Neil Warnock v the new guard - my Huddersfield Town lads think, 'He must know what he's talking about!'

The 74-year-old has managed over 1,600 professional games – more than anyone else in English football – not to mention the non-league matches he started with in 1980. He holds the record for most promotions and has relegation escapes on his CV too, something he hopes to add to in the coming weeks.

Warnock is Town’s third manager of 2022-23, but the only one not doing the job for the first time.

Blackpool and Reading have entrusted their futures to caretaker managers Scott Dobie and Noel Hunt respectively after changing bosses in recent days, Shaun Maloney is in his second post at Wigan Athletic. Cardiff City started the campaign with Mark Hudson, whose only previous managerial experience was as Huddersfield's caretaker.

But Warnock's reputation has allowed him to ask players to do jobs they have never done before and probably do not want to.

Josh Koroma, signed as a centre-forward and mainly used as a winger, was the left-back in a 5-4-1 as the Terriers successfully employed cat-and-mouse tactics to draw 2-2 with Blackburn Rovers. Josh Ruffels and Joseph Hungbo were constantly changing positions as those around them were dragged about.

Midfielder David Kasumu has been used at right wing-back.

"It's a time like that where you've glad you've had the success you've had because they look at you and lads think, 'He must know what he's talking about'" said Warnock, who has the medals to prove it.

"It helps because you don't have to go in and prove anything.

"The big talk we had after the Coventry defeat (in his third game), I think that hit home. I've come out of retirement and I haven't come to mess about and see people miss tackles and give headers, I've come to give everything.

"I'm 74 so I think a young footballer can give everything for 90 minutes. They have done.

"I've been really pleased with what they've given me and when we do that we play some good football at times, like at Watford in the second half."

The defensive job Warnock asked his team to do on Monday was huge, but he also wanted a threat on the counter-attack, and they led 2-0.

The tireless work on the training ground was obvious.

"We work hard on the system and how we're going to play against each team," said Warnock. "(Ben Brereton) Diaz didn't get a lot of joy but we had to work hard to make sure he didn't (Matty Pearson man-marking the forward). Things like that don't just happen overnight.

"We do ask a lot of one or two players in terms of extra effort. Jack Rudoni and Wardy (Danny Ward) up front had to deal with a lot.

"The lads have had to be disciplined, they had to be organised, because if we went out and played like we were doing, we were going to get beaten four every week.

"I think they're enjoying it. They know wherever we go in the last five games, we can win. Yeah, we can get beaten, but we can win every game so why not enjoy it?"