by Richard Early
CARDIFF City manager Neil Warnock spoke of his admiration for the current title-chasing Liverpool side, both before and after the Bluebirds’ clash against them at Cardiff City Stadium on Easter Sunday.
In the build-up to the sold-out fixture, the 70-year-old addressed the assembled press and media at the Vale Resort and told about how much football’s changed from the Reds players that he saw play when he was younger, to their current squad.
“It’s difficult to compare the great sides because football’s changed so much,” he said.
“I remember when I was young, seeing Ron Yeats and that play and I loved Ian Callaghan and Ian Rush, Kenny Dalglish and all them, but it was such a different game then and they were the best at their times by a mile.
“I think Liverpool are one of the best teams in the world at the moment.”
City last defeated Liverpool in 1959 and the full-time score was 4-0 in the legendary Bill Shankly’s first match as Reds boss and Warnock commented: “”Was it really? Wow. What a man. My favourite manager of all time, along with Brian Clough.”
Shankly signed fellow Scotsman Ron Yeats, who became the first Liverpool captain to lift the FA Cup and Ian Callaghan, whose 857 appearances is a record for the club.
Despite the Bluebirds’ 2-0 loss, which saw the Anfield team rise to the summit of the Premier League standings, Warnock was full of praise for Jürgen Klopp’s side and the high work-rate of their front three, which reminded him of the likes of Kenny Dalglish, who signed three years after the Shankly era and Ian Rush, who signed three years after that.
“They’re a team without a weakness: a great team and they’ve all got a lovely attitude.”
He concluded: “The old Liverpool; I used to watch Ian Rush and Kenny Dalglish and they all worked their socks off and their current front three are great and work their socks off for the team.”