The Warnock Factor.

How else can you explain it? The arrival of new manager Neil Warnock at Cardiff City was universally accepted by fans as a good move, but few could have predicted the immediate impact he would have on the team. NW had used his contacts straight away, bringing in a number of free agent transfers which immediately strengthened the squad. There have been 4 of these in total, with perhaps the most surprising being the arrival of Ivorian central defender Sol Bamba. NW had managed Bamba before, but most Cardiff fans felt that central defence was one of the stronger areas of the team. But what a difference he makes - he leads by example, and his performance against Bristol City was amazing considering he hadn't played a competitive game for anybody since his release by Leeds at the end of August. He even capped off an excellent defensive effort with a goal of his own!

 Sol Bamba smashes home his first Bluebirds goal!

Warnock has also brought 3 other players to the squad, all with excellent pedigrees. Canadian international Junior Hoillet (another to have previously been managed by him at QPR), former Arsenal and Roma striker Marouane Chamakh and experienced Premier League defender/midfielder Kieron Richardson. The latter 2 have 2 months to prove their worth to the team on short term contracts, but Richardson in particular looks a very useful signing.

But perhaps the most important factor in what Warnock has achieved is how the existing club players are performing. Most notable of these is Aron Gunnarsson, who is now playing in his best role as the deep lying defensive midfielder in front of the back four - the role in which he was so successful for Iceland in last summer's European Championships. Also, Peter Whittingham and Craig Noone are playing so much better and having much more influence on the team than they have had for some time.

Aron Gunnarsson

Matches since my last post:-

CARDIFF 2 BRISTOL CITY 1

CARDIFF 1 SHEFFIELD WEDNESDAY 1

NOTTINGHAM FOREST 1 CARDIFF 2


Cardiff 2 Bristol City 1

A Friday night game on TV against our second biggest rivals. The atmosphere was excellent from the start, and the performance of our players matched the occasion. As well as new players Bamba and Hoillet making excellent debuts, the performance of our regular players were also outstanding, especially the midfield trio of Gunnarsson, Ralls and Whittingham, and also Craig Noone out wide.

Craig Noone - back to his best.

A Peter Whittingham penalty and a Sol Bamba goal from a corner saw us home against top 6 team Bristol City.

Cardiff 1 Sheffield Wednesday 1

Five days later, some fans were a little worried that we might not be able to keep up the standards of the previous match. But we were not disappointed, as there was another good performance from the team against possibly the best opposing team we have seen at the Cardiff City Stadium this season. A good draw against a good side.

Nottingham Forest 1 Cardiff 2

This away game followed 3 days later, and yet again was shown live on TV. This was a far more comfortable win than the bare scoreline suggests. To be frank, Forest were awful at times during this game, especially defensively, and we probably should have scored 4 or 5. but the team ethic was clear to see, and a very enjoyable evening in front of the TV for me.

Joe Calls celebrates his goal at Forest.

Goals from Aron Gunnarsson and Joe Ralls clinched for Cardiff with Forest's only goal coming from a very late and slightly contentious penalty.

Today (Saturday 29th October 2016) is another home game against fellow strugglers Wigan Athletic. This could be harder than playing against high flying teams in the table, and lets hope for a further win today before next week's away trip to face table topping Newcastle United.

Big News from the Bluebirds!

Big news at Cardiff city during the last 24 hours. Following a continued run of poor form, Paul Trollope was finally sacked about 24 hours ago. However, the board immediately appointed well known manager Neil Warnock as his replacement.

Make no mistake, this is a big appointment for the club. Although now approaching his 68th birthday, Neil Warnock can be seen as a manager who knows how to get teams to perform and how to get results. During his career, which includes a number of Premier League clubs such as Sheffield United and Queens Park Rangers, he has achieved promotion 7 times and in more recent years has saved clubs from imminent relegation, most recently last season with Rotherham United.

The fans can be genuinely excited about this appointment. It is something of a coup for the club, as undoubtedly Warnock would soon have been in great demand from a number of other clubs. The recent form of the team, which has resulted in six defeats in the last seven matches, finally made Paul Trollope's position untenable. It was a brave experiment for the club to appoint him following his success as a coach with a Welsh international team, but he clearly seemed out of his depth managing a Championship side. Despite an away win at Rotherham(the only team below Cardiff in the table), a poor home performance against Derby County 3 days later suggested that the players had become confused with what they were expected to do and what tactics they were expected to employ. Last Saturday's 2-0 defeat to Burton Albion was too much for many of the die hard fans who follow Cardiff to away games, and there were calls for him to be sacked. Thankfully the board has reacted quickly to the situation.

We now look forward to the Neil Warnock era at Cardiff city. To make things really interesting, the first Game that Warnock will be in charge for is the Severnside derby against Bristol City on Friday, 14 October. Coincidentally, this game will be shown live on sky TV here in the UK. Let's hope for a bumper crowd and the atmosphere.

Interesting Times at Cardiff City!

RESULTS

ROTHERHAM 1 CARDIFF 2

CARDIFF 0 DERBY 2

BURTON ALBION 2 CARDIFF 0