Cardiff manager Russell Slade has admitted that the club needs to improve its consistency if they are to start moving up the table. After managing two victories on the bounce – albeit in different competitions, the team slipped to a 3-2 defeat against Norwich.
Slade has especially identified that the team has to improve a lot when it comes to defending. Norwich may be going through a good run of form at the moment, but Slade feels that most of the three goals could have been prevented. Indeed, Cardiff have one of the poorest defensive records in the division after conceding 38 goals in just 26 league matches.
In terms of scoring goals, they have not been spectacular but it has been enough to do the job. Slade has once again stressed that he has had to work with a limited budget since coming to the club.
The budget has been limited largely because of the club’s relegation from the Premier League. They now face an uncertain future even though parachute payments are set to support the club for the next three years. Slade says that he wants the players to regroup quickly and try to get three points against Middlesbrough, who have only twice in the last five matches.
“We were better in the second half, but maybe that means I need to speak to them before the game in the manner I had to do at the break more often. There were strong words shared at half time, that’s for sure.
We can’t make it so hard for ourselves. It’s about the staff and players trying to resolve things now, particularly away from home. We are making it difficult for ourselves and it has to improve on that front. It’s the inconsistency that concerns us,” said Slade after the defeat against Norwich.