Neil Warnock: I'm interested in moving upstairs... not commuting daily to manage Sheffield
What I Learnt This Week
After my old club Sheffield United parted company with their manager this week my phone was red hot. I'd gone swimming with the kids and discovered I had 40 missed calls in two hours. I rang quite a few back and told them I'd not had any contact with the club, and didn't anticipate any. So it was a bit of a surprise to see some of the headlines the following day, even on the BBC, suggesting I might be returning to Bramall Lane.
To clarify, I told Radio Sheffield, and others, that when I was at Bramall Lane I had spoken to Kevin McCabe, the owner-chairman then and now, about wishing to take United up to the Premier League, keep them there, then move "upstairs" into the intermediary role between manager and chairman I think all clubs need now. But I left Sheffield in 2007, so the story is a bit out of date even though that kind of role is what I am thinking of doing next.
That is very different from me wanting to become Sheffield United manager again, as some of the headlines claimed. That is not an option I'd be interested in pursuing now. I had eight great years there, but working seven days a week in Sheffield all year is not really compatible with living in Cornwall.
I know well the man who has taken over to the end of the season. I spent months trying to sign Chris Morgan from Barnsley and it was well worth the effort. I made him my captain and he was a key figure in our promotion to the Premier League. Chris was a centre half who gave 100 per cent commitment as a player and I have no doubt he will manage in the same vein. He's a smashing lad but be warned, he won't suffer fools gladly.
Kevin McCabe decided a new manager was needed after a run of poor results but, in fairness to Danny Wilson, he has lost a lot of players in the last 12 months. Obviously, Ched Evans was locked up just before the end of last season, which may well have cost the club promotion. They have since lost Matt Lowton, who scored such a fantastic goal last weekend, to Aston Villa, Reading striker Nick Blackman, Stephen Quinn, who has been instrumental in Hull's promotion challenge, and Steve Simonsen, who played every game last season.
Being without players of such quality, it was always going to be difficult for Danny. But it is a great club which can still make a push for automatic promotion and I am sure the fans will get right behind them in these last few games.
Every chairman is different and while Kevin decided to make a change, across the city Milan Mandaric kept faith with Dave Jones when he could easily have sacked him during a poor run. Dave has used all his experience to turn things around and Sheffield Wednesday now look like they should stay up.
