Whatever challenge Huddersfield Town face on Saturday, you can be sure Cardiff City boss Neil Warnock will make it as tough as is humanly possible.

The 69-year-old helped revive Town in the mid-1990s with two trips to Wembley and a glorious promotion – and he is now weaving his own personal brand of magic in south Wales.

Warnock’s managerial style is unique – who would make his players drink glasses of sherry with raw eggs cracked into them? – while his dressing-room outbursts would stand the test against anything Sir Alex Ferguson produced in his “hair-dryer treatment” days.

First and foremost, Warnock is a winner, as his outstanding record of eight promotions in the English game proves.

He is also a master motivator, bonding every group of players he has ever worked with and making them believe – not unlike Town’s David Wagner in that sense – and also incredibly superstitious, as I will explain later.

When anyone asks me about covering Town for the Examiner during Warnock’s two seasons at the club, I have to recall when I was invited onto the bench to see him at work first-hand and at the closest quarters.

It was in April 1994 at Cambridge United, just days after Town had been at Wembley for the Autoglass Trophy final against Swansea City.

Here is what I wrote at the time, to provide an insight into Warnock’s engaging approach to the job:

David Wagner greets Cardiff manager Neil Warnock in May last year

“Neil Warnock was a hyper-active bundle of commitment and concentration. Howling instructions to Ronnie Jepson, relaying encouragement to Darren Bullock and Tom Cowan and screaming directions to Andy Booth. The match was only 27 seconds old!

“I had been invited to witness Warnock’s unique approach to management first hand, by joining Town’s staff and substitutes on the bench at Cambridge United.

“This was just two days after the Autoglass Trophy final at Wembley, when I was on the team bus to witness a sea of blue and white, celebrating Town’s return to the famous old Twin Towers for the first time in 56 years.

“Almost 48,000 had been at Wembley, whereas 48 hours later just 3,901 watched Town win 5-4 at the Abbey Stadium.

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“It wasn’t the most meaningful game I have ever reported, but the intensity, humour and kaleidoscopic range of emotion on the bench was a remarkable experience of which to be a part, especially to see Warnock working at such close quarters.

“More instructions for Jepson, who was supposed to hold the ball up; a rollicking for Bullock for not making a clearance and a leap from the bench to the touchline to protest about a foul on Booth. Three minutes gone.

“Warnock’s vocal chords, strengthened by years of dug-out decision-making were stretched time and again until Bullock was cautioned. ‘He will have to come off, we can’t risk another booking’ said Warnock, fearing tough disciplinary action for the oft-booked midfielder.

“Bullock joined us on the bench for the second half, but Town’s 3-1 lead quickly evaporated. When Cambridge equalised, Warnock turned to Bullock and said: ‘You’ll have to go and sit in the stand Bully. You know how superstitious I am’.

“Bullock departed and Town were quickly back in command with goals from Booth and Phil Starbuck. Warnock was still not entirely happy, particularly with one midfield player.

“He shouted several times at Gary Clayton, getting gradually louder to attract his attention: ‘Clayts! If I’d wanted ruddy (expletive replaced) Franz Beckenbauer, I would have bought him’.

“Clayton, playing against his old club and trying it on a bit too much, got the message and soon returned to basics.

“Turning towards me, Warnock said: ‘If I don’t keep badgering them every minute of the game then they forget what has made them good players. That’s why they are here’.

“The eventual victory was greeted in the changing room by a ferocious verbal onslaught from Warnock. Any dissenting murmurs were quickly drowned out by the manager’s screams.

“Had it been a cartoon, the door would have been bulging and the paint stripping from the walls.

“And, as for superstition, because Town lost the Autoglass Trophy final in a penalty shoot-out to Swansea, I wasn’t allowed on the team bus the following season when Town reached the play-off final against Bristol City (Result: a victory!)

“Twelve months later, however, I was invited back onto the bench at Cambridge, when Town needed a point to ensure their place in the top six for the play-offs.

“With only a couple of minutes to kick-off, Warnock wasn’t happy. He knew the bench wasn’t as it had been for the previous season’s win and, sitting between coach Kevin Blackwell and physio, Dave Wilson, he couldn’t quite work it out.

“It wasn’t until the affable Wilson reminded him about me that Warnock’s mind was set at rest.

“I was quickly summoned from the press box and ushered to the bench with just seconds to go to kick-off. Result: A 1-1 draw and eventual promotion.”