Warnock: Worst feeling of my career
Monday, 14 May 2007 11:38
Warnock was left pondering what might have been
Sheffield United manager Neil Warnock has described relegation from the Premiership as "gut-wrenching" and "the worst feeling of my career".
The Blades were surprisingly beaten 2-1 at home by fellow strugglers Wigan to condemn them to the final relegation berth this season, joining
Watford and
Charlton Athletic in the Championship.
And Warnock, who appeared to have guided his side to midtable safety earlier in the season, appeared shell-shocked after the game.
"It's a gut-wrenching and horrible feeling for all of us at the club," he proclaimed afterwards.
"It's the worst feeling of my career because it would have been my greatest achievement to keep us up.
"All season we haven't made it difficult enough for other teams and have given goals away when we have been in good positions. Wigan haven't had to work hard for either goal today and we've committed suicide really."
Despite lamenting his side's defensive lapses in conceding twice to a side that had failed to score in its previous three matches, Warnock said his players had been "magnificent" and he "couldn't have got much more out of them".
He also vowed to try to overcome what he described as a "bitter" feeling after seeing
West Ham United survive, after they avoided a points penalty despite being found guilty of infringing Premier League rules over the transfers of Carlos Tevez and Javier Mascherano.
"You are bound to feel bitter about the circumstances in our relegation but it's not going to get us back in the Premiership," he added, philosophically.
"You just have to get over the bitterness and move on but it's difficult at the moment. Fate is fate, though. Life is like that."