Play-off rivals of a final derby
November with Cardiff in 14th place.
His replacement, Neil Harris, did a commendable job, but the season was delayed and the Bluebirds came back stronger than before - barring what Harris describes as a ‘miniblip’ with consecutive defeats against Blackburn and Fulham.
And as such, they’re back in the play-off places for the first time since 2012.
Strengths
Under Harris, Cardiff have developed a number of ways to create chances.
Whether it’s Nathaniel MendezLaing or Junior Hoilett running at defences, Sean Morrison heading home from set-pieces, some form of magic from Tomlin or Danny Ward and Robert Glatzel firing home after neat interplay around the box, Cardiff have found there’s more than one way to skin a cat.
Defensively, they look more sound now than they did earlier in the season - with Curtis Nelson more solid than Aden Flint, which has brought out the best in Sean Morrison.
Many pundits feel Morrison and Joe Bennett are as good as you get in their positions at this level, while Alex Smithies has excelled in goal.
No team in the league works harder than Cardiff. They give absolutely everything which is why, even when not playing well, they have managed to churn out draws or wins.
Weaknesses
The Bluebirds are still finding their feet after three years of Warnock.
Harris has provided plenty of attacking variety, but the Plan B of going long to big men doesn’t work as well despite being on the menu as a last resort for Harris.
With Flint out of the side and Callum Paterson featuring less, it falls upon the shoulders of Morrison more and more.
That said, he’s scored in the last couple of games.
Again, under Warnock, Cardiff were happier playing football in the final third – often playing it long early to release the pressure valve on their defenders.
Key man: Lee Tomlin
Who else? Getting the playmaker fit enough to start and then managing his workload has been one of the biggest narratives for the Bluebirds since football resumed.
However, it’s largely justified. He can create something out of nothing, which is useful when the Bluebirds have trouble breaking defences down.
SWANSEA CITY
There are likely countless Swansea fans in utter disbelief that the club are in contention.
They headed into Wednesday night with an outside shot at the play-offs, hoping for a comprehensive win over Reading and a Nottingham Forest implosion.
Nine years after scoring four past Reading to earn them Premier League status, four more goals against the Royals kept them in the hunt for promotion this time around.
And it also means Steve Cooper will have a shot at the play-offs and top-flight promotion in his first season of club management. Strengths
Cooper has had his fair share of criticism this season, but it’s one recent switch that has kicked their play-off bid into overdrive.
Since going to three at the back, the Swans have looked far more creative going forward.
As a result, the goals have flowed more – with Liverpool loanee Rhian Brewster continuing to impress, while full-backs Connor Roberts and Jake Bidwell have been superb as wing-backs in the new system.
That’s allowed them to be more dangerous from wide avenues compared to when they played in a 4-2-3-1 formation.
Defensively, the Swans are much improved from set-pieces compared to last season too.
Weaknesses
In terms of struggles, their squad depth is a weakness. They’re lacking in game changers off the bench which could come back to haunt them.
The squad depth isn’t exactly helped by existing injuries. They’re already missing a few through injury so any more defensive issues and they’re going to be desperately short.
Kyle Naughton is suspended for the first leg, Mike van der Hoorn and Ben Cabango are being carefully managed with their own respective fitness issues.
And, of course, Swansea don’t have a great record against teams above them in the table.
Key man: Rhian Brewster
He looks like a star in the making.
It’s little wonder Jurgen Klopp is so excited by him. His goals have been crucial for Swansea since joining in January. If the Swans are to get back to the promised land of the Premier League, Brewster will almost certainly be front and centre of the charge.
VERDICT
It’s going to be a tough ask for there to be an all-Welsh final.
Brentford have had Swansea’s number this season, but a switch to a back-three might allow the Swans to deal with the Bees’ devastating weapons up front – providing they can maintain their concentration and not pick up any more injuries.
As for Cardiff, it’s only a matter of weeks since Fulham defeated them 2-0 at Craven Cottage. That was a mini turning point for Harris’ side and they’ll be keen to right some wrongs.
You’d say the two Welsh sides making it to Wembley seems the unlikeliest option of the available scenarios that can play out, but odds hardly seem to matter this week.
Just ask Nottingham Forest.
BACK in November, Neil Harris took his seat in Hensol Castle as the new manager of Cardiff City.
Following his announcement, there appeared to be widespread apathy among the fan base, having gone from the effervescent raconteur Neil Warnock, who dragged Cardiff City to the Premier League by the scruff of the neck and earned legendary status in doing so.
Who wants to follow that? How do you follow that?
Harris sat and spoke with gusto about where he wanted his side to be at the end of the season. He addressed the club’s ailing academy and delivered a passionate speech about overhauling it and making it the lifeblood of the club once again.
He got the fan base, too. He shone the light on the club and understood its importance and magnitude in this corner of the world.
He stoked up the rivalry with Swansea City, too, when other managers before him had attempted to pour cold water over it, much to the annoyance of the fans.
It was a positive start, but the fans would need far more convincing than that.
Harris tentatively said his aim was to finish in the top six and on that he never wavered, even when results stagnated at Christmas time.
Following an impressive run of results and a visible improvement in style and confidence on the pitch, Harris now finds himself three games away from becoming a Premier League manager.
“Sitting in my first press conferences, I made some promises about the team Cardiff fans would see – they would be passionate, have work rate and never let the team down,” Harris said ahead of the clash against Fulham on Monday.
“I said they will see a Neil Harris team that is filled with passion, a desire to do well, with structure and organisation. I made some comments about how I would like to see the team play and where I would like to see the team finish, ideally.
“I could be wrong, but I think we have delivered as a group on what I had hoped in the short-term and mid-term, long-term is probably from next season onwards.
“To change people’s perception is not always easy in football, so I’m really pleased about where I am at the moment.”
It certainly looks as though he has started to win over the fan base, although it took some convincing.
He has the small task of beating Fulham looming over his head, which of course will be no easy feat. But the situation is familiar to him.
He has experienced the play-offs both as a player and as Millwall manager, but this next week, Harris said, is the biggest of his 24-year career in the game.
“I would say it is,” he said.
“I was fortunate to have good times as a player and was fortunate to have three top-six finishes as a manager and eighth place two years ago with Millwall.
“I’ve been in cup quarter-finals as a manager, I’ve been fortunate enough to have some good times, but to get into the play-offs, as we stand, is right up there. A great achievement for the group. I just don’t want to get too far ahead, because it’s all hypothetical at the moment.”