Cardiff City will be hoping Neil Warnock's departure from the club will kickstart a turn in their fortunes this term, with the Welsh side currently sitting 14th in the Championship heading into the international break.

Warnock's three-year stint at the club's managerial helm came to an end by mutual consent on Monday afternoon in the aftermath of the Bluebirds' 1-0 defeat to Severnside rivals Bristol City on Sunday.

The result left Cardiff languishing in the bottom half of the Championship table, while it also meant the Bluebirds' unbeaten home record in the Championship came to an end as they suffered their fifth defeat of the league campaign.

The South Wales outfit have been underwhelming since their return to the second tier after relegation last season, and their two derby defeats against Swansea and Bristol City in recent weeks was ultimately enough for Warnock to bring his time at the club to an end.

His Cardiff side have not been as much of a force as they were earlier in his overall successful reign at the club, with this season's side being a far cry from the formidable outfit that sealed promotion from the Championship in the 2017/18 campaign.

One of the key reasons for this demise has been Cardiff's shaky defence this season, with Cardiff's back line having already shipped 23 goals, which is just 16 less than the total they conceded at the end of their promotion-winning season.

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The centre-back partnership of Sean Morrison and Aden Flint has tended to look relatively stable on home soil, but their faults have been further exposed on their travels, and this was a key factor which certainly contributed to Warnock's exit.

This means that Morrison and Flint will surely now be fearing for their place in the side with a new manager about to be installed at the club, as Warnock's successor will be eager for a fresh start and may strive for a defensive revamp as part of this.

Warnock was loyal to his established defensive duo prior to Morrison's recent injury which has kept him out of the last two matches, but Curtis Nelson has stepped up to the mark against Birmingham and Bristol City to stake his claim for a regular spot.

Furthermore, experienced defender Sol Bamba is now very close to returning to full fitness following a lengthy injury, which means both Nelson and Bamba will now be putting pressure on Morrison and Flint in the Cardiff side.

Warnock refrained from making such a radical change to his defensive unit, but the new manager will perhaps be keen to put his own stamp on the side, and the defence does seem like the obvious area to target given the Bluebirds' recent troubles.