Bluebirds boss wants Paterson to hit the heights
NEIL Warnock revealed Callum Paterson’s selection on the right wing for Cardiff City against Barnsley was to give his team an extra attacking threat in the air.
Paterson, who had previously played at right back, scored the only goal of the game, bundling home late on to secure a 1-0 win for the Bluebirds at Oakwell.
The Scot had Bruno Manga playing as an auxiliary right back behind him, with Warnock explaining the thought process behind the decision which paid dividends in a big way at Oakwell.
“I just thought away from home he gives us a bit more height,” he said. “They’ve got quite strong centrehalves, Barnsley, and with Danny (Ward) I thought they might dominate us a bit more.
“So I thought if we put Paterson there, we’ve got an outlet that gives us a chance of keeping the ball a little bit more.
“Barnsley did that to us last year. They played balls out to (Marley) Watkins and I think he won everything down that side. I thought we’d just change it with three games in a week as well.”
Cardiff claimed a second successive victory and clean sheet to move up into the promotion places, after Sheffield United lost at home to Fulham.
Warnock saved praise for Manga and the rest of the Cardiff back four, claiming the Bluebirds ‘had some heroes’ in their impressive back line, which kept its seventh clean sheet of the season.
But the Cardiff boss had been unhappy with how his side started the game.
“I thought first half we were so comfortable with the fact we had the wind with us and there was no urgency,” added Warnock.
“I wondered if it was the journey and things like that.
“I was so disappointed at half time, I can’t tell you.
“But we had a few words at half time and we played a lot better second half, we were on the front foot, Ralls and Gunnars got amongst it.
“At the back we had some heroes. I mean, Bruno is not a full back but that’s as good as I’ve ever seen a full back play. With the injuries and suspensions, we’ve done really well to come up here and perform like that.”