BREAKING NEIL HARRIS:

“ NEIL HARRIS TODAY UPDATES CARDIFF CITY FANS “

Thursday 10th December 2020




NEIL HARRIS:


Harry Wilson looks a major doubt for the derby this weekend. Neil Harris says the player's arm 'has to improve' if he is to be considered for selection.






Couldn’t ask for a better run of form heading into this?

The guys are happy, settled, we are looking forward to it.

We can’t go into it in any better shape.






Swansea don’t score many but don’t let many in. Doesn’t smack of being high scoring?

We’ll have to see! Hopefully we score lots of goals!

You know it’s going to be closely contested, fans or no fans. The scoreline, I just hope we come out on the right side of a win, whether that’s 8-7 or 1-0.






“ READ ALL NEIL HARRIS UPDATES BELOW “




Millwall - what did you make of the booing?

I’m not going to go back over old ground. Millwall do a lot of work in the community. The other night you saw Millwall and QPR come together to show that discrimination will not be accepted in football.

We have a platform as an industry, managers, players, to make it clear to every generation there is no place for discrimination.





Harry Wilson update

It’s not a good injury. I don’t know the ins and outs because it’s very strange. He’s got a real issue with that arm.

As I found out in the last few hours until you injure your arm you don’t realise how much you use your arm in football.

If he’s got a chance, we will have to give him until the last knockings.

I couldn’t tell you (what chance he has) because of the nature of the injury. I’ll be guided tomorrow and wait until Saturday morning.

It needs to improve.

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NEIL HARRIS:


Has this run of form surprised you?

Not surprised. It’s pleased me. We had a tough start which was well documented. But we have been very good in the last four games.

Three games we deserved the points, Stoke was a closely contested game as always. A little lack of quality but we came out on the right side.

We have put runs together before and will continue to do that in the future. You just want that consistency.

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The South Wales derby has been chosen for Sky TV.


CARDIFF CITY WILL ONCE AGAIN RECEIVE £130,000



Sat Dec 12 CARDIFF CITY v SWANSEA CITY (12pm)


Wed Dec 16 BIRMINGHAM CITY H


Sat Dec 19 Norwich City A

Sat Dec 26 BRENTFORD H

Tue Dec 29 Wycombe Wanderers A


Sat Jan 02 Rotherham United A

Sat Jan 16 NORWICH CITY H

Wed Jan 20 QUEENS PARK RANGERS H

Sat Jan 23 Barnsley A
Sat Jan 30 MILLWALL H

Sat Feb 06 Bristol City A
Sat Feb 13 COVENTRY CITY H
Tue Feb 16 Luton Town A
Sat Feb 20 PRESTON NORTH END H
Wed Feb 24 AFC Bournemouth A
Sat Feb 27 Middlesbrough A

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NEIL HARRIS:



What do you make of Swansea?

They’ve got some good players. They’ve had a good start this year. A settled side and squad.

We know it’s another tough challenge but we will focus on ourselves for this game.

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NEIL HARRIS:




Millwall - what did you make of the booing?

I’m not going to go back over old ground. Millwall do a lot of work in the community. The other night you saw Millwall and QPR come together to show that discrimination will not be accepted in football.

We have a platform as an industry, managers, players, to make it clear to every generation there is no place for discrimination.

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NEIL HARRIS:



Derby game without fans…

It’s a huge game. Bragging rights are at stake. It’s a massive game. I was watching some footage earlier of the game back in January. The stadium was packed, atmosphere was electric. Both clubs will miss the fans. It’s a great fixture in the football calendar, one of the biggest games of the season in the Championship.

Fans will be missed but it doesn’t take away the importance of it.

We know the importance to the fan base.

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NEIL HARRIS:


Watford standout for you?

Watford was a really good game for us. First half we were better, second half it was a really disciplined performance.

It showed how far we had come in a week, Luton, Huddersfield and then Watford. It’s been a good week with different sorts of fixtures.

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NEIL HARRIS:


Swansea don’t score many but don’t let many in. Doesn’t smack of being high scoring?

We’ll have to see! Hopefully we score lots of goals!

You know it’s going to be closely contested, fans or no fans. The scoreline, I just hope we come out on the right side of a win, whether that’s 8-7 or 1-0.

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NEIL HARRIS:




Kieffer Moore, what do you see in him that’s similar to attributes you had?

I’m 5ft 10in he’s 6ft 5in, he’s quick, I wasn’t. It’s my job to develop players. Even Sol Bamba, mid-30s, we try and help him develop.

Same with young Mark Harris, it’s my job to try and develop them.

There are areas I can help Kieffer with.

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NEIL HARRIS:





Should you give teams out before like Bielsa?

Marcelo, he’s one in a million. It’s the way he’s done it for a long time. We tend to be a bit more coy, cards close to our chest.

Injuries, I don’t think we’d be able to anyway.

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NEIL HARRIS:




Derbies are all about fans, do you feel fans might be back in next time so it might be unfair?

Possibly. We will have to cross that when we get to it. Hopefully we can get to that in the coming months, when we go to Bristol and Swansea.

Derbies are all about the fans and also it’s why we are involved in our profession.

It’s why we are so competitive.

It’s down to us, my team, to create that atmosphere which won’t be provided by the fans.

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NEIL HARRIS:

You understand the significance of it to the fans down here?

Course I do. It’s never lost on me.

In my playing career, they are the best games to play in.

I know the importance to the fan base and that will certainly be mentioned in the changing room. It already has been.

It’s not a joy for people in lockdown in the lead up to Christmas and they can’t watch their team. There’s been a hardship and we have an opportunity to put smiles on faces.

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NEIL HARRIS:



Different build-up this time?

In some ways it’s good because our full focus was Stoke.

Credit to my players and staff on Tuesday for focusing on Stoke and not getting too far ahead.

Whatever happens you can’t get Swansea out of your mind on Saturday, I’m sure it’ll be the same for their guys with Cardiff on Saturday.

Every now and again your mind wanders to the derby. We took care of Stoke, but then when I’m asked about Swansea that’s my life for the week.

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NEIL HARRIS:


Different build-up this time?

In some ways it’s good because our full focus was Stoke.

Credit to my players and staff on Tuesday for focusing on Stoke and not getting too far ahead.

Whatever happens you can’t get Swansea out of your mind on Saturday, I’m sure it’ll be the same for their guys with Cardiff on Saturday.

Every now and again your mind wanders to the derby. We took care of Stoke, but then when I’m asked about Swansea that’s my life for the week.

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NEIL HARRIS:

A few Welshmen in the team, does that make a difference?

The Welsh players we’ve got in the group and the extended group, the youngsters training with us, the staff we’ve got.

That adds the knowledge, the players know the importance. I’ve got a passionate changing room. The players have shown me that over the last few weeks.

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NEIL HARRIS:




Form now just like it was after lockdown, has that impetus come back?

We clearly have. The performances and the results, even Stoke was a good performance in different ways.

I think post-lockdown we had that real siege mentality, a mindset of ‘we are going to do this’, going into every fixture thinking we are going to win.

Maybe we lost that after losing a play-off semi-final, and it’s taken a while to get it back.

We have done it four games in 10 days and now the players have another opportunity to show it to the fan base.

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NEIL HARRIS:



Built around your position as manager?

I think that’s fair to say. The players have responded magnificently and the praise goes to the players but it’s what we want to achieve that’s important now.

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The betting odds

The odds for Saturday are intriguing to say the least...

Cardiff City win - 7/5

Draw - 11/5

Swansea City win - 2/1

NEIL HARRIS:


Last thing you’ll say to them?

I’m not always prepared, but it’s from the heart normally. It’ll be about doing themselves and the club proud. Putting in a performance for the 30,000 Bluebirds who can’t be at the fixture.

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NEIL HARRIS:



Form goes out the window, but without fans does form have a bigger part?

Quite possibly. Anyone can beat anyone in the Championship.

Derbies, form can be important, it can sometimes go out the window.

Atmosphere, we are at home but without a fanbase. Do we have an advantage? Possibly.

But it’s about us creating the atmosphere and that inner confidence, that clean-sheet mentality. The belief to score goals.

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The six-month old Neil Harris claim which rang true at Stoke and has given Cardiff City a big Swansea City headache

Robert Glatzel goals this season have been like London buses – wait ages for one and then two come along in no time at all.

But if we had listened to Neil Harris six months ago, it was never really in doubt.

The German has had a middling start to this campaign, but, like the Bluebirds as a whole, he is hitting form just at the right time as we head into derby weekend.

Just a week ago, many City fans felt for Glatzel. He had been pushed out of the side by the mightily impressive Kieffer Moore, while academy product Mark Harris had leapfrogged him into the starting lineup and had done so with aplomb, having scored his first senior goal for his boyhood club against Luton Town on his full debut.

Before the midweek clash against Huddersfield Town last week, Glatzel had failed to register a goal in his 11 City appearances, albeit mostly from the bench, this term.

There was no doubting there was a monkey on his back. He had enjoyed patches of form last season, but many thought that, having adjusted to the Championship last term, he would kick on and provide a top striking partnership with Moore this season.

It hasn't quite worked out like that just yet.

Maybe now, though, with Cardiff playing so well and on the front foot, we might see him flourish.

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NEIL HARRIS:



Feel pressure of being compared to Swansea?

It’s pressure enough, being a derby game. It’s bragging rights.

Living in Cardiff, I know, going into shops over the last few days, people saying good luck and to do the city proud.

It’s just that people want it so much, the bragging rights. You want to make people happy and I want to make people happy.

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HARRY WILSON LATEST:




Here's what Neil Harris had to say on it afterwards:





NEIL HARRIS:



"It's a really bizarre one.

"It's an arm injury. The muscle in the arm, the bicep, not because he's been in the gym doing loads of weights. He's not built like that!

"We'll just have to see.

"I've picked the same team four games in a row. I've been really fortunate enough to do it, and we've had four positive results, obviously.

"I'm not sure that's going to be the case going into the South Wales derby at the weekend with the walking wounded we've got in the dressing room at the moment."

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NEIL HARRIS:




Couldn’t ask for a better run of form heading into this?

The guys are happy, settled, we are looking forward to it.

We can’t go into it in any better shape.

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NEIL HARRIS:



Feel pressure of being compared to Swansea?

It’s pressure enough, being a derby game. It’s bragging rights.

Living in Cardiff, I know, going into shops over the last few days, people saying good luck and to do the city proud.

It’s just that people want it so much, the bragging rights. You want to make people happy and I want to make people happy.

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NEIL HARRIS:


Do you wear a Cardiff mask?

It’s a black adidas one!

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NEIL HARRIS:



Post-lockdown was a mini-tournament, Champ schedule is unforgiving, might need to break the season down?

Maybe a bit of that.

I like to think professional athletes, when questioned, you want to see a response. Individually, if you are a proud professional you want to push back and tell people they are wrong.

We had a negative and responded with a positive.

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NEIL HARRIS:



How much are you looking forward to it?

I can’t wait. It’s a great fixture. We are playing against a good side.

The friendship between me and Steve goes aside for 90 minutes. You want to be a part of it.

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NEIL HARRIS:


How much are you looking forward to it?

I can’t wait. It’s a great fixture. We are playing against a good side.

The friendship between me and Steve goes aside for 90 minutes. You want to be a part of it.

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HARRRIS:





Couldn’t have asked for a better time for your best run?

No! It was much-needed.

Going into a really busy but tough schedule as well.

Luton and Huddersfield at home, you’ve got to win them. Watford and Stoke, two teams in the top five and winning, well done, but then you go into a local derby.

It’s a great division.

But it’s important we put a run together.

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