Warnock faces up to drop fight

27 January 2010 08:18

Crystal Palace boss Neil Warnock is facing up to a relegation battle and the dismantling of his squad after the cash-strapped Eagles called in the administrators.

Teenage forward Victor Moses, whose goals had fired Palace to within two points of the Coca-Cola Championship play-offs, is expected to be first out of the door with the likes of Arsenal, Fulham and Manchester City sensing a possible cut-price deal. Administration brings with it an automatic 10-point penalty so Warnock will need to lift his players for tonight's game at Newcastle knowing they are now just three points above the relegation zone.

"The lads are obviously all terribly disappointed and the Newcastle game will be one of the toughest they have ever played, but I can promise the supporters who are coming that we will be be focused on the match," he told the Croydon Advertiser.

He added: "I've always felt we were more likely to be in a relegation scrap than the a chase for the play-offs - and that's certainly the case now. But the supporters can rest assured that me and the players will fight every inch of the way."

One of the club's creditors, investment firm Agilo, called in the administrators with chairman Simon Jordan said to be 'devastated' at the development.

"He has put everything into this club and he is so upset that it has come to this," added Warnock. "He wants me to continue and that's exactly what I'll do until told otherwise."

Defender Matt Lawrence admitted the news has come as a huge blow to the team, but vowed they would work just as hard to avoid relegation.

"It's just bitterly disappointing that all the hard work done by the players and the manager so far this season to get us where we are in the league has disappeared," he said.

"We were two points off the play-offs but now we are just above the relegation zone. So obviously the focus has changed.

"I think the lads have shown that during these hard times they have been focused on the football and I'm sure they will keep on doing the same thing now. The games we have got remaining have just taken on even more significance."

Source: PA