Neil Warnock: Cardiff City can return to Premier League says ex-manager
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Neil Warnock interviews - his best quotes at Cardiff
Neil Warnock believes Cardiff City will return to the Premier League if they avoid Brentford in the Championship play-offs.
Warnock faces his former club for the first time since his three-year Cardiff reign ended in November when they go to Middlesbrough on Saturday, 18 July.
Veteran manager Warnock, 71, says the Bluebirds side he left behind are serious promotion contenders.
"If they get in the play-offs, I only see Brentford beating them," he said.
"I don't see any of the other teams - (Nottingham) Forest, Fulham - I think Cardiff will be the team.
"I would imagine everybody at Cardiff is hoping Brentford could clinch that second place because I think they would rather play West Brom if they are honest."
Cardiff are sixth in the Championship, so would face third-placed Brentford in the play-offs if things stay as they are, while Thomas Frank's Bees still have automatic promotion ambitions.
Neil Harris' team could seal a play-off place this weekend if they beat Middlesbrough and Millwall and Swansea fail to win.
Cardiff were 14th in the table when Warnock left the club - but he always felt they were contenders to make an immediate return to the Premier League this season.
Middlesbrough have not won a home league game in 2020, but they are close to securing their Championship status thanks to three straight away wins under Neil Warnock
"All the players were signed or were there when I took over. They are very strong and solid," Warnock added.
"They are good players and good lads as well. That's why I said when I left I thought they could get in the play-offs and get promotion. That's how I see them."
Midfielder Leandro Bacuna, who Warnock signed in January 2019, has said ahead of this weekend's reunion that his ex-boss plays "old fashioned" football and suggested Cardiff now have a more attractive style.
"From day one I thought whoever took over was a lucky person to have a squad like that because it didn't need a lot of work," Warnock said.
"Apparently they are playing a lot better football, a different style, and I am looking forward to seeing that tomorrow."
When asked if he was referring specifically to Bacuna's comments, Warnock also mentioned Cardiff's influential attacking midfielder Lee Tomlin and Jazz Richards, who recently left the club.
"I think players get stitched up a bit by you lads in the media - what (Bacuna) did say was that he enjoyed it as well," Warnock said.
"If I didn't play a player… I read a while ago about Tomlin, but I couldn't get Tomlin on the field when I was manager.
"You have to accept that one or two people are going to say things… I even heard something from Jazz Richards this week. That does beggar belief, but I won't go into details on that."