Cardiff City ready to pounce on rivals' promotion 'fear', says manager Mick McCarthy
- Published
Cardiff boss Mick McCarthy (R) celebrates beating promotion rivals Swansea before the international break
Cardiff City manager Mick McCarthy says fear of failure could start affecting their rivals for the Championship play-off places.
The Bluebirds are currently in eighth, four points shy of the last play-off spot, with eight games remaining.
The former Republic of Ireland manager says the pressure will be on those afraid of dropping out of the top six.
"It's a worrying feeling and that worry can affect your performances," McCarthy said.
Primarily brought in to help the club avoid a relegation fight, Cardiff have given themselves a fighting chance of a second successive play-off finish following McCarthy's arrival in January.
One defeat in 14 games - form which earned the 62-year-old a longer contract in south Wales - has turned around Cardiff's season.
A derby victory over third-placed Swansea before the international break only added to confidence within the Bluebirds squad that they are well positioned for a late challenge.
Confidence boost
Speaking ahead of Friday's visit of Nottingham Forest, McCarthy said: "Considering when we played Bristol City we could have gone fourth or fifth bottom (if we had lost), the difference is palpable.
"You could feel it around the place, how much it meant, the confidence people have which comes from playing well and winning games.
"It has given us a chance to be nipping at those in front of us, as opposed to be worried about people chasing us.
"If you're in the top six, all you worry about is falling out of it. Even if you're in the bottom three, you're chasing to get out, while fourth or fifth bottom you desperately don't want to drop in at this stage.
"And I know if you're in the top six, the last thing you want is to drop out now and that's by any of us chasing them, because it's really hard to get the momentum back."
Ahead of fixtures that see sixth-placed Reading play Barnsley in fifth, and seventh-placed Bournemouth take on another outside hopeful Middlesbrough in ninth, McCarthy accepts Cardiff will not be alone in thinking they could turn the screw on those already in the promotion spots.
A former promotion winner with Wolverhampton Wanderers and Sunderland, McCarthy says his aim will be to try and get players back up to speed following the international break, where he says he was "delighted" top scorer Kieffer Moore did not start two of Wales' World Cup qualifiers.
Defenders Perry Ng and Curtis Nelson are also fit again for selection, but Jordi Osei Tutu and Lee Tomlin are still completing their recoveries from injury.