Neil Warnock has confessed it was a wind-up when he claimed Cardiff City were the biggest club in Wales.
The Cardiff City manager made the boast on the eve of his club’s 1-0 home defeat to Wigan on Saturday – a result which leaves them back in 21st place in the Championship, 23 places lower than Swansea City who are one-from-bottom of the Premier League.
Warnock did not elaborate on whether he thinks the Bluebirds are ahead of the Swans in whatever pecking order is chosen, but admitted: “That was just tongue in cheek, to stir the Swans up a bit. We have got to look after ourselves.”
“They (Swansea) have done brilliantly over the years and I also just think it’s a great club in Cardiff. Somebody said it’s the main club in Wales so I must have just slipped my tongue.”
It’s an old debate, tiresome in some ways, but it pointed to the confidence felt by a cocksure Warnock who had registered two wins and a draw in his first three matches in charge.
That momentum was stalled by Wigan who inflicted a first defeat for the much travelled manager to leave his new club just a point above the relegation zone.
Cardiff had much of the verve and energy that Warnock has installed, but they lacked composure or a focus for their attacks in the absence of injured striker Ricky Lambert.
“You miss your talisman and Ricky has been that in the games we’ve played,” said Warnock.
“That’s life in the Championship – you get injuries and you have to get on with it. I still think we created enough chances.
“But if you don’t take your chances, then you get caught by a sucker punch and that’s what happened to us.
“I always knew it would be a 1-0. I just thought we could get the goal.
“We created enough chances, but you have to take them. Wigan did and it was a typical away performance from them.
“The referee helped them by allowing the game to be slowed down and I thought they got away with molesting Anthony Pilkington a few times.”
Jordi Gomez – a ghost from Swansea’s past – scored the only goal in the 86th minute to give Wigan their first away victory of the season and leave them just a point behind Cardiff.
The Latics had sacked Gary Caldwell just four days before. Managerless they may have been, but clueless they were not as they dug in for only their second victory in 13 matches.
Wigan caretaker boss Graham Barrow thinks his gig will be a brief and undefeated one before the club are expected to appoint Manchester United coach Warren Joyce.
He admitted it had been a difficult week after the removal of Caldwell, who led the club to the League One title last season.
“It’s been tough and people have been hurting because we all had a promotion with Gary last season, which was brilliant,” said Barrow.
“I think there will be a new manager in by next Saturday – I’d be amazed if there wasn’t.
“Every big name in the north-west has been linked with the job, but it’s up to the club to decide.
“When he became manager I was the first one he turned to. So, we went through every emotion. We laughed and cried together. But he’s a good young manager and he’ll be back.”
