Neil Warnock has promised never to park the bus despite facing a daunting fixture list.
Newly-promoted Cardiff host Arsenal on Sunday, followed by back-to-back matches against Chelsea and Manchester City in their first two outings after the international break, but Warnock worked miracles to get them promoted and is determined to enjoy the ride.
The Bluebirds have yet to score in their first three games back in the Premier League — though did get one in a midweek Carabao Cup loss to Norwich — but it is not for the want of trying, and Warnock says they will not be intimidated and just try to shut up shop.
Warnock, who has banked two points from those opening three fixtures, said: “I want to do the best we can to give them a game in the other half as well as our own half. We’d get beat anyhow if we just sat back, so we want to give the fans something to cheer.
“We’ve got Chelsea after this, then Man City, there’s going to be times when we’ll be stuck in our own half without trying to be!
“Every game we’ve been in, we could have won. Even Bournemouth , we lost 2-0
but had a great chance to equalise on the hour. And we had chances against Huddersfield and Newcastle .
“We’ve just got to enjoy it.
“We knew it was going to be hard. We are a bit limited but we’ll work with what we’ve got. I’m not going to cry about that, we’ll do the best we can with what we’ve got. The fans are behind us and have been superb.
“There are going to be games where we come up against great squads, but we’ve got a good base in defence, I’m quite happy in midfield but it’s just about creating enough chances.”
Veteran boss Warnock had an unlikely friendship and camaraderie with former Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger. Yorkshireman with a reputation for upsetting rival bosses and Le Professeur was an unlikely double act.
Unai Emery is now in charge and Warnock warned that he has got a tough act to follow after Wenger’s 22 years in charge of Arsenal.
Warnock added: “I do like Arsenal and I’ve got so much respect for Arsene. You see a different side. I couldn’t have taken what Arsene took in the last couple of years, life is too important and he’s left a very, very good club.
“It’ll be interesting to see if they get more success than what Arsene brought. I always said about the grass being greener and they’ve had their wish now, all those people who campaigned for him to go.
“Arsene was great with me. He would always get me into his office after games for a glass of wine, he invited my children in as well. I used to say to him, ‘You’ll get a bad reputation, Arsene, if anyone finds out you’ve had me in!’
“I remember after Highbury, I went to the new ground, stood out there with Arsene and said to him, ‘Blimey, the dug-outs are so far apart that we won’t hear each other.’ He just said,‘Don’t worry, Neil, I think you will find a way!’
“I don’t think many clubs I’ve left have been better for having a new manager. But that’s the way of the world.
“Arsenal have got a new manager now, he’s got a big reputation and I’m sure he will do well.”
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