By Gareth James
Fed-up Neil Harris said he has had enough of questions about his future as Cardiff City manager.
The Bluebirds boss reacted to the 1-0 defeat at Nottingham Forest in the FA Cup – making it four losses in a row for his team – by admitting expectations were high after last season’s run to the play-offs.
But Harris also questioned the long-term planning at the club as he seemingly urged for a bit more patience.
“I understand expectation levels like when I came in last season and came fifth in the division when we looked miles away from it when I came in,” said Harris, whose side are 15th in the Championship and face table-toppers Norwich City next.
“I understand I’ve built the expectation levels for this year.
“We started slowly, had a fantastic run and we are in a bit of a slump again at the moment.
“People think the easiest thing is to just change the manager. Sometimes you have to look deeper than that within the club.
“The mindset, the mentality, the recruitment over a period and then what we want to do in the future.
“I want better results and I want to change the mentality within the football club.”
https://twitter.com/ForumCCFC/status/1347906110221643777
City have now lost five of their last six games and will be hoping for the return of some key players before the visit of the Canaries.
Harris will be hoping he is still around for that game given chairman Mehmet Dalman was demanding a top six place by January.
“I can’t control that,” Harris said of his position. “I’m fed up of taking questions on that, if I’m honest. I’d rather focus on my players.
“It was a much better performance, a game we completely controlled and we should never have lost the game. But we have lost the game, so I understand that is four defeats.
“Norwich and Brentford beat us, Wycombe, we gave poor goals away, [Filip] Benkovic cost us two goals in that game. Conceding two goals in a game we shouldn’t lose.
“Then we lose today in the FA Cup, so I understand the question, but I’ll be fully focused on Norwich next week.”
“Unless I’m told otherwise, I’ve got the club’s support.
“We talk internally all the time. The chief exec, chairman and owner, I speak to them all regularly, I spoke to them yesterday.
“They know areas of the pitch where I want to improve, they know the injury nightmare we have – we haven’t seen Lee Tomlin yet this season. It’s important we get influential players out on the pitch.
“But the club want better and I want better results. I understand criticism when you don’t win games.
Shame we lost, played some nice football not much hoof ball at all just couldent create enough in front of goal. With all our players back from injury and continue to play a passing game there is light at the end of the tunnel, let’s hope more young players can come through that’s up to you the Manager to take a chance on them. Forget playing your favourites every week they keep letting you down, be brave have faith in them no one will blame you for that, but please keep playing football not go back to hoof ball, move forward things will improve.