Warnock: Just like Tiger, we’ll prove all the doubters wrong
CARDIFF boss Neil Warnock has called on his players to use Tiger Woods’ Masters comeback as motivation to overcome the odds and stay in the Premier League. Warnock tuned in on Sunday as Woods won the green jacket at Augusta, his first major in 11 years after battling demons in his personal life and serious injuries. A Cardiff revival seems similarly improbable as the club have five games remaining and a five-point deficit to overturn if they are to remain in the top-flight. Cardiff travel to 17thplaced Brighton tonight knowing a win will take them to within two points of Chris Hughton’s team, who would still have a game in hand. Brighton are in desperate form and lost 5-0 at home to Bournemouth on Saturday — their fourth defeat in a row. Cardiff, meanwhile, have been dogged by hard luck stories after falling foul of poor refereeing decisions in recent defeats by Burnley and Chelsea. Warnock said: ‘We just have to look at the golf and at what Tiger has done — amazing. ‘Nobody gave him a chance either. He has been written off that many times and we have too. Obviously over the last few weeks we have felt sorry for ourselves a few times. ‘We haven’t got time to do that at Brighton and if it’s not good enough then we accept it. But this is an opportunity to give ourselves a chance till the end of the season.’ Hughton hauled his Brighton players in for a clear-the-air team meeting on Sunday after the club suffered their heaviest ever Premier League defeat. The management and players sat through the gruesome footage from the Vitality Stadium in a bid to provoke a backlash this evening. Hughton said: ‘The players want to prove a point on Tuesday. They will want to show an attitude that says they were that disappointed with Saturday. ‘We had a meeting, went through the game and the goals that we conceded. ‘It was probably our worst performance of the season. ‘There isn’t one player in that changing room that wouldn’t have gone through a bad defeat, a bad performance, and what it’s always about is how you respond to that. I expect a reaction from our players.’