1) Tan did not spend enough. City so nearly survived that it could be argued that a wise further investment of say £20m may well have clinched a higher league standing. In view of the guaranteed returns from Premiership funding and gates of 30K+, this seems to be an incredibly foolish and unbusiness-like investment decision by Tan - which was probably spawned by what he perceived as an overspend the last time we were in the upper echelon. When you consider how much other Championship sides would give to achieve promotion, Tan showed a criminal lack of ambition and support for his team.

2) Lack of a effective striker. We did not have a front-man who could finish. Oh, for a Rondon or a Mitrovic! What we endured were strikers who patently couldn't finish. Niasse was an embarrassment. Zohore (when fit) wasn't trusted and looked ineffective when he did play. I understand that Warnock likes playing with one striker and a withdrawn support man in the role that Reid played yesterday and that this means a lot of running about with little reward - in other words, exactly what Rondon does for Newcastle - but that Paterson should have been entrusted with this position for so many games speaks volumes of our striker deficiency.

3) Poor transfer decisions. City appear to have had a transfer committee. The decisions of who to buy were poor - with the exception of Camarasa and Arter. Reid and Murphy can look talented on their day, but how often were they played? Bacuna and Niasse were woeful. If City were looking for players for that final push at the end of the season, these were precisely the men they should have avoided. The net result of this was that we essentially sent out a Championship - and when Cardiff needed good performances at the end of the campaign, key men like Bamba, Paterson, Arter and Ralls were injured and there was no creditable replacement.

I'm not going to point a finger at Warnock. His team over-achieved and while some team selections and substitutions were debatable, we should trust his judgment (although I'm not convinced by all of 'his' signings). While there is no doubt the playing style is dated and different compared with most of the other Premiership teams, there is much to be said for team spirit, fighting mentality and a work ethic. I would only say that much of what he said, particularly towards the end of the season, needed to be read with a pinch of salt.