Neil Warnock insist Cardiff City can only win from their FA Cup clash at home to Manchester City – whatever the result.
The Bluebirds manager believes his Championship promotion chasers will be facing “probably the best team in the world” after Cardiff beat Mansfield 4-1 in their third round replay on Tuesday night.
That has set up a mouth-watering home clash with Manchester City in the round four on Sunday, January 28.
A double from Junior Hoilett and goals from Bruno Ecuele Manga and Anthony Pilkington saw the Bluebirds avoid a potential banana skin pretty comfortably in front of watching City boss Pep Guardiola at a bitterly cold Field Mill.
“Manchester City are probably the best in the world at the moment, it’s great, and I think the fans deserve that as we have put a lot in this season,” said Warnock. “It’s a great reward.
“It’s a great game now because we can’t lose whatever the result and it’s a great bonus for us. To be totally honest, if the draw had been different we would probably have been knocked out, but I decided to put out a virtual first team and we got our rewards.”
Warnock revealed he had to have a few words with his team at half-time after Stags striker Danny Rose matched Manga’s effort to send the teams in level at the break.
He continued: “I wasn’t too disappointed at half-time, we were just a little bit lethargic. We had one or two words, I didn’t raise my voice to them.
“I decided to put Hoilett through the middle as I thought we just needed that spark down there. It was a matter of changing a few things and getting the right result, and we did.
“It was hard, we were playing against a team who had lost once in 20-odd games, it doesn’t matter what division they’re in. And the way they play, you’re up against it every minute. You’ve got to play against these teams and compete and I thought in the second half we were super.
“Also, a big thank you to the fans tonight, that’s the coldest I have ever known it watching a game and to come all this way, well, great tribute to them and I hope they all get tickets for the City game.”
Angry Mansfield manager Steve Evans slammed referee Geoff Eltringham’s performance and admitted the result could have been very different if he had shown two-goal Hoilett a red rather than a yellow card for a bad lunge on Alex MacDonald in the first half.
“How they have not had a red card is beyond me,” he said. “He’s been shocking tonight.
“If that’s not a red, I’m giving the game up. We wish Cardiff well. It’ll be a fantastic day. There won’t be challenges like that against Manchester City. It was a game changer, a cup-tie changer.
“We were by far the best side in the first half and it was harsh on us to only be level. We were dominating the second half until they got the second and then the third goal killed the tie.
“My players have been great, they have played well, and the officials have been rubbish.”
