NEIL WARNOCK VIEW...

NEIL Warnock admits Cardiff City’s thumping win at Leeds has thrown down a challenge to promotion rivals – and to his own stars.

The Bluebirds battered a Leeds side reduced to ten men, re-establishing their promotion credentials after any worries their winter wobble would return were ended at Elland Road.

The victory – through goals from Callum Paterson, Junior Hoilett, Sean Morrison and Anthony Pilkington – included debuts for £5m striker Gary Madine who started ahead of Danish ace Kenneth Zohore.

And there was no place for Nathaniel Mendez-Laing in the squad as Warnock made the most of the fresh faces brought in during what could be a crucial transfer window.

Now the Bluebirds boss believes that the win and his options show their promotion chase is to be taken seriously, with players given the challenge to fight for places.

The win kept Cardiff in fourth, three points off second-placed Derby with a game in hand, and Warnock said: “This was one of the most complete performances since I’ve been here.

“We started on the front foot, which was important because it can be difficult to stop if you let the other side do that at grounds like this. We took our goals well and we controlled it.

“But you look around our dressing room now and we really aren’t a bad side. The players we have and we still have people like Gunnarsson to come back and it’s great to know we have a good chance. We’re still aiming for the play-offs but we’ll give this a go.

“We’ve not got the finances of the Villas and Derbys but we’re going to give this a go, let’s keep on their tails and see how it goes.”

Warnock confirmed there was no injury to Mendez-Laing and said new boy Madine offers his side “something we haven’t got.”