by TopCat CCFC » Mon Apr 01, 2024 10:56 pm
Erol Bulut praised his team's solid defensive display against Coventry City and admitted he would like Nat Phillips back at Cardiff City next season - if he himself is handed a new contract.
Bluebirds fans could be forgiven for being nervous when Mark McGuinness was ruled out for a length of time, after the centre-back enjoyed an excellent first half of the season.
However, Phillips, who has joined on loan from Liverpool, has been magnificent at centre-back next to Dimitrios Goutas. And the pair were solid again in the 2-1 win in the Midlands.
"The two centre backs are doing a really good job next to each other," Bulut said after the match. "Nat came in January and has settled really well, he is one of the leaders in the defence. They did really well."
Asked if he could see Phillips back at Cardiff next season, the manager replied: "This is a good question!
"First of all we have to speak about different things. He has one more year left at Liverpool. If I am coach next year, which I do not know yet, I would like to see him again here!"
Bulut said after losing to Sunderland on Good Friday that uncertainty over his own future - his contract is up at the end of the season - might have fed into the wobble of two defeats in the last two matches.
However, we appear to be no further forward with regards to the manager's future. "I am really focussed until the end of the season and on the rest of the games, to get the maximum we can," he said.
"I have to respect it, if I don't get a contract. If they make other plans, this is OK, but I think the time is coming that they will let me know. But I also have to make my plans for next season."
Josh Bowler had a hand in both of Cardiff's goals, however they were officially given as Liam Kitching own goals. Having gone a goal down thanks to Ellis Simms, Bulut spoke glowingly of his team's reaction to the early setback.
"It was a great reaction from the team," he said. "What we missed against Sunderland, we were planning to get three points against them, we started well but after the penalty, everything was lost, the confidence. Today was a game we had to show a reaction and they showed a great reaction after the Sunderland game.
"Like against Ipswich, we have been 1-0 down and against Coventry, away, its not easy to come back and change the game. The guys did a great job to change the game. Great defensive work, too.