Neil Warnock is hoping former Daily Mirror agony aunt Marjorie Proops OBE can help Cardiff City clinch automatic promotion from the Championship.
Proops gave advice nationwide via her ‘Dear Marje’ column and Bluebirds manager Warnock insists: “It’s time to go into Marjorie mode.
“My biggest job over the next three weeks is dealing with the mental side of things. One-on-ones with players and trying to lift players who are a little bit down. I have got to be like a Marjorie Proops.
“Marje’s advice: Stay calm, enjoy it. We shouldn’t worry about anything.
“Our worst resort is the play-offs, which is a fantastic achievement. Hey ho, let’s go and have a go. The fans are all behind us and we are a difficult team to play against.”
Cardiff City travel to Norfolk on Saturday for their Championship cash with Norwich City and they will go back into second place with a win because Fulham’s match against Brentford starts at 5.30pm.
Warnock’s men have suffered back-to-back defeats against Wolves and Aston Villa, both 1-0, and have earned only one point from the last nine on offer.
“I wasn’t aware at Villa Park that we were guaranteed a place in the play-offs,” says Warnock. “I just said to the players that they have been amazing to get there with five games to go. It is incredible.
“We had just played against, and dominated Villa in front of 30,000 fans. Apart from a World class goalkeeping display we were unlucky not to earn anything against Wolves, who are the best team in the league.
“They knew they had been in a game.
“Hey Ho! We’ve had a great season. I’m enjoying it, the players must to be enjoying it. We are disappointed at being kicked in the teeth during the last two games with late goals, but good teams get up and go again.
“That’s our situation. They can’t give me any more, although they’ve got to try to be a bit more clinical. We have only scored one goal in three games despite having some great chances.
“We are in a really exciting part of the season and didn’t expect to be in this situation. Now it’s important to got to relish every minute.
“Think where we have come from in the last 18 months. It is remarkable that with five games to go there is an opportunity to be promoted to the top level. There are a lot of clubs would swap us.”
Warnock accepts there will be anxiety within his squad after their results against Wolves and Villa, but he says: “If you aren’t down after missing out on an opportunities like we had at Wolves and Villa Park then there is something wrong with you.
“The dressing room wasn’t great but one or two of the senior lads were exceptionally good after the Villa result and said a few words before me. That’s what we are such a close knit group.
“It’s fantastic that Fulham have gone 20 games undefeated in this league. They are expected to win every game, have a great squad with great players and it is amazing that we are neck and neck with them.
“That shows how far we have come. I’m just thinking about being positive in the next five games.
“Right now football matters are irrelevant. It’s all about upstairs. They know they have got the ability and it is all about how you deal with it.”
The Bluebirds will again be without midfield player Joe Ralls, while Warnock said: “There are a couple of niggles from Villa, but nothing untoward. Nobody missing from the squad anyway.
“Joe Ralls is not quite ready. He had a little bit of a setback the week before last when I thought he’d be ready. We have to be careful with him because we don’t know how many games we’ve got left and it’s important we get him right. He’ll probably be okay for Nottingham Forest at home, but I don’t want to risk him for Norwich.”
More than 800 Cardiff fans are making the trip to Norwich for know automatic promotion is still in City’s hands if they can earn the win they need.
Norwich City: Gunn, Pinto, Zimmermann, Hanley, Husband, Reed, Vrancic, Hoolahan, Maddison, Murphy, Oliveira.
Cardiff City: Etheridge, Peltier, Morrison, Bamba, Bennett, Gunnarsson, Grujic, Paterson, Mendez-Laing, Hoilett, Zohore.
Championship
2017/18 Current table
| | HOME | | AWAY | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| P | W | D | L | F | A | W | D | L | F | A | GD | PTS | ||
| 1 | Wolves | 42 | 15 | 4 | 2 | 45 | 18 | 13 | 4 | 4 | 31 | 18 | +40 | 92 |
| 2 | Fulham | 42 | 12 | 7 | 2 | 37 | 15 | 11 | 5 | 5 | 35 | 26 | +31 | 81 |
| 3 | Cardiff | 41 | 15 | 3 | 3 | 38 | 15 | 9 | 5 | 6 | 24 | 20 | +27 | 80 |
| 4 | Aston Villa | 42 | 13 | 6 | 2 | 40 | 18 | 9 | 4 | 8 | 26 | 22 | +26 | 76 |
| 5 | Derby | 41 | 10 | 5 | 5 | 33 | 18 | 8 | 9 | 4 | 27 | 22 | +20 | 68 |
| 6 | Millwall | 42 | 11 | 7 | 3 | 32 | 18 | 7 | 7 | 7 | 22 | 21 | +15 | 68 |
| 7 | Middlesbro | 42 | 12 | 3 | 6 | 29 | 16 | 7 | 6 | 8 | 30 | 25 | +18 | 66 |
| 8 | Bristol C | 42 | 11 | 5 | 5 | 34 | 20 | 6 | 9 | 6 | 25 | 28 | +11 | 65 |
| 9 | Sheff Utd | 42 | 12 | 4 | 5 | 32 | 18 | 7 | 4 | 10 | 25 | 31 | +8 | 65 |
| 10 | Brentford | 42 | 8 | 10 | 3 | 34 | 22 | 9 | 3 | 9 | 24 | 25 | +11 | 64 |
| 11 | Preston | 42 | 8 | 7 | 6 | 25 | 21 | 8 | 8 | 5 | 27 | 23 | +8 | 63 |
| 12 | Ipswich | 42 | 9 | 5 | 7 | 27 | 21 | 7 | 3 | 11 | 23 | 31 | -2 | 56 |
| 13 | Norwich | 42 | 7 | 8 | 6 | 23 | 22 | 7 | 6 | 8 | 23 | 30 | -6 | 56 |
| 14 | Leeds | 42 | 8 | 6 | 7 | 28 | 26 | 7 | 3 | 11 | 26 | 34 | -6 | 54 |
| 15 | QPR | 42 | 11 | 5 | 5 | 34 | 28 | 3 | 6 | 12 | 19 | 35 | -10 | 53 |
| 16 | Hull | 42 | 7 | 8 | 6 | 41 | 29 | 4 | 6 | 11 | 23 | 32 | +3 | 47 |
| 17 | Sheff Wed | 42 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 29 | 30 | 5 | 7 | 9 | 21 | 29 | -9 | 47 |
| 18 | Nottm Forest | 41 | 8 | 2 | 10 | 20 | 26 | 5 | 5 | 11 | 23 | 33 | -16 | 46 |
| 19 | Reading | 42 | 5 | 7 | 9 | 23 | 29 | 5 | 5 | 11 | 23 | 32 | -15 | 42 |
| 20 | Birmingham | 42 | 8 | 3 | 10 | 16 | 22 | 3 | 4 | 14 | 16 | 39 | -29 | 40 |
| 21 | Bolton | 42 | 8 | 4 | 9 | 22 | 27 | 1 | 8 | 12 | 12 | 37 | -30 | 39 |
| 22 | Barnsley | 41 | 4 | 8 | 9 | 21 | 30 | 4 | 5 | 11 | 21 | 31 | -19 | 37 |
| 23 | Sunderland | 42 | 2 | 7 | 12 | 19 | 37 | 4 | 8 | 9 | 26 | 37 | -29 | 33 |
| 24 | Burton | 42 | 2 | 5 | 14 | 14 | 42 | 5 | 6 | 10 | 16 | 35 | -47 | 32 |
