Warnock calling for one final push from Bluebirds FOR ALL THE ACTION FROM THE FINAL DRAMATIC DAY OF THE SEASON LOG ON TO WALESONLINE.CO.UK
NEIL Warnock has told his Cardiff City players to confound the critics one more time as the Bluebirds await their day of destiny.
Victory over Reading in front of a sell-out Cardiff City Stadium crowd would guarantee a place in the Premier League for the Bluebirds and a record-breaking eighth career promotion for their manager.
Warnock currently holds the joint record of seven promotions in English football with Dave Bassett, Jim Smith and Graham Taylor, but will be out on his own if Cardiff hold off the threat from rivals Fulham.
Cardiff finished 12th last season and few expected them to threaten the play-off positions this term, let alone the automatic promotion places.
But Warnock’s aces have spent most of the season in the top two, recovering from four successive defeats around Christmas and new year – the worst run of his career – to stave off Fulham’s incredible charge.
Free-scoring Fulham are unbeaten in 23 league games stretching back to mid-December, and the Cottagers’ attractive football has won over the neutrals.
“They have a lovely style and are like the Manchester City of the Championship,” Warnock said of Fulham.
“They have gone 23 games undefeated, but we are still above them and nobody mentions our run.
“We have not had a bad run either and I’m sure they wish we were not here.
“We know we’re not everyone’s cup of tea, but that mental thing has made us stronger.
“We keep getting kicked, but we keep bouncing back up and surprising a lot of people.”
Of his own promotion record, the Cardiff boss said: “That is what I have strived for, to get to the top of the list. I was never very good as a player, so I wanted to be a manager.
“I have done it right from the bottom, from Sunday League to managing Gainsborough and so forth in every division.
“I think I have brought the whole club together. That is the biggest plus for me over the 18 months.
“It was very fragmented when I came.
“But we are in it together today. It’s a great atmosphere.
“We have our ups and downs, but you can’t fault the effort we put in. It’s a great team spirit and that’s got us where we are.”
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CARDIFF City are just one win away from the Premier League.
Victory over Reading at a packed Cardiff City Stadium will guarantee that Neil Warnock’s men gain automatic promotion into the promised land.
Here’s everything you need to know about the crunch match.
What time is kick-off?
The match at Cardiff City Stadium gets underway at 12:30pm on Sunday, May 6.
Is the match on TV?
Yes, the game will be screened live on Sky Sports’ Football and Main Event channels, with coverage on both starting at midday.
If you don’t have a Sky subscription, you can buy a Now TV day pass for £7.99 that enables you to watch online.
Alternatively, you can follow the buildup, score updates and reaction to the game on our live match blog which will be up and running on our Cardiff City page from 9am on Sunday.
Fitness bulletin
Midfielder Aron Gunnarsson will be the major absentee after the Iceland international had to undergo knee surgery to repair the injury he sustained in the Bluebirds’ 2-0 win over Hull City last time out.
But other than Gunnarsson, Neil Warnock has no fresh injury concerns ahead of the vital clash with the Royals.
Paul McShane and Callum Harriot are both in contention to feature for Reading having been sidelined with injuries.
But Paul Clement will also be without long-term absentee Jordan Obita, who continues to recover from a knee operation along with Omar Richards who is also sidelined.
What the managers have said Neil Warnock
“Obviously Gunnarsson is missing but other than that, it’s a clean bill of health,” said the Cardiff boss. “Everyone wants to be involved in this game. so I’m not surprised, but training has been good.
“We need the crowd on Sunday more than ever before and I hope, when they’ve stopped biting their nails, they get loud and get behind us.
“In their wildest dreams, none of them fans thought we’d be here. “We’ve exceeded everybody’s expectations and you’ll always get one or two you’ll never please, who probably think we should have won the league.
“But we’ve gone under the radar, we’ve almost been an afterthought after some of the bigger clubs, which has been great.”
Paul Clement
“Their style of play is evident and straightforward,” said Clement.
“They play a direct style and they are strong at set-plays. You have to give them credit for what they have done this season; their style has been very successful and has put them on the brink of the top level of football.
“We have to be ready to deal with that side of things. But we also have to try to express our own game and try to give them some issues as well.
“All of the games in the Championship are hard, physical confrontations. But maybe no more so than when you play Cardiff. So we will have to do the basics very well if we want get something from this game.” Predicted line-ups
Cardiff City: Etheridge; Peltier, Morrison, Bamba, Bennett; Paterson, Grujic, Ralls; Mendez-Laing, Hoilett, Zohore.
Reading: Mannone, Bacuna, Elphick, Moore, Gunter, van den Berg, Edwards, Barrow, Aluko, Clement, Smith.
What the pundits are predicting David Prutton, Sky Sports
“It’s very simple for Cardiff. Beat Reading and they are in the Premier League. There will be half an eye on what is happening at Fulham, but it is very much in their hands and Neil Warnock will have his side fully focused on their own task. Reading have somehow managed to get themselves dragged back into a relegation battle and they need at least a point here to guarantee survival. This is a home win for me, but I think results elsewhere will save the Royals from the drop.”
Danny Murphy, Sky Sports
“Last year, losing in the play-offs, Fulham must learn from that. They didn’t take their chances and threw it away in the end. These are big games and hopefully the players have learned.
“Anything can happen on the last day of the season, but I can’t see a different outcome than Cardiff absolutely battering Reading into the ground.”
Craig Bellamy, Sky Sports
“I think Cardiff will go up just due to the fact that nerves won’t get in the way, don’t worry about that.
“The Derby result was obviously disappointing but with Hull away and Reading at home, I always fancied us because the style of football we play, the directness, will be too much for them. We’re very difficult to play against, we really are.
Opposition view (from Jonathan Low , a journalist for In Your Area and Get Reading)
“Reading have conceded seven goals in their past two matches, scoring none and confidence is at a real low, especially after the manner of the defeat last weekend (4-0 to Ipswich).
The only salvation is that they can’t go any lower and the pressure is off them (in a sense) this weekend. Paul Clement may make major changes following the Ipswich disaster with none of the 11 coming out with any credit.
So, unpredictability may be Royals’ greatest asset.
If Cardiff get an early goal then a home win is a nigh on certainty. If it stays at 0-0 for a while I still expect Cardiff to go on and win it.
If Reading somehow get an early goal that will create some tension but I still expect Cardiff to come back strong and win it.”
Prediction: Cardiff City 4-0 Reading
Match facts
Cardiff have won three of their last four home league meetings with Reading (L1) although they lost 1-0 last season.
The Royals are unbeaten in their last four league games against Cardiff (W2 D2).
Cardiff have won 13 of their 20 Championship games in 2018 - only Fulham have won more since the turn of the year (16).
By contrast, only Sunderland (two) have won fewer Championship games than Reading (three) in 2018.
Neil Warnock is set to face Reading in a home match for the first time since November 2010 with QPR, a 3-1 win – his last six games against them have all been at the Madejski Stadium.
Junior Hoilett has both scored more goals (nine) and provided more assists (11) this season than he has in any of his previous eight seasons in England.
Referee
Bobby Madley will oversee proceedings in the Welsh capital tomorrow. The Premier League official will be assisted by Harry Lennard and Marc Perry, with Oliver Langford doing the fourth official’s duties.
Latest betting odds (Courtesy of Sky Bet. Correct at time of publishing)
Cardiff City win 1/3 Draw 7/2 Reading win 13/2