By Gareth James
Sabri Lamouchi insists he and his Cardiff City players would have signed for this.
The Bluebirds have three matches to play – starting with their re-arranged fixture at Rotherham on Thursday night – and are two places and three points above the relegation zone.
When Lamouchi came in as manager at the end of January, the club were one place lower in the Championship than now, in 21st, and had the same three-point gap.
The difference is that back on January 27, Huddersfield – then in 22nd place and now in 21st – had two matches in hand, whilst now they have played the same and Cardiff actually have a game in hand on Reading (currently 22nd).
Sabri's message to the travelling #Bluebirds fans! 👏💙
🎟️ Tickets for tomorrow's clash with the Millers are on sale until 5pm today! ⬇️#CityAsOne
— Cardiff City FC (@CardiffCityFC) April 26, 2023
That extra game is the visit to Rotherham to play the match that was abandoned after a torrential downpour last month.
“On day one, in the stadium, the players would have signed to be where we are three games from the end,” says Lamouchi.
“We need to finish the job and let three teams minimum be underneath us. It is not easy. The game at Rotherham will be tough and the ground will be full.
“I don’t know how many points we need. It’s game by game. We have three games to play, others have two.
“It’s not a bonus – because, to be fair, we deserve more points – but we need to play the game. I hope, after this one, we will have more points than now – one, three, I don’t know.”
🤐 “I take care about what I say because I don’t want to punish myself.”
😤 “But it’s absolutely… it is what it is.”
Cardiff City boss Sabri Lamouchi hasn’t got over the game at Rotherham being abandoned with his side 1-0 up 😡#BBCFootball | #CardiffCity #Bluebirds pic.twitter.com/Sx1Lphgl5t
— BBC Sport Wales (@BBCSportWales) April 26, 2023
Cardiff were leading at Rotherham when the referee said the game could not re-start, a sense of frustration and grievance for Cardiff fans made worse by social media clips of the home club’s ground staff not exactly busting a gut to get water off the surface.
Now, though, that is water under the Championship bridge. Or, at least it will be if Cardiff stay up. If Cardiff were to go down, then expect their owner, Vincent Tan, to at least examine the possibility of legal action over the result that was washed way.
If Cardiff can win at Rotherham, they will move six points clear of Reading and the relegation zone. With only two games to play and a big six-goal advantage over the Royals that should see Cardiff safe.
But should they draw or lose, then the remaining two fixtures for Lamouchi suddenly look very nervy, indeed – a clash on Sunday at home to Huddersfield with Neil Warnock plotting against his old club, followed by a daunting trip to champions Burnley.
Vincent Kompany’s team might already be on the beach, but we all know beach balls are unpredictable and Cardiff do not want to be going to Turf Moor needing points in the middle of a party on the sand.
Rotherham have a very similar record to Cardiff – the same 46 points from the same 43 games. They are only above on goal difference.
But the Millers have only won once in their last eight matches, a statistic that should encourage Bluebirds fans, who have seen their team pick up two away wins in the same period.
Read more about the Rotherham v Cardiff abandoned game
Cardiff City Seeking Answers From Football League After “Farcical” End To Rotherham Clash