Neil Warnock: What I've Learnt This Week

1. Premier League matches overseas? That's an excellent reason for Palace to get promoted

Rio, Sydney, Cape Town? The proposal to play a round of Premier League matches overseas looks like another good reason to get ourselves promoted. There has obviously been a mixed reaction but my view is, why not? Given the success of the American football game at Wembley, I'm not that surprised. Football is a global sport and the Premier League is the most exciting in the world. To make the matches realistic you have to be playing for points.

It will be interesting to see how the seeding works. I'm not sure if I was a promoted team I'd want to play Arsenal, Manchester United or Chelsea three times, but you have to go along with it. It is like when the play-offs came along, you have to accept the rules and get on with it. If it is a success, who's to say it won't be expanded?

Part of the excitement will be not knowing where you will play as well as who. I don't suppose they will go as far as Brazil, but America is a lovely place to visit.

It all stems from money, pushing back barriers to get what they can. I've seen myself when travelling how popular the game is. It was amazing last season how much your profile rises when you are in the Premier League, how many people stop you in the street and in my case give me a thump – only joking.

2. About last night

Obviously, as you read this I will either be elated or gutted from last night's result, the local derby at Charlton Athletic. We did have a few problems in the build-up to the game with injuries, we lost a couple of players, but I'm hoping the lads that came in performed to their best ability in what was sure to have been a great atmosphere.

3. Others talk a good game about me

I had the usual accusations this week from other managers. Ian Holloway said we were the new Wimbledon before we played his Leicester team. I found that amusing, given the fact every time one of their defenders, or anyone else, got the ball their first touch was to whack it up to Steve Howard up front. It was probably a psychological thing to make his fans think they are a footballing side.

Then Southampton's caretaker-manager John Gorman, who I think is a lovely bloke, said after our match: "I wouldn't want to play like them even if they win games".

What is it about managers? I would have thought they have both got enough on their own plate to sort out instead of criticising others. I've come to a team near the bottom of the division and, because we have not been able to bring many people in, had to work with what we have. You don't put players into systems, you plan systems to suit the players you have.

If I was John I'd be asking, since Southampton have players earning three times the money of Crystal Palace's, how come they are mid-table?

I do accept that John likes to play the game as he believes it should be played but I don't believe fans at Swindon, when they were 20 points adrift but playing wonderful football, appreciated that philosophy and I'm not sure mine would in similar circumstances.

But for the last minute at Leicester, and last seven at Southampton, we would have picked up four points instead of one last week. That's how close it is in the Championship.

4. Capello's England a work in progress

Nothing changes in our household. On Wednesday night when I got in from our reserve game I turned on the England match. I watched them take the lead, but after 15 minutes of the second half I found myself switching channels. When I told the lads I didn't see the first 25 minutes they said, "You were lucky, that was the worst bit".

Obviously, Capello has got to get to know everyone and he made a few brave decisions. I can see why Owen was on the bench with no Heskey available. I think he does need a Heskey, but would not write Owen off just yet. I think they will gel best as a pair: you are looking at building a team, not necessarily picking the best players.

When I looked at the squad in general I did struggle when thinking who you would have at left-back. There are not many contenders.

The right-back situation shows how much we all miss Gary Neville. He's one of those players who is not appreciated until he gets injured.

5. Competitive instincts will out

There is a natural competitiveness in managers, and I even found it coming out when I watched Amy play in an Under-11s netball tournament.

When we got there they had just drawn the first game. The girls came over to see us between games and I found myself doing a team talk. They went back on and won the next game.

Then they came up against the favourites. Another team-talk must have inspired them as they won to reach the semi-final. They won that as well, but by then I was absolutely freezing. We thought Amy's team would be eliminated early on, and so I hadn't taken proper attire. I went to the car to put the heater on and thaw out, only to get a call from Sharon. She said: "They've started and they're losing, get back here". I sprinted up the road to get to the court and started shouting at the girls individually. We turned the deficit around to a 3-1 victory. Amy got her first gold medal.

Amy's also made me feel a little bit strange. When I was growing up I never thought girls of nine should have earrings but she's been pestering me and I've finally succumbed. Maybe I'm old-fashioned but I can't get used to it, even though they do look pretty at times.

Moving on to William, we had his parents' evening last week. The teacher did make me smile when she said William had been working on the computer and, afterwards, she'd corrected some spellings. The following day she looked and he'd changed them all back. Obviously he did not realise who had been messing with his spellings.

6. Fathi deserves good luck for final

I would like to wish Ahmed Fathi good luck tomorrow in the African Nations final. I brought him to Sheffield United last season and anyone watching his performances in this tournament will have seen why. He's a super player with a great attitude. I felt sorry for him last season as he had to make his first start at Anfield. After I left Bramall Lane they let him go – for a profit I think – which surprised me, as I felt he could have contributed this year. Egypt have got a number of players who could do well here.