Insider’s view... Warnock’s No.2 reveals the recipe for promotion
TIME off? You must be joking.” It is a throwaway remark at the end of this interview that reveals so much about Cardiff City assistant manager Kevin Blackwell and his ethos.
You might think Neil Warnock’s trusty lieutenant would be enjoying some well-deserved down-time after helping mastermind the Bluebirds’ transition from Championship alsorans to unlikely promotion winners.
Not the case. He’s out scouting, researching and preparing for the Premier League season to come.
And it is that work ethic, that insatiable desire to keep striving, keep “coming up with answers” that has served Cardiff so well over the past 18 months. The role in securing promotion cannot be understated.
Also – and this is a far less heralded element of Cardiff’s success – the tactical insight in training that Blackwell and first team coach Ronnie Jepson provide has been vital.
Because, while Warnock’s wonderful man-management and masterful media soundbites have stolen the limelight this season, the grizzly dayto-day work done without hesitation by men like Blackwell has contributed an untold amount.
What words were exchanged in the meeting rooms? How did the coaching staff approach key moments in Cardiff’s season? Ultimately, how did Blackwell help Warnock pull off the most remarkable promotion?
This is the behind-the-scenes Cardiff City interview with a true unsung hero; insight and stories from the man who had a ringside seat throughout an astonishing campaign...
The tactical role behind the scenes
WHEN interviewing a man who remains largely away from the spotlight, there are so many questions to ask, but it is the nature of Blackwell’s job that most intrigues.
WE all know about Warnock’s infamous team talks. He is a master exponent at dealing with individuals, but there are gaps to fill – Blackwell’s job.
As well as tactics, Blackwell provides Warnock with the ultra-honesty every manager craves from his assistants.
“Neil’s man-management is the best I’ve ever come across and I tried to use that when I was managing Leeds, Sheffield United and Luton,” he says.
“When I work with him, it leaves myself and Ronnie free to concentrate on the training ground and the opposition.
“As a manager, you’ve got to be able to trust people around you to give you the right information.
“I’ve done more than 500 games as a manager and I always wanted someone around me who could give honest feedback when the heat was on.
“Ronnie and I try to take as much pressure off Neil’s shoulders when we can and provide cold, calculated answers. We try and clear the fog.
“It’s vital as well that when Neil asks us a question, we have the answer for him as quick as we can.
“Myself and Ronnie see things differently and we argue like cat and dog. If we disagree with the gaffer we’ll let him know. And the good thing is Neil knows our honest opinion has worked in the past... with eight promotions, we can’t be far off.”
But as much as game day is about stepping up and coping with intense pressure – for both players and coaching staff – Blackwell’s forensic approach throughout the week ensures the big kick-off is a mere continuation of the diligent work at Cardiff’s Vale Resort training base.
There was barely a match in the 2017/18 season when Cardiff’s players appeared lacklustre or unready for the challenge.
Tactically they looked well prepared for what the opposition produced.
As Blackwell says, Warnock took care of the off-field issues while he and Jepson assembled dossiers on each opponent. “What we tried to do in training was replicate what would happen on a Saturday,” explains Blackwell.
“We worked on how to keep our shape when we were under pressure, also what we call ‘handcuffs’ at set plays – making sure people mark their opposite number tightly – and just reiterating basics.
“Sometimes it becomes normal for players to go to work they forget the basics. We just highlighted those basics.
“What people have also failed to notice is that tactically we nullified our opposition. Time and time again.
“You can talk about philosophies in football, but you can’t come into a club with a philosophy that doesn’t suit the players.
“If the players can’t play that way, you’re knackered.
“So, we tailored the way we played around the players’ strengths. And teams clearly couldn’t work it out.
“Osian Roberts made a point to me about how we used our full-backs coming in narrow.
“Osian said ‘you won’t see that in the training manual’, and as I said: ‘you’re dead right, but you’ve got to see it in the context of professional football’.
“Because if that’s the answer, that’s what you’ve got to do. Nine times out of 10 myself and Ronnie were able to come up with the answers to nullify teams who were particularly strong in attacking areas.”
Fostering a feeling in pre-season
IT almost sounds too good to be true, but when Warnock recalls having a “special feeling” among his Cardiff squad when they gathered for a pre-season tour of Devon and Cornwall, Blackwell cannot disagree.
“I went to the Cardiff under-18s against Swansea in the FA Youth Cup the other week and (Wales Under-21s boss) Robert Page was there. And he said ‘Blacky, I remember popping in on the first day of pre-season and you saying to me that you won’t be far away – and you weren’t wrong!’
“So, we did have a feeling and we articulated it among ourselves that we had a really good chance of finishing in the top six.”
Nobody else had that feeling. Not then anyway.
So it became Blackwell’s job to ensure Cardiff’s players – cobbled together from various footballing outposts and backgrounds – retained belief in themselves.
They’d had critics, especially the likes of Junior Hoilett, who had been cast aside by Queens Park Rangers.
But the three wise men: Warnock, Jepson and Blackwell, truly believed – even if the gaffer wasn’t going to divulge such a feeling in the media glare.
His mantra to the press was that Cardiff would simply “enjoy the ride”, but as Blackwell reveals it was different behind closed doors.
“We went under the radar because we didn’t go spouting that confidence off outside the group. You don’t want to end up with egg on your face,” he adds.
“But quietly we told the players they had a good chance if they worked hard and stuck to what we believe in.
“We were always positive with them. We told the wingers (Hoilett and Nathaniel Mendez-Laing) that they were fantastic at going past people and being aggressive. They are very talented players and with wide men you get ups and downs, because they’re creative players.
“Junior blossomed like you wouldn’t believe.
“Mendez has hit the heights and had some lows, but he’s found out about himself.
“Those two are very much confidence players and when they are confident, they’re unplayable.”