PLAYOFFS MAKE WARNOCK SICK
Crystal Palace manager Neil Warnock has steered six teams to promotion, four coming via the playoffs, and as he goes for lucky number seven against Bristol City this afternoon, he has revealed that he finds it a tremendously nauseating experience.
“The playoffs are a horrible thing for managers,” said the 59-year-old, who took the reins of the south London side in November, when they were second bottom in the Championship. “I have suffered in every one.
“My worst feeling in football was my second play-off experience in 1991, at Notts County, when we played Middlesbrough. We drew 1-1 up there and we should have won by six, but they equalised late on. It was 0-0 at half time at Meadow Lane and I was feeling physically sick and thinking we do not deserve this.”
For all his nausea, Warnock has a 100 per cent success rate in playoff semi finals, and has only lost one final – at the hands of Wolves in 2003 when in charge of Sheffield United. He insists there is no magic formula, however, and scoffs at the idea of Palace as favourites.
“I don’t see why the bookies think we are favourites,” he continued. “Probably just for my record, but I’m not playing! I don’t know what the secret is (to winning) – I just manage to get through the games.
“It is just a great relief and a delight to be in the playoffs – in that respect we are the underdogs. It would be my greatest achievement even if we get beaten by Bristol City. Considering the position we were in and how we looked at that stage in November, we are just glad we are not in Leicester’s shoes.”
Crystal Palace manager Neil Warnock has steered six teams to promotion, four coming via the playoffs, and as he goes for lucky number seven against Bristol City this afternoon, he has revealed that he finds it a tremendously nauseating experience.
“The playoffs are a horrible thing for managers,” said the 59-year-old, who took the reins of the south London side in November, when they were second bottom in the Championship. “I have suffered in every one.
“My worst feeling in football was my second play-off experience in 1991, at Notts County, when we played Middlesbrough. We drew 1-1 up there and we should have won by six, but they equalised late on. It was 0-0 at half time at Meadow Lane and I was feeling physically sick and thinking we do not deserve this.”
For all his nausea, Warnock has a 100 per cent success rate in playoff semi finals, and has only lost one final – at the hands of Wolves in 2003 when in charge of Sheffield United. He insists there is no magic formula, however, and scoffs at the idea of Palace as favourites.
“I don’t see why the bookies think we are favourites,” he continued. “Probably just for my record, but I’m not playing! I don’t know what the secret is (to winning) – I just manage to get through the games.
“It is just a great relief and a delight to be in the playoffs – in that respect we are the underdogs. It would be my greatest achievement even if we get beaten by Bristol City. Considering the position we were in and how we looked at that stage in November, we are just glad we are not in Leicester’s shoes.”
Labels: Championship, Crystal Palace, Neil Warnock, Premier League
