The alternative Championship table that proves Cardiff City can genuinely challenge for promotion under Neil Warnock next season
By Ian Mitchemore
Monday 8th May 2017
The Yorkshireman has worked wonders since arriving in the Welsh capital, and this table proves a promotion push could genuinely be on the cards next season
Cardiff City's impressive 3-0 final day win over promotion-hopefuls Huddersfield Town ensured the Bluebirds finished in the top half of the Championship table.
It capped off a remarkable turnaround from the side who were 23rd with just eight points from their opening 11 matches, a run of form that led to the club sacking Paul Trollope and appointing Neil Warnock as their new manager.
The Yorkshireman dragged the Bluebirds clear of safety and even had some fans dreaming of the possibility of promotion this season as Cardiff stormed their way up the league table.
And after their win over Huddersfield along with Aston Villa's draw against newly-promoted Brighton at Villa Park, the Bluebirds crept into 12th position on the final day, pipping Steve Bruce's side to a place in the top half having scored a 13 more goals than the Midlands club, with both sides having 62 points and a goal difference of -1.
But if you consider the league table solely from Warnock's time at the club, the results are even more impressive.
The Bluebirds would have ended up in ninth place if the league started when the Yorkshireman arrived in south Wales, just five points off the division's top six.
Cardiff won 10 of their 18 home games under Warnock, drawing four and losing only four times.
Their goal difference of +10 during Warnock's reign is also significantly better than the -11 that they had when Trollope was axed following a 2-0 defeat to Burton in October.
Cardiff averaged 0.73 points-per-game under Trollope, a tally Warnock more than doubled to 1.54 points-per-game after his debut season in the Welsh capital.
It all bodes well for the club who Warnock admits he wants to guide into the promised land of the Premier League next season.
And given his record from the 2016-17 campaign along with the fact that he'll hope to significantly strengthen his squad during the summer transfer window, the Cardiff faithful will already be licking their lips at the prospect of watching their side challenge with the Championship's elite next season.
*Below are the tables as they stood when Paul Trollope left and for the period after Neil Warnock's arrival...