By Rob Cole
Is Neil Warnock’s time at Cardiff City slowly coming to an end?
It is not a question any Cardiff City fan has been asking, but the Bluebirds boss was the one who raised the issue at his weekly pre-match press conference today (Friday) as he celebrated his second anniversary at the club.
Seven games without a win since Cardiff’s return to the top flight has placed the whole team and club under strain. Only the slenderest of goal difference is currently keeping them off the bottom of the table.
But with Spurs away this weekend, and a trip to Liverpool to come before the end of the month, the size of the task facing Warnock in trying to keep the ship afloat is coming more sharply into focus.
There aren’t enough goals at one end (only six scored to date) and some of the world’s best strikers are having a field day in exposing weaknesses in defence (16 goals conceded).
Steve Bruce lost his job at Championships club Aston Villa earlier in the week and the vultures are circling Old Trafford at the moment as Jose Mourinho goes through some tough times with his Manchester United side.
But would Cardiff City owner Vincent Tan really consider ditching the hero of last season, the man who in two years has lifted the club from the depths of despair near the bottom of the Championship to the riches of the Premier League?
“I don’t want it to sour. We have to pull our fingers out and get the fans on board to keep us here until January, when we can get some fresh faces in,” said Warnock, whose side have got off to the worst start at the club in 54 years.
“Every manager is under pressure. If we don’t get results, no doubt it will become someone else’s problem.
“Every big agent is pushing managers’ names and I’ve heard two or three be mentioned already for my job. But that’s not just me, every manager gets that.
“I’m sure Jose (Mourinho) might have heard one or two. You just hope the right people know what’s going on, but what will be, will be.
“The worst thing used to be when the manager to-be would come and watch the game! The following manager is there watching before you’ve had the sack!
“That’s happened to me a couple of times. When you hear who is in the stand and then they take your job – that’s not easy to take.
“But there are worse things in life. What’s the worst case scenario? I could go to Italy for a few weeks with my wife Sharon and have a nice relax and a good Christmas.”
While Warnock has what appears a small wobble, skipper Sean Morrison is hoping his side can conjure up the perfect second anniversary gift for the manager against Spurs to ease the pressure on both Warnock and his team.
In the end, though, Warnock’s fate will be decided by the patience of Malaysian owner, Vincent Tan
“I speak twice a week to Vincent. He just wants us to do well, always tells me where I am going wrong and just wants the team to shoot more,” added Warnock.
“I don’t get the impression he’s becoming impatient, but I don’t reckon any manager feels that. It just happens – one day you are in a job and the next day you are out.
“You’re not daft, you know every Tom, Dick and Harry is being mentioned behind the scenes. I’m afraid that is the reality of management at the moment.
“I can’t do any more than what we are doing and I don’t think Vincent can.”