Cardiff season preview and prediction: Neil Warnock must follow Burnley’s blueprint… but survival would be an incredible achievement

SEAN DYCHE has provided the blueprint for Cardiff.

The Burnley boss first took the Clarets to the Premier League four years ago.

And though they were instantly relegated, Dyche built sensibly on his success, signed the best Championship players and won promotion straight away.

Cardiff may well have to follow the same path.

Bluebirds boss Neil Warnock is confident his side can stay up but were the worst to happen, the quality in the squad means they would be primed to bounce back.

All of Warnock’s signings so far come from the second tier, players hungry to show they can do it in the big league.

While Irish left-back Greg Cunningham, once an academy player at Manchester City, arrived from Preston and keeper Alex Smithies has joined from QPR.

Many of the heroes of last season — and remember, no one gave Cardiff a hope of getting promoted last summer — have been rewarded with new contracts.

Warnock’s troops may well end up losing the battle for Premier League survival but win the war of long-term progress, just as Dyche’s men did.

VERDICT

Warnock described winning promotion with his unlikely Cardiff lads as his greatest managerial achievement.

Survival would top it, given what the Bluebirds are up against.