Really?
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Bye Neil, some great memories and 2017-2018 season was as exciting as it was unexpected. But no mortal is bigger than football and this season has been dreadful. Not your fault entirely because our board lacks any ambition but generally your signings have been mediocre at best. Nevertheless you are an irrepressible character and will always be a hero in these parts. Let's hope the next 70 years will be even better than the first.
Look, after all that was said and done.
We can all agree that the 2017/18 season was special, and that year in the Premier League gave us a year to never forget. This year may not have been what we would have liked, however, we have had a laugh at times.
Let me speak about what this man has done at our club.
We were 23rd after the Trollope incident. He immediately utilised his contracts to bring in 4 players within 24 hours. Some may not have worked, Chamakh and Richardson, but some are the type of player I could tell my kids about. Sol Bamba, being his main incredible signing. To some this has gone over there heads. They complain about the signings of Madine/Murphy/Reid for large sums of money, but the signings of that summer between the 16/17 and 17/18 season were incredible.
Etheridge, Paterson, Mendez-Laing all from Scotland and League One, all for nominal fees, all come into their own under the management of the veteran manager.
But he brought the club together, up and in the right direction. Those beatings of Villa home, Leeds and Wolves away were vintage Warnock rolling back the years to mastermind these victories. And even though we may not have played well, we’d still grind results out with a (what ended up to be a vital) draw against Fulham and Reading. Seeing the CCS buzzing like it was on that incredible day, Reading 0-0, was a joy to watch. Those few days were insane, but also on a personal level as because of him instead of worrying about GCSE exams I was sitting, I was worried about Cardiff . That helped me achieve greatly, changing my life.
And in the Premier league, we were ruled out from the start. Half the wage budget of the second lowest, Huddersfield, and only buying championship players. He somehow got loans of Arter and Camarasa when he was attending a friendly! Two deals in 90 minutes! Only Warnock. But we fought and fought like a dog. Cynics will say Cardiff came up and were relegated as expected but the incredible memories that all Cardiff fans made that year will last a lifetime. The reason I adore supporting Cardiff is that all successes are made even more special by the failures along the way. We had an insane season, my personal highlights include: Hoilett’s goal against Wolverhampton; Fulham victory; Zohore’s last minute winner and that Leicester victory. However it was all broken down by the surreality of the death of Sala and the almost death of Morrison. The year was a long slog, physically and emotionally for the players and when we came down it hasn’t gone that well.
Bobby Reid jumped ship early on, Warnock hasn’t pulled out the usual results and Warnockball without Warnockball results caused unhappiness. The particular losses to Swansea and Bristol City sealed his fate. But we are in a better position than when he took charge.
Whatever your opinion on the man, he changed our club for the better. From the decade I have watched so far, he has easily been the best manager I’ve ever watched. And we should feel really lucky if we see another manager like him. Maybe people don’t like his style but if he is effective.
Thanks for everything Warnock.
Very well put.
I'm very sad indeed to see Sir Neil go like this.
It's a subject I try not to mention for the sake of not stirring up negativity, but when they sacked Malky McCay I felt a similar disappointment and foreboding . In fact I stopped watching for a while and right now I'm not feeling much enthusiasm for a total rebuild of the ethic.
The empty vessels you mention might now have a lesson in the practicalities of playing the ball out from the back and knocking it back and forth in midfield , and I hope they enjoy hearing the manager saying " we lost again but we try to play good football and entertain the fans". I hope that doesn't happen of course, but I somehow feel that we've been ungrateful and disloyal to this man.
From one Colin to another, thanks for the ride it's been enjoyable but unfortunately it's run its course. Enjoy your retirement, watch your blood pressure and keep your tractor off the road.
P.S. please take Kev & Ronnie with you, we need a clean sweep.
Hi Neil,
Thank you for everything that you have done to bring my club back together, the ride has been great. All the very best to you and your family and I hope that you enjoy your retirement.
I know I'm one of the "lynch mob" cos you mentioned me the other day.
Grow up ffs. It's a football forum where people have opinions. If you want to counter what I write you're free to do so.
You can put forward arguments that can convince people that I'm talking shit but you chose to pout and run off.
You've always been a poster whose contributions I enjoyed. On the rebrand I thought you were eloquent and well balanced and offered more insight than most. On this however I 100% disagree.
I don't like Warnock's style of play, and I don't like the way our club is run.
I'm free to say that here if I want. If someone can convince me differently I will say.