BREAKING NEIL HARRIS:

NEIL HARRIS:

Some bookies weren’t having you sat in that seat for the derby…

You have to earn the right to have a standing in any division.

We had to earn the right to look above you. We chased last year and got so close to achieving the play-off final.

This year, albeit 12, 13 games in, we are chasing again and won four on a spin.

We have got to keep winning games.

You just see where a little bit of consistency can propel you to.

We want to be in and around the play-offs chasing the top two.

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NEIL HARRIS:


Talk to Vincent Tan?

I’ll be talking to the owner tonight or tomorrow, before the game.

He is extremely happy with the performances of the players and is extremely pleased with the results.

He is a proud man and a proud owner of Cardiff City who has had really good success while he has been here. So he will be demanding a home win on Saturday.

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NEIL HARRIS:




TOM COLEMAN
Derbies at Millwall, loads of them, does it make more of a spike in your fixture list because there are fewer?

At Millwall, Charlton, yes, Palace, West Ham is the big one. They were the big ones. Charlton was the only one we really played.

Millwall-West Ham, when I played at Forest I played against Derby a couple of times.

This, the atmosphere in the CCS was something else when we played them in January.

It goes back to the importance of the fan base. It’s the fan base that makes derbies.

It’s about professional pride, getting one over the rivals.

The spike around derby week is massive, like no other.

They are fantastic occasions to be involved in… if you win!

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NEIL HARRIS:


Does the owner regard this fixture as very special?

He has been in charge a long time now and the big thing for him, having met a lot of the fans and staff and been at Cardiff-Swansea games, he understands the passion side of it.

Vincent is a winner, he loves to win. So, naturally, put all that into the melting pot and he wants to win this game!

He does understand the importance of this one. When I speak to him before the game, whether that is tonight or tomorrow, he will be saying a special few words to spur me on to win this one.

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Neil Harris:

"Living in Cardiff, going into shops over the last few days, people have been stopping me and saying, 'good luck', 'well done', 'come on we have to win on Saturday', 'do the city proud' and 'do the fans proud'.

"It's so important. It's not because there might be a negative afterwards, it's just that people want it so much, the bragging rights.

"Ultimately, you want to make people happy and I want to make our fans happy by getting a positive result."

For that to happen, Cardiff will have to carry their recent form into this clash against a very good Championship outfit in Swansea City.

Having failed to win either South Wales derby last season, the Bluebirds will be desperate to chalk one on the board for the fanbase as we head into what will be a difficult festive period, both in a footballing and a societal context.

And while Tan will doubtless have a few sharp words of encouragement for Harris, the manager will also have his own rallying cry ready for his players before they cross the whitewash Saturday lunchtime.

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Confidence is high - Harris

Cardiff City are the form team heading into this derby clash, with the win over Stoke City in midweek their fourth on the bounce.

The Bluebirds haven't won five consecutive league matches since March 2018 - a run that ultimately drove them to promotion under Neil Warnock.

And Harris insists that confidence is high in the home camp ahead of this one.

“The confidence and belief in the group goes without saying,” he said.

“The guys are happy and settled and we look forward to the game. We can’t go into it in any better shape.

“Four wins on the spin for us doesn’t surprise me, because we’ve put good runs together in the past and will do again in the future. Now we want to add to it on Saturday, that’s for sure.

“Like all Championship sides, they (Swansea) have got some good players within their set-up and have had a good start this year.

“They have a relatively settled squad and we know it’s another tough challenge, but we’re certainly focused on ourselves in this game.

“I’ve got a passionate changing room and guys that want to win. They’ve stood up and shown that. They’ll certainly have that mindset and competitive nature this weekend."

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