Cardiff 'like a rash' to Fulham in Premier League promotion

Cardiff 'like a rash' to Fulham in Premier League promotion tussle as Neil Warnock targets crucial win


By MARCO GIACOMELLI

The London Evening Standard

Neil Warnock can take a huge step towards killing off Fulham’s hopes of automatic promotion on Tuesday and admits in any normal season the London club would be guaranteed a place in the Premier League.

Should Slavisa Jokanovic’s side win their remaining two games against Sunderland and Birmingham they will have 91 points, which would have won them the Championship title on seven occasions since 2006.

However, Fulham might have to settle for the play-offs as they will be four points adrift of second-placed Cardiff if Warnock’s side win at Derby on Tuesday.

Fulham’s 3-0 victory over Millwall at The Den on Friday night extended their unbeaten League run to 22 games and Warnock is surprised by how fierce the race for a top-two spot has been.


“In a normal season, Fulham would have walked it by now,” said the former Crystal Palace and QPR manager. “Twenty-two games unbeaten with the players they’ve got. We must be like something they want to swat away, like a rash or something.

“But we keep going and it’s making it an interesting end to the season for TV and the media because otherwise it would just be a two-horse race and it would have been finished by now.

“The lads are all looking forward to it. We can go into this match in good spirits knowing if things don’t go right, we’ve still got two more games to have a go. We’ll be going there to try and win the game like Derby will, because both clubs have to do that.

“Sunderland being relegated, you expect Fulham to overpower them. We have to try to be in a position where we can win promotion in these three games.”

Tuesday's match was postponed last month after Derby said conditions around their ground were unsafe following heavy snow.

At the time, Warnock branded the decision “a disgrace” and suggested it suited the hosts because they had an injury crisis.

The EFL supported Derby and on Monday Warnock denied there was ill-feeling.

“When you’re fighting for what we are both fighting for there’s going to be an edge and the same with the fans,” said the manager.

“The players get on well with each other if I’m honest. It was light-hearted and there’ll be shaking hands at the end of the game, I’m sure.”

The result could also have big implications for two other London clubs. Late-season charges have left Millwall and Brentford dreaming of promotion and their chances of a play-off spot would be enhanced by a defeat for Derby.

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To be honest it's the other way around from our perspectIve - Fulham are like rash to us! We have been the team that have averaged 2nd place all season and suddenly in the last couple of months Fulham have come from goodness knows where! They have always been a contender this season and there were signs when we played them at home and away - you cud see they were very strong. However we started off in 1st place and held that for quite a while at the beginning of the season and although we had a brief moment going down to 3rd and 4th we've averaged in the top 2 and Fulham have not! What will happen over the next couple of games remains to be seen and sometimes it's not always the team that have been up there all season who get what they deserve. We've been very strong since the start and although we had abit of a horrible blip over Xmas and new year we have remained very consistent. I'm not saying that Fulham are no good - they are a very strong talented team but so are we equally if not better.

To be honest it's the other way around from our perspectIve - Fulham are like rash to us! We have been the team that have averaged 2nd place all season and suddenly in the last couple of months Fulham have come from goodness knows where! They have always been a contender this season and there were signs when we played them at home and away - you cud see they were very strong. However we started off in 1st place and held that for quite a while at the beginning of the season and although we had a brief moment going down to 3rd and 4th we've averaged in the top 2 and Fulham have not! What will happen over the next couple of games remains to be seen and sometimes it's not always the team that have been up there all season who get what they deserve. We've been very strong since the start and although we had abit of a horrible blip over Xmas and new year we have remained very consistent. I'm not saying that Fulham are no good - they are a very strong talented team but so are we equally if not better.

Spot on, good post

We've been above them virtually all season, they are good but not as good as us !!!

Yea.... We've been top two all season. They've been there a week... Ive really gone off Fulham. They act as if the deserve promotion

Yea.... We've been top two all season. They've been there a week... Ive really gone off Fulham. They act as if the deserve promotion

I've noticed a lot of teams are scared to put a tackle in on Fulham, they back off them as well, which plays to Fulhams advantage, I don't think they'd win half amount of games they have if teams were pressing them more often.

Yea.... We've been top two all season. They've been there a week... Ive really gone off Fulham. They act as if the deserve promotion

I've noticed a lot of teams are scared to put a tackle in on Fulham, they back off them as well, which plays to Fulhams advantage, I don't think they'd win half amount of games they have if teams were pressing them more often.

I agree, If we were to play Fulham every week we would come out on top most weeks.

Thought this was classic Warnock when I read it the first time around. Despite the fact that we have been above Fulham for almost the entirety of the season he is painting us as the underdogs taking a wee bit of pressure off the lads whilst building a siege mentality at the same time. The wily ole dog that he is I bloody loves him I do!

Should read - Fulham are like a rash to Cardiff.