Cardiff City are in the hunt for promotion alongside Middlesbrough and Derby County.
Cardiff City boss Neil Warnock says he predicted Middlesbrough and Derby County to take the top two automatic promotion spots at the beginning of the current campaign, the BBC report.
The Bluebirds travel to Derby on Tuesday evening knowing that six points from their final three Championship matches will be enough to secure them second spot behind league champions Wolverhampton Wanderers.
Not many predicted Cardiff to be among those battling for promotion last summer, but they’ve defied the odds and their current standing is testament to work being done by experienced manager Warnock.
Talking to the BBC before his side’s clash with the Rams, the former Sheffield United boss admitted he is surprised to see his side up there as he names the clubs he tipped for a return to the Premier League.
“My tips for promotion at the start of the season were Middlesbrough and Derby, I thought they’d be the top two, so all credit to Wolves and Fulham,” said Warnock.
“I just think it shows where we are, to be in amongst it I fantastic and makes me even prouder.”
Despite a recent wobble, Cardiff have won back-to-back games and they will head to Pride Park confident of getting a positive result against a Derby side who have lost their last three in succession.
The Rams came in to 2018 in second spot, but a horrible run of just three wins in their last 16 games have seen them drop down to seventh as they look in danger of missing out on the playoffs altogether.
Their last outing was a 2-1 defeat at home to Middlesbrough – Warnock’s other pre-season favourite for promotion – and it was a result which saw Boro consolidate their spot in the top six.
Boro boss Tony Pulis replaced the sacked Garry Monk earlier in the campaign, and under his guidance the Teesside club have improved and may well fancy their chances of going all the way in the playoffs.
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