Neil Warnock insists old-school bosses are still in vogue – as younger coaches don’t understand most important skill
NEIL WARNOCK believes managers like himself and Roy Hodgson will always be in fashion.While the 74-year-old has long ditched wearing groovy flares and other outrageous outfits, old-school bosses are still in vogue.
Neil Warnock is still very much in vogue as a manager at the aged of 74
The Huddersfield boss loves reading the nation’s favourite football pullout in The Sun
And that is because there is a shortage of top younger coaches who understand the biggest skill of the job is man-management.
Warnock has made a huge impact at Huddersfield since the club appointed him in February after the spells of Danny Schofield and Mark Fotheringham ended in failure.
The Terriers were bottom of the Championship SEVEN points adrift of safety in mid-March — but this morning after a run of one defeat in seven sit a point clear of the drop.
As I walked into Warnock’s office to meet for a cuppa, he was reading something else that is still in vogue — your much-loved Goals pullout in The Sun, which he picks up every day.
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But there are some things he would consign to history.
He said: “I wouldn’t bring back flares although one of the lads told me, ‘Gaffer, they’re returning!’”
Reminiscing while flicking through old photos from the 1970s, he shows one of him during his playing days with a full mop of hair and a bushy beard.
He said: “I’d bring back that haircut I had at York City. Look at me, I had all that hair and a beard. I can’t even grow one now. I’ve not even got eyebrows anymore! I still have a head of hair though.”
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Neil Warnock during his playing days at York City
A dapper-looking young Neil Warnock during his playing days at Hartlepool
Twenty-eight years his junior, that is something I cannot boast — but there are also many younger managers who lack something else he has in abundance.
And that is a huge charismatic personality with an ability to make average footballers feel as confident as Lionel Messi for 90 minutes.
It is no coincidence Warnock has won eight promotions in his career — four of them to the top flight.
He said: “It used to be the fashion to have older managers and then the trend moved to younger coaches.
“They talk about tactics, formations and what have you — yet 95 percent of this job is and always will be man-management.
“Pep Guardiola knows what he’s doing but the biggest thing he does is get the players to believe in what he says. That’s why he’s successful.”
It is almost as though Warnock and Hodgson keep coming out of retirement in their race to be the oldest-ever manager with the ex-England boss currently setting the record at Palace, aged 75.
Warnock laughs: “Roy wasn’t daft there. I’d come back into football with that squad.”
But the Yorkshireman has watched as clubs like Tottenham and Leicester have sacked experienced and successful coaches like Antonio Conte and Brendan Rodgers — while he thinks West Ham have been sensible to stick with David Moyes.
He said: “You just need an older head sometimes. I look at some of the decisions clubs make and who they’ve appointed as a caretaker. I’m thinking ‘This is silly.’ Anyone who has a clue about football knows it’s not going to be a success. It baffles me.
“That’s why there’ll always be a job for me every February, March and April if I keep my health.
Warnock on autographs and selfiesNEIL WARNOCK always drums into his players the importance of taking time to sign autographs … because he does not want fans left heartbroken like he was.
The legendary boss — when he was just eight — was snubbed by a Sheffield United player after waiting an hour and a half in the pouring rain after a match.
He said: “I was waiting until quarter past six and asked this player, who I won’t name, if I could have his autograph and he replied, ‘Sorry I’m in a rush, I got so much on’ before running across the street. I cried my eyes out. I never refuse autographs or selfies. I hate players with headphones on going straight in or out and not doing that for the genuine fans.
“How long does it take to sign a few autographs and take a few photos?
“I’ve just had an email sent to me from a fan with photo of me and him when he was a kid when I managed here in the 1990s. What players must realise is that doing something like that is a moment these fans remember forever.”
“When Conte made those comments about Tottenham before he left, people were saying he just did so because he wanted to get out — but he spoke the truth. I agreed.
“Brendan will benefit from leaving Leicester because when I look around I don’t think there are many good managers at the minute and he is one so will get a decent job.
“I’m chuffed for Moyesy, though, he’s done a good job at West Ham.”
Warnock always rates the three months he spent at Rotherham in 2016 when he led them to Championship safety as his greatest achievement but he believes that will be eclipsed if he keeps Huddersfield up.
He said: “We had leaders in that dressing room that you’d want to be in the trenches with — whereas we haven’t got a lot of talkers here.
“But these lads compensate for that by their willingness to learn and listen to what we say.
“When we had our first team meeting, I asked my assistant Ronnie Jepson to sit to the side of the room and look at how many of the players were looking down at the floor or up at the ceiling or glancing at their watches.
“Ronnie told me, ‘Apart from one player, the whole group was glued to you.’ I knew then they were relieved to be getting our help and we had something to work with.
“There were early hiccups — conceding silly goals and a couple of 4-0 defeats to Burnley and Coventry.
“Even against Burnley, I learned a lot about three or four players because we had asked for them to do certain things and they couldn’t do it.
“We brought in three or four players that had been bombed out. Their contracts were up and had been told they could go. I was thinking we can use these — so I put my arms around them and said, ‘I’ll get you a contract somewhere else if you play for me and Huddersfield don’t want you.’ And they’re playing out of their skins.
“Then we’ve got young lads like Jack Rudoni, who has taken a lot on board and will be an exciting player. And we’ve got the experience of players like Danny Ward back in the team.”
The 1-1 draw at Sunderland last time out pleased Warnock — although frustratingly this week he received confirmation from the PGMOL that the Tom Lees disallowed goal should have stood.
Warnock shrugs his shoulders and sighs: “That’s another two points we’ve missed out on because of refs.”
Warnock on Sheffield United’s promotionNEIL WARNOCK believes the best signing Paul Heckingbottom has made at Sheffield United was bringing in his assistant Stuart McCall.
The ex-Blades boss and boyhood fan was delighted to watch them clinch promotion with a 2-0 in over West Brom on Wednesday.
And Warnock said: “Paul has done so well. They’ve had a lot of injuries. People forget that. They’ve had a couple of sticky patches but have just stuck at it and I’m delighed.
“Stuart McCall, his assistant, was the best signing he ever made because he has seen and done it all and is such a nice man who knows what he’s doing.
“He’s just that kind of person you need in your ear when you’re a bit doubtful about one or two things.
“They’ve already been written off and tipped to be relegated. It’ll all depend what happens with the owners and how much support he gets.
“When we got promoted, I didn’t get much support. We barely spent a penny. So let’s wait and see how much help Paul gets.”
Huddersfield were cited for making a complaint to the EFL regarding Burnley fielding a weakened team against fellow struggling Reading after promotion had been wrapped up.
But the Terriers boss said: “We didn’t make a complaint. I simply said in a press conference it’s a shame we didn’t get to play Burnley after they’d been promoted. It’s just bad luck!”
Yet Warnock knows everything is in his team’s hands with three games left. After tomorrow’s trip to his ex-team Cardiff, who are all but safe, they finish with two home games against already-promoted Sheffield United and then potentially a huge game with Reading.
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He said: “The biggest ingredient for a scrap like this is belief. You must believe you can win and if we play to our top standard we can beat anyone. We’re going to give it our best shot.” And that you can be sure of.
Neil Warnock has made a huge impact at Huddersfield
Huddersfield boss Neil Warnock chats to our man Justin Allen
Warnock goes on a UK tour … Are You With Me?NEIL WARNOCK will be resuming his UK-wide after-dinner speaking tour called “Are You With Me
The Terriers boss came in as a firefighter to try to save the club from relegation and when the season is complete he will be back on the road entertaining his fans and even foes with hilarious stories from his wonderful record-breaking career..
Warnock has managed in non-league and every professional division right up to the Premier League.
He said: “When I started doing it, I didn’t realise how much I’d get out of them.
“I’m as nervous before a game as I am before a show. It’s the butterflies you get … the unknown.
“When you go out and see the audience and the response. I do enjoy talking about the stuff that has happened and have a laugh. I even enjoy chatting to those people who are fans of clubs that mine have had rivalries with. There are so many great memories.”
NEIL WARNOCK will be talking about his record breaking career on his UK-wide Are You With Me tour. For tickets, visit www.gotoagig.com More
