Neil Warnock is the ‘Red Adair’ of South Wales.
The Yorkshireman comfortably kept the Bluebirds out of relegation danger last season and has led them on a bold charge to become Championship leaders.
Cardiff City manager Warnock likened himself to Adair, the American oil well firefighter who completed more than 1,000 jobs internationally, and was ready with a quick answer when quizzed about the club’s start to 2017-18.
He was asked: “Are you surprised by Cardiff’s progress since you became manager?”
Warnock, quick-witted and full of fun, said: “Not really, because I am good!
“You don’t do this overnight. It’s been 12 months of hard work, but enjoyable hard work. I enjoy being the Red Adair, putting the fires out and building the club, showing that you can do when you’re all together.”
Leeds were League leaders when they came to Cardiff City Stadium in midweek and were blown away by the energy, power and irresistible force that is the Bluebirds team with Warnock in command.
Now Cardiff are top and play Derby County at home on Saturday (3pm).
“You just have to make more decisions right that wrong, I’m the right person at right time at the right club.”
“I have the perfect chairman, it’s fallen in right place. The chairman has never let me down, the club – like Neil Sedaka- the fans made it clear they like me, if they don’t want me I wouldn’t be here.”
“We worked very hard to get where we are. It wasn’t straightforward. Off the field we were segmented, we weren’t united. I know the staff around the training ground and stadium morale was poor. But over 12 months we’ve done right.”
“Ken Choo has been super in helping me change my staff, at the stadium and the field of play with Steve and Vincent has been supportive.”
“You don’t do this overnight, 12 months of hard work but enjoyable hard work. I enjoy being the Red Adair, putting the fires out and building the club, showing that you can do when you’re all together.”
“Who would have thought 27,000 all getting behind us like that. We have to enjoy the moment, while we’re there, there’s too many depressives in the world, enjoy the ooh and ahhs and the kids asking to come back.”
“That’s how I am. Let’s bloody enjoy it.”
Warnock works closely with owner Vincent Tan, chairman Mehmet Dalman and chief executive Ken Choo, aiming to build a promotion challenge.
Derby pose another major challenge to Cardiff’s highly motivated start to the season and they include Fairwater-born Welshman Joe Ledley.
He made his debut for Derby and scored in Tuesday’s 1-1 draw at Brentford.
He had been linked with a move back to Cardiff, but says: ”I did not receive any contract offer, nor did my agent. There was no offer.
“It would have been nice for me to go back home, but you cannot do anything when there is no contract in front of you.
“Nobody spoke to my agent.
“I did see (Cardiff manager) Neil Warnock when I was training on my own, but it was just a conversation to say ‘hello’ because obviously I was with him at Crystal Palace.”
Warnock explained that he was not in a position to offer Ledley a contract, saying: “I like Joe, I spoke to him and told him he was more than welcome to train with us (at Cardiff) but we couldn’t do anything until Christmas,” Warnock said.
“He’s at a fabulous club at Derby, and he can be pleased, but unless the Aron Gunnarsson situation changed he wasn’t the type of midfielder I was looking for.”