Cardiff City manager Russell Slade has risked the wrath of the supporters by suggesting that they should not expect play-offs this season.
After getting relegated to the Championship last season, the club have been struggling to live up to the early-season expectations. Even after the appointment of Slade midway through the campaign, results have not improved. The club are now struggling in the 16th position with no victories in the last five matches.
This poor run of form is threatening to pull their club in the opposite direction with relegation becoming a distinct reality.
The club are only six points away from Millwall in the final relegation spot, but Slade says that he is confident that the club will not be pulled into a relegation battle at the end of the season. There were a number of departures from the club during the January and it appeared to be a sign of the club accepting defeat in their efforts to return to the Premier League at the end of the season. After falling 16 points behind the final play-off spot, Slade has accepted defeat stating that Cardiff will now try to end the season on a high. The acceptance came after the 0-0 draw against Brighton, who are struggling at the bottom of the table.
“I wouldn’t say it’s gone but it’s looking unrealistic.We’ve got to put some real consolidated run together to get us up there.It doesn’t mean it’s impossible. It can happen, teams have done it before.At the minute we don’t look like we’re capable of doing that. We need to be picking up wins. I think we have enough ability, collective togetherness, character and desire to look upwards and get us up to the top half of the table. All I can say is to finish as high as we can and accumulate as many points as we can,” said Slade.