Neil Warnock has revealed the moment he thought about walking away from Cardiff City.
It came after the Bluebirds slumped to a 3-0 defeat at Reading six weeks ago and the City manager says: “I wouldn’t have wanted to stand on the touchline with performances like that, with the crowd unhappy.”
Warnock, aged 70, badly needed a response from his players – and his team have not lost in the seven matches since that awful day at the Madejski Stadium.
It was captain Sean Morrison who intervened, knocking on the manager’s office door at the Vale of Glamorgan Resort and Warnock says: “The only time since I’ve been at the club that I’ve doubted where we were going is probably five minutes to go at Reading. I looked round and it wasn’t one of my teams.
“I wouldn’t have wanted to stand on the touchline with performances like that, with the crowd unhappy. One of the pleasing things for me is making the crowd happy.
“I wondered if there would be a response and there was. A wonderful response for the next game against Huddersfield.
“Morrison came to see me on behalf of the players because he knew I was a bit down. At times the lads must have thought what might have been in my mind.
“Who does talk to the manager and who motivates the manager? There was a lot going on at the time and we’d just lost Marlon Pack for five or six weeks, Neil Etheridge was out and Sol Bamba was nowhere near.
“Everything negative comes into your mind, but then you think, this is why you’re good. You have to overcome this now, get your mind back and get them ready for Huddersfield.
“You have got to show them all where you’re going. They were a hard few days, but the response was fabulous.
“I remember when I got the Sheffield United job and told the people that as a kid I used to go in through the turnstiles, sneak in under my dad’s legs and go to the top of the Kop. Listening to the oohs and the ahhs, watching the shots.
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“Then when we earned a result. Going home with my dad was unbelievable for me at six or seven years of age.
“That’s what I want Cardiff kids to remember. I want them to remember the Warnock times, how they went home after a game and thinking ‘wow’.
“You are always going to get critics, you get that everywhere. The kids and tomorrow’s fans have enjoyed my era and there is still some to come.”
Cardiff have their final Championship fixture before the international break when they play promotion-chasing West Brom at the Hawthorns on Saturday – and that match coincides, to the day, with Warnock’s third anniversary as City manager.
“I always thought West Brom might be THE team this season,” says Warnock. “Leeds have the names and spent a lot more money, but West Brom and Fulham have spent big amounts of money, too.
“One of those three will win the league and everything else is up for grabs.
“I always enjoy going to West Brom. It’s a good pitch I’ve had one or two really good games there. I’m sure the crowd and the atmosphere will be good for away fans. Hopefully it will be raining and blowing a gale.
“If we can earn a positive result it would be a fabulous end to the month.”
Warnock is preparing a complaint to the English Football League because they have to play a Friday night Championship fixture after the international break. That is the second time this season it has happened.
Cardiff City play Sheffield Wednesday at home on Friday, October 18 and he says: “Once you can allow, twice is out of order really. I will be making the point.
“I don’t know why it is always us. We have been given another Friday night after the international break which means once again two or three of our lads aren’t getting back until late.
“There should be some sort of common sense, but unfortunately in football, especially the EFL, I don’t think there is much going about.”
Goalkeeper Neil Etheridge, Junior Hoilett and Leandro Bacuna are the three Bluebirds players on international duty. Hoilett is in Canada’s squad for two matches against USA, while Etheridge is is back for the Philippines and Curacao have selected Bacuna who was late back after the last international break.
“It’s okay for the clubs that have European players who can play Tuesday and come back Wednesday. But we haven’t,” said Warnock..
“We have people in far flung reaches of the World coming back on Thursday afternoon and we are playing Friday night in a top game. It’s scandalous really and shouldn’t happen.
“But I would not imagine anybody at the EFL will give one hoot about Cardiff City.”
Albion are expecting a sell-out attendance of almost 27,000 including 3,000 Cardiff supporters.
The Baggies suffered their first SkyBet Championship defeat in midweek, losing 1-0 at Leeds United, and manager Slaven Bilic says: “I expect an extremely tough game. Cardiff play a specific kind of football with a specific kind of defending. It’s unique and their attacking is simple, but productive.
“They are picking up really good results. It’s easy to predict what they’re going to do with the ball, but not easy to stop it over 90 minutes. “Cardiff don’t let you play the football you would like to play. That’s their plan, of course, but we have our plan and I’m sure we have enough quality to put our mark on the game.”
Former Bluebirds striker Kenneth Zohore is in West Brom squad. He went on from. The substitutes bench at Leeds, taking over from Welsh international Hal Robson-Kanu, and Warnock says: “The players who do frustrate you like that win you games.
“I’m glad I was able to give him a step up in life really. When I came to the club everybody was telling me to let him go the next week on a free transfer back to Belgium.
“But I didn’t let him go and he contributed to us going up, he had a six-month purple patch. Whether he recaptures that or not is down to the six inches between his ears.
“I’ve always thought he didn’t have the best advice from certain people. I won’t go into detail.”
Cardiff City (probable): Smithies; Peltier, Morrison, Flint, Bennett; Pack, Bacuna; Whyte, Tomlin, Murphy; Glatzel.
