Neil Warnock has received a thumbs up from Cardiff City owner Vincent Tan to remain as the club’s manager despite relegation from the Premier League.
The Bluebirds manager had previously insisted he wanted to see out the final year of his contract, but appeared to be wavering at the weekend when he claimed he had “no idea” about his future and would be having talks with Tan and chairman Mehmet Dalman.
Warnock seemed to question his own future after Saturday’s 3-2 home defeat to Crystal Palace confirmed Cardiff’s return to the Sky Bet Championship, with the 70-year-old saying he would manager for a one further year, but could not say where that would be.
But Malaysian businessman Tan has delivered a vote of confidence and wants Warnock to attempt to extend his own record of promotions as a manager to nine.
“I am happy for Neil to stay and achieve his ninth promotion,” Tan told BBC Wales.
Warnock has one season left on his Cardiff contract and said he would “let things settle” after the Palace defeat.
The Yorkshireman has described the campaign, which concludes at Manchester United on Sunday, as the most difficult season of his 40-year managerial career.
Nantes striker Emiliano Sala was killed in a plane crash in January, two days after Cardiff had announced the 28-year-old as their record £15million signing.
Warnock had identified the Argentinian forward as the man capable of scoring the goals to keep Cardiff in the top flight.
“You think 24 hours a day about whether to carry on,” Warnock said in the wake of the Sala tragedy.
“It’s probably hit me harder than anyone else as I’ve met the lad and talked to him for the last six to eight weeks.”
Warnock was appointed Cardiff manager in October 2016 and took the Bluebirds up last season – winning a record eighth promotion.
He has worked on the smallest budget in the Premier League, but Cardiff’s fate was not sealed until the penultimate game when they joined relegated pair Fulham and Huddersfield.
Warnock was given a rousing ovation at Cardiff City Stadium after the defeat by Palace, and afterwards goalkeeper Neil Etheridge said the players wanted him to stay.
“His stats speak for themselves – eight promotions,” Etheridge said.
“He’s a fantastic man-manager and knows exactly what to do.”