“ Cardiff City will stay up if they stick to principles “

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By Danny Higginbotham

Saturday 12th May 2018

It’s no great surprise that Newcastle, Brighton and Huddersfield stayed in the Premier League at the first time of asking.

And I have a good feeling that Championship winners Wolves, who turned the town gold and black on their celebratory parade, will do the same next year.

As I do for Neil Warnock’s Cardiff, despite their style seen as less suited to the Premier League by some observers.

The secrets to last year’s promoted clubs survival were the same for all three: Identity and continuity.

Just look at their most recent games.

Eight of Newcastle’s starting 11 played in the Championship last year, as did seven for Huddersfield and seven for Brighton.

They came up with specific core values, and however tempting it may to abandon those with new found riches, they did not – and they’ve reaped the rewards.

Yes, you can’t just stick with the exact same team that got you up.

But you need to look at what got you promoted, stick to your principles and add just a splattering of quality to supplement what has already been successful for you.

There is so much more to a team and its success than the 11 players on the pitch.

You need to ensure a strong dressing room, that the character of incoming complement what you already have, and that there is as little unrest as possible.

If you change too much too soon you lose that togetherness and spirit.

But if you stick with a core group, the manager already knows what they are all about – their characteristics, strengths, weaknesses, and how they are able to cope with adversity.

Look at Burnley when they went down.

They didn’t sell many of their players, kept their values, got back up straight away and are now in Europe.

At Stoke we had a very simple mind set for our first season in the Premier League in 2008/09 – If we can have a better identity than three other teams, we will stay up.

We worked out that we could be better than others in terms of physicality, set-pieces and home form.

We only won two games away from the Britannia stadium all season, but we stayed up without a problem.

And if you look at Brighton and Newcastle, they have done exactly the same.

Both of them had a strong defence as the basis of their game in the Championship, and instead of looking to change the way they play, they stuck to their guns.

This year only six teams have conceded less than Newcastle, while only seven have let in fewer than Brighton.

And things couldn’t be more different for the three relegated teams this year.

Stoke forgot all about their identity that had taken them so far – their home form was absolutely atrocious and their defensive values completely disappeared.

West Brom chopped and changed and ended up having three different managers.

I was relegated twice in my career and both times I had three bosses – you have polar opposites of style and it’s very hard for players to constantly adapt.

And the success of last year’s three promoted sides clearly shows that the gap between the bottom eight of the Premier League and the top of the six of the Championship is getting smaller and smaller.

The Championship is incredibly competitive and there are teams who play in a variety of different ways.

And those who are successful are sticking with their own style, as they’ve worked out there is no need to change in order to be successful in the Premier League.

Wolves have been excellent all year and they have a fantastic opportunity to carry on an upwards trajectory.

They have a number of top, top players who will have no problem adjusting to life in the top division next year.

They don’t need to change, and I think if they started next season with the same 11 then they would be absolutely fine.

Cardiff may not be as easy on the eye as other teams in the Championship but they have a bit of old school Stoke in them and they could surprise a few.

There is very little physicality left in the Premier League – and that’s one thing Neil Warnock’s side will not be lacking!

They have some good ball players in the final third, and if they can have a better identity than three other teams then they’ve got a great chance of staying up.

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I don't like the over use of the term identity.
However I do agree that our best chance is to stick with our current playing style and tactics.

People who say you can't play that way in the Prem are talking absolute bollox.

Burnley, Stoke, every side Pulis has managed, and even Wimbledon for years all punched above their weight by playing similar tactics.

I'd even say Leicester weren't a long way off. Were Huth and Morgan any more Footballing centre backs than Bamba and Morrison ?

What we need to stay up is to keep doing what we are doing, but add more quality, particularly in midfield.

Warnock needs to look for the best physical workers,characters, with power, pace and aerial presence.

That'll give us our best chance of staying up and allow the club to improve and grow on and off the firld

I don't like the over use of the term identity.
However I do agree that our best chance is to stick with our current playing style and tactics.

People who say you can't play that way in the Prem are talking absolute bollox.

Burnley, Stoke, every side Pulis has managed, and even Wimbledon for years all punched above their weight by playing similar tactics.

I'd even say Leicester weren't a long way off. Were Huth and Morgan any more Footballing centre backs than Bamba and Morrison ?

What we need to stay up is to keep doing what we are doing, but add more quality, particularly in midfield.

Warnock needs to look for the best physical workers,characters, with power, pace and aerial presence.

That'll give us our best chance of staying up and allow the club to improve and grow on and off the firld

I believe we have to adapt our tactics in the premiership.
Warnock won’t all of a sudden become a tikka takka type of manager - - but hoofing it aimlessly like most of the second part of the season will get us destroyed. He needs to (and I’m sure he will) keep his general style but add a lot more quality. Be direct but not just boot the ball up like on the parks and say - chase that.
I have faith in him changing things but keeping a core of current players and adding a little quality.

Brilliant comments so far on this thread. Simply put let's not make the same mistakes we made last time.

I don't like the over use of the term identity.
However I do agree that our best chance is to stick with our current playing style and tactics.

People who say you can't play that way in the Prem are talking absolute bollox.

Burnley, Stoke, every side Pulis has managed, and even Wimbledon for years all punched above their weight by playing similar tactics.

I'd even say Leicester weren't a long way off. Were Huth and Morgan any more Footballing centre backs than Bamba and Morrison ?

What we need to stay up is to keep doing what we are doing, but add more quality, particularly in midfield.

Warnock needs to look for the best physical workers,characters, with power, pace and aerial presence.

That'll give us our best chance of staying up and allow the club to improve and grow on and off the firld

I believe we have to adapt our tactics in the premiership.
Warnock won’t all of a sudden become a tikka takka type of manager - - but hoofing it aimlessly like most of the second part of the season will get us destroyed. He needs to (and I’m sure he will) keep his general style but add a lot more quality. Be direct but not just boot the ball up like on the parks and say - chase that.
I have faith in him changing things but keeping a core of current players and adding a little quality.

I agree, there's a difference between a direct style (the one we played earlier in the season), and the aimless hoof ball we played at the latter end.

We have to try to get the ball up the pitch quickly but if the midfield can't string a few passes together we're doomed.

I don't like the over use of the term identity.
However I do agree that our best chance is to stick with our current playing style and tactics.

People who say you can't play that way in the Prem are talking absolute bollox.

Burnley, Stoke, every side Pulis has managed, and even Wimbledon for years all punched above their weight by playing similar tactics.

I'd even say Leicester weren't a long way off. Were Huth and Morgan any more Footballing centre backs than Bamba and Morrison ?

What we need to stay up is to keep doing what we are doing, but add more quality, particularly in midfield.

Warnock needs to look for the best physical workers,characters, with power, pace and aerial presence.

That'll give us our best chance of staying up and allow the club to improve and grow on and off the firld

I believe we have to adapt our tactics in the premiership.
Warnock won’t all of a sudden become a tikka takka type of manager - - but hoofing it aimlessly like most of the second part of the season will get us destroyed. He needs to (and I’m sure he will) keep his general style but add a lot more quality. Be direct but not just boot the ball up like on the parks and say - chase that.
I have faith in him changing things but keeping a core of current players and adding a little quality.

I agree, there's a difference between a direct style (the one we played earlier in the season), and the aimless hoof ball we played at the latter end.

We have to try to get the ball up the pitch quickly but if the midfield can't string a few passes together we're doomed.

Fair points hence why it shouldn't be a change of tactics, just a case of getting better suited players in to do it.

At plenty of times last season we had to put square EGA in round holes.

We also need to be able to capitalise from set pieces - although we were a danger last season we lost a bit of edge without Whittingham's delivery at corners and free kicks.

Ralls does OK at this, but we are short of options and the quality of delivery will need to be smack on to take advantage of the strengths of the likes of Morrison, Bamba etc

If next season is same as this in premiership city will have fighting chance as besides usually top 8 all others are not immune from relegation trouble, a bit like championship anyone can beat anyone in bottom half of league so I'm optimistic on staying up if recruitment is good especially a goalscorer.

The only difference i saw over the season was we started by playing measured balls low in behind defenders for our front 3 to run onto, towards the end that changed to longer higher balls being played to the player which is why Zahore struggled for goals.

If we get a ball playing midfider with the ability to thread passes along the floor through in behind defences then we will be very dangerous side next season with our pace.

I would go for Forestieri from Sheff Wed or Samuel Saiz from Leeds.
Both brilliant passers of the ball and affordable

Have to agree stick to basics , stay solid , sign the right players and stick together

Give 100 percent and we have a good chance , there are a group of 10-12 clubs who are all beatable now

I don't like the over use of the term identity.
However I do agree that our best chance is to stick with our current playing style and tactics.

People who say you can't play that way in the Prem are talking absolute bollox.

Burnley, Stoke, every side Pulis has managed, and even Wimbledon for years all punched above their weight by playing similar tactics.

I'd even say Leicester weren't a long way off. Were Huth and Morgan any more Footballing centre backs than Bamba and Morrison ?

What we need to stay up is to keep doing what we are doing, but add more quality, particularly in midfield.

Warnock needs to look for the best physical workers,characters, with power, pace and aerial presence.

That'll give us our best chance of staying up and allow the club to improve and grow on and off the firld

I believe we have to adapt our tactics in the premiership.
Warnock won’t all of a sudden become a tikka takka type of manager - - but hoofing it aimlessly like most of the second part of the season will get us destroyed. He needs to (and I’m sure he will) keep his general style but add a lot more quality. Be direct but not just boot the ball up like on the parks and say - chase that.
I have faith in him changing things but keeping a core of current players and adding a little quality.

I agree, there's a difference between a direct style (the one we played earlier in the season), and the aimless hoof ball we played at the latter end.

We have to try to get the ball up the pitch quickly but if the midfield can't string a few passes together we're doomed.

Fair points hence why it shouldn't be a change of tactics, just a case of getting better suited players in to do it.

At plenty of times last season we had to put square EGA in round holes.

We also need to be able to capitalise from set pieces - although we were a danger last season we lost a bit of edge without Whittingham's delivery at corners and free kicks.

Ralls does OK at this, but we are short of options and the quality of delivery will need to be smack on to take advantage of the strengths of the likes of Morrison, Bamba etc

Great point about Whittingham/set plays as we’ll rely on this a lot for our goals next season. Ralls is just ok at this but I’d kill for a young Whitts in this team!

I think we might surprise a few this time around, as we have no pressure on us. We are much stronger as an overall club, and have a lot more fight in us when it’s not going well. I can’t imagine much changing with our style of play, and even if it’s not pretty, we will still manage to grind out a result and stay up.