EPL PREVIEW: Cardiff City vs Wolves

Posted Friday, November 30, 2018 by PA

Cardiff manager Neil Warnock turns 70 on Saturday and hopes his players can give him an early present of three points against Wolves on Friday night.

City go into the game with the better form having won two of their last five games, while Wolves have picked up just one point from a possible 15.

EPL PREVIEW: Cardiff City vs Wolves

Warnock says that despite turning 70, he still has the enthusiasm to manage in the Premier League and enjoy what life has to offer.

“It’s nice that the Premier League have brought the game forward,” Warnock said.

“Am I dinosaur? I think I am regarding my date of birth.

“But you can’t do this job at this age unless you’ve got enthusiasm.

“It’s the lads here who keep me young and the day-to-day environment. You can’t really replicate that when you do pack in.

“The fact that there is so much tragedy going on in the world means you just have to grasp every moment you can.”

Warnock could recall Josh Murphy to his starting line-up after the winger missed the 1-0 defeat at Everton while Kenneth Zohore is a doubt with a calf injury.

It is the first time Warnock will be up against Nuno Espirito Santo since their fiery bust-up after last season’s fixture in the Sky Bet Championship.

As Warnock waited on the sidelines to shake the hand of his Wolves counterpart, Nuno ran on to the pitch to celebrate a dramatic 1-0 win – sealed only after Cardiff missed two stoppage-time penalties.

When Nuno caught up with Warnock to shake his hand, the Cardiff manager ignored the offer and called the Wolves boss a disgrace in his post-match press conference.

But Warnock said the incident is a thing of the past and that he has no problem with his opposite number.

“I’ve already shaken hands with him (Nuno) and spoke to him two or three times at the end of last season,” he said.

“I telephoned him when they got promotion and we met up at the LMA (League Managers’ Association).

“He’s a big bloke and he gave me a hug. He’s a big bloke, isn’t he?

“He gave me a squeeze – and I wasn’t sure if it was a nice one. But it was.”

Nuno said the relationship between the pair was good with mutual respect a common denominator.

“Things are clear,” Nuno said.

“I respect him a lot and we are going to compete tomorrow.

“I am going to shake his hand, before and after. I have learned my lesson. It’s the past.

“I understood in that moment how Neil reacted and I apologised and I will not repeat it again. Our relationship now has a lot of respect.”

While there might be a warm welcome for Nuno from Warnock, he is expecting a frosty reception from the Cardiff fans.

“It is the players who play, the teams, not the managers,” he said.

“It is the past, a new reality. Some of the players are different. It is a new game. It will be a tough game and we have to be ready and focused on our tasks.

“I am ready for the supporters, although they will not have a direct influence on the game.

“The reality with fans is that when you are away from home, you are not the special guest. So you have got to be ready for it.”

Wolves will again be without Jonny Otto, who continues to recover from a knee injury sustained while on international duty with Spain.