By Rob Carbon
There’s no substitute for experience – that’s Mick McCarthy’s verdict after moving Cardiff City from relegation candidates to within a win of reaching the play-off places.
A sixth win in a row at Bournemouth tonight could move them ahead of last season’s Premier League outfit and up into sixth place.
Unbeaten in seven games since the 62-year-old McCarthy arrived, the Bluebirds are a team transformed.
Bournemouth have installed Jonathan Woodgate as their new manager to help push their bid for a Premier League return, while Bristol City have opted for the greater experience of Nigel Pearson after falling like a stone out of the play-off places.
Then there is the doyen of them all, Neil Warnock at Middlesbrough.
“Nigel did exceptionally well when he went into Watford and he kept Leicester up from a very improbable almost impossible position. He’s got a good track record of doing it,” said McCarthy.
“Neil Warnock took over at Middlesbrough last year. The only difference between myself, Nigel, Neil and Jonathan Woodgate is about 30 years.
“Jonathan has been in charge of the club before and he’s a vastly experienced player at a number of good clubs. His results have been good, so why not.
“Apart from against us, good luck to him. If people are looking at our results perhaps they are saying to themselves that those experienced guys do know something about what they are doing and do have a role to play.
“I’m cool with my age, with my experience, my big nose and my wrinkly forehead. My hair is dropping out, but I don’t give a flying . . .
“It’s all about being at a football club and getting results and at the moment it’s great. I’m sure Nigel is the same and I know Warnock is.
“All I hear whenever a job comes up is it has to go to some new guy with bright ideas. You know what, there aren’t that many new ideas that come around in football.
“It’s still kind of the same – keep it off the opposition, put it in their net and get it back. However you do it is up to you.
“In any other industry experience does count for a lot. When things aren’t going right for us we are old fashioned and told we haven’t bought into the new culture. We are not doing this or that.
“But when a club is in slightly troubled times they tend to call on one of us to try to sort it out. Experience is valuable.
“Why do young coaches want to go and speak to the older managers and ask them questions? If experience didn’t have any value then we would all be finished in the game.”
So far so good for the Irishman McCarthy in the Welsh capital, where he has gone on a run of seven games without defeat. With 17 points from a possible 21 since taking over from Neil Harris he has hit the ground running.
“All the teams we have played were in and around us, so that put us under pressure. If we’d lost at Bristol City we’d have been in dire straits,” said McCarthy.
“Given the position Bournemouth are in, tonight probably represents the toughest game we’ve had since I came to Cardiff. They have a very good squad of players who started very well. They have just had a bit of a blip.
“They have been winning games, but apparently not very well. Who’s bothered if you are winning games?
“Being in the top six brings the pressure because you don’t want to drop out of it. For the rest of us who are chasing you just keep trying to get the results to get in there.”
If City can creep past Bournemouth, and hold off Warnock’s ‘Boro, then they could be back where everyone believed they should be at the start of the season – once again chasing promotion.
Not that you will get the former Republic of Ireland manager talking about promotion just yet.
“It is the end of the season that matters not where we are on Thursday morning. We’ll still have 14 more games to go,” added McCarthy.
“I don’t get carried away and I’m no way thinking about being in the Premier League. There is a different feel to this game, and we could get into the play-off places if we win it.
“But the momentum we’ve got has come on the back of good performances. We have got the ability to win games in this league if we play to our best and that’s what we need to carry on doing.
Updated table!@NorwichCityFC 10 clear at the top! 🏔 #EFL | #SkyBetChampionship pic.twitter.com/PDmmYWT1U7
— Sky Bet Championship (@SkyBetChamp) February 23, 2021
“It has to be a new beginning when a new manager and coach comes in and it was for us. I put a lot of store in man management and how you treat and coach players.
“It’s about creating a good atmosphere so people enjoy coming to work. If you’ve got that then you’ve got a chance of winning games.”