) who keeps the team going, speaking all the time, shouting encouragement an instructions, people like Pelts (Lee Peltier), Mozza (Sean Morrison), they are big characters who will keep you going. It’s built into belief that you know you can get back into games.
“It’s as much about not letting each other down as well as the manager.”
Neil Warnock has been charged with misconduct by the Football Association after being sent off during Cardiff City’s 2-2 draw with Reading at the Madejski Stadium on Monday night.
The Bluebirds were trailing 2-0 when referee Stephen Martin sent the Yorkshireman to the stands.
And the FA have announced that Warnock has until 6pm on Friday, December 15 to respond to the charge.
An FA statement read: “Cardiff City manager Neil Warnock has been charged with misconduct following his sending-off during the game against Reading on Monday 11 December 2017.
He has until 6pm on Friday 15 December to respond.”