By David Williams
Neil Harris has told his Cardiff City team they must become more consistent in 2021 if they are to have any chance of promotion.
The Cardiff manager has seen his side lose two of their past three games, having previously gone on a four-game winning streak.
Prior to that, Harris’s men had won just once in eight games – a sequence which the Bluebirds boss himself admitted was putting his job in jeopardy.
Ironing out those peaks and troughs and being able to pick up points when they are below par is the key to Cardiff improving on their current 10th place in the Championship table, four points adrift of the play-off places and nine short of the automatic promotions slots.
They can reduce those margins by enjoying a productive festive period, which kicks off at home to Brentford on Boxing Day before a visit to Wycombe on December 29 and then a trip to Rotherham on January 2.
“Consistency will be key for us in the second half of the season, as it was last year,” said Harris.
“Swansea were better than us on the day, granted. We were better than Stoke and beat them, and obviously we played very well at Watford to win the game.
“But I think a lot of those teams have been more consistent than us over the course of the season from day one. There does need to be more to come.”
Brentford – losing play-off finalists last season – will travel to South Wales in fourth place after a run of 13 Championship matches unbeaten.
They also claimed the fourth Premier League scalp of their Carabao Cup run as they dominated Newcastle to win 1-0 on Tuesday night and reach the semi-finals, despite manager Thomas Frank making six changes to his starting line-up.
They’re a well-rounded team, Brentford,” added Harris. “They’ve been a good footballing side under Thomas [Frank] and Dean [Smith] before him but have progressed into a defensively sound unit as well over the last two years.
“They’re a team on a long unbeaten run and in good form having got through to the semi-final of the Carabao Cup.
former Cardiff City midfielder and Icelandic international Aron Gunnarsson extracting the absolute piss with this one from waaaay downtown…. https://t.co/tQ9k1dRGts
— Matt Coleman (@_MattColeman) December 23, 2020
“We’re mindful that we have to be at our best and better than we were at Norwich. We know Brentford are a good side as well. We’ve played other good sides recently in Stoke and Watford and we expect similar against Brentford.
“I don’t think you can compare us to Norwich. I think it’s unfair to compare anybody in the division to Norwich, Watford and Bournemouth.
“None of them lost many players coming out of the Premier League last year, I think they probably would have all expected to lose more players and would have done if not for the financial constraints due to Covid.
“So I don’t think anyone can compare to them. They are good sides with a very healthy squad.
“When I take Kieffer Moore, Lee Tomlin, Joe Bennet and Jordi Osei-Tutu – four players all with fantastic attributes – out of my team, then there’s going to be a bit of a gulf between the very, very best in the division and the rest.”
Cardiff left back Joe Bennett is rated as “50-50” for the game against Brentford.
But Harris hopes to have Arsenal loanee Jordi Osei Tutu available early next month after a hamstring injury. He may be pencilled in for an appearance in the FA Cup third round tie with Nottingham Forest on January 9.
Wales striker Kieffer Moore is expected to return from a torn hamstring following the FA Cup weekend, while long term absentee Lee Tomlin is poised to return to training in February.