Ex-Bluebirds boss warns that letting Ralls go 'is a big mistake'

FORMER Cardiff boss Neil Warnock says the Bluebirds have made a mistake in letting Joe Ralls leave the club.

- MATHEW DAVIES

City stalwart Ralls announced his departure last month after a 15-year stay in the Welsh capital.

Ralls held talks with new boss Brian Barry-Murphy before he left, and the decision to allow the club legend to leave was a big call, something which Warnock thinks might be the wrong one.

Warnock thinks their efforts to get out of League One will be tougher than some may think.

"I don’t think it will be straightforward to get out," said Warnock when speaking to The Athletic. "It’s why I believe Cardiff have made a mistake in allowing Joe Ralls to go. Joe has still got a lot to offer at 31.

"Whether it was out of the manager’s hands or not, I don’t know, but I'd certainly have looked to keep him. The manager would have had a big ally on the field."

The Bluebirds, currently in Spain on a preseason training camp, have yet to make a signing so far this summer. The third tier awaits next month but Warnock is under no illusion on where Cardiff should be playing their football.

"Cardiff is a big club," added the 76-year-old. "As a city, it could easily sustain Premier League football. You look at clubs like Leicester and Southampton, who've had lengthy spells up there. To me, Cardiff are on that level as a club, or should be."

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