Cardiff City are gunning for the Sky Blues after manager Neil Harris insists they must find their clinical edge and start winning games of football.
The Bluebirds chalked up yet another draw against Millwall at the weekend – their fifth of the season so far – to turn up the pressure another notch.
The Welsh club were their own worst enemy once again at The Den, with Alex Smithies and Curtis Nelson allowing Matt Smith to nod home the game’s opener far too easily, giving the visitors an uphill battle to come away with anything from the game.
It has been a far too familiar story this season and is the primary reason Cardiff find themselves battling in 15th place in the Championship table.
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But, with a dozen games now under the belt and only three wins on the board, Harris has said Cardiff must start their winning streak now, with a trip to Coventry City on Wednesday night.
“It’s another game without a win and we want to win games of football,” Harris said, speaking to Walesonline.
“I don’t just look at today, I look at breaking down four games and what is coming this week. I just said to the boys that becomes a really good point if we follow it up with a really good performance and more importantly three points on Wednesday at Coventry.
“We moved the ball well, created some chances in the second half, but we gave ourselves a mountain to climb with a poor goal.
“In the Championship you have to deny people opportunities and if that game is 0-0 at 60 minutes or 70 minutes I think we go on and win that.
“We have to start winning games of football, that goes without me having to say that.”
Few can deny that the Bluebirds’ squad list suggests they should be far higher than 15th in the Championship table, but as the old cliché goes, the game is not played on paper.
And Harris has said the winning mentality, which he says is so clear to see on the training ground, must now start to translate into performances on the pitch and, importantly, winning matches.
“We have done research over the last few weeks, based on expected goals and chances created, conceded, every stat going we are in the top six – apart from the points total,” he added.
“Ultimately, that’s what matters. I’m not one to hide behind stats.
“I can see a lot of good in what we do, but is that winning mentality really there? I’ve seen it on the training pitch the last 10 days, a massive shift in winning mentality. That has to translate to a Saturday afternoon.
“Did I see it at Millwall? I did in the second half. But it’s fine looking like a good team on paper, but we need to win games of football.”
