How Neil Warnock failed to hit Cardiff City jackpot with controversial double Bristol City transfer raid | OneFootball

Lee Tomlin and Bobby De Cordova-Reid signed for the Welsh club in consecutive seasons

Neil Warnock's consecutive raids on Bristol City for Lee Tomlin and Bobby De Cordova-Reid to join Cardiff City would prove that even the most experienced manager can misjudge how certain players fit their style of play.

In July 2017, Warnock made his intentions clear by bringing attacking midfielder Lee Tomlin across the Severn Bridge from Bristol City for a fee that could reportedly rise to £2.9m.

Warnock was certainly bullish about the signing, telling iFollow Cardiff City: "Lee reminds me of Adel Taarabt who I had at QPR.

"He's always a threat when he's on the ball and you're never quite sure what he's going to do, but I'm hoping I can get the best out of him here," he added.

Just twelve months later, Warnock convinced the Bluebirds' hierarchy to sanction a move for Bobby De Cordova-Reid following the club's promotion to the Premier League.

The Jamaica international had just completed a stellar 17/18 campaign for the Robins, scoring 19 goals in the Championship while helping the club reach the EFL Cup semi-finals.

Lee Tomlin and Neil Warnock never clicked at Cardiff City

Lee Tomlin's relationship with Neil Warnock never truly clicked, despite the manager's initial enthusiasm.

The creative midfielder made just 22 appearances for Cardiff across his entire tenure under Warnock, spending periods on loan at Nottingham Forest and Peterborough United.

Warnock's Cardiff was built around being solid defensively, with the team conceding fewer goals than any other Championship side during their promotion-winning season in 17/18.

This approach, while obviously effective, left little room for players like Tomlin, whose game was built on moments of individual brilliance - a bit like Warnock mentioned with the Taarabt comparison. The irony was that Tomlin's best form at Cardiff would come after Warnock's departure.

Upon revealing his desperation to sign a new contract with the club after hitting form under Neil Harris, Tomlin mentioned there always seemed to be an excuse for Warnock not to play him.

Tomlin also said to Dai Sport: "I don't know what Warnock really thought of me deep down," as he always knew that he'd be subbed off around the 60/70 minute mark by Warnock.

Bobby De Cordova Reid was used sparingly by Neil Warnock

During Cardiff's solitary Premier League season, De Cordova-Reid showed flashes of his undoubted quality, registering five goals and three assists in 29 appearances, with only 18 starts.

Perhaps most tellingly, he finished as the Bluebirds' joint top scorer alongside Victor Camarasa despite his limited opportunities - which suggests he was more than capable of thriving at the highest level when given consistent game time.

However, Warnock's approach proved problematic for De Cordova-Reid's development, just like it did with Tomlin. At the time of being FLW's Cardiff City Fan Pundit, Jack Price captured the frustration perfectly by saying: " The problem was that he was competing with Camarasa for a spot. I don't think Neil Warnock really knew how to get him into the team.

"He was never going to be a lone striker, and I don't know if that was maybe the plan at the time," he added.

From a purely financial perspective, Cardiff's double raid on Bristol City wasn't disastrous. The club managed to recoup their £10m investment in De Cordova-Reid when he joined Fulham permanently in 2020 for the same fee,

Similarly, Tomlin eventually proved his worth to Cardiff, though his best contributions came under different management.