Tue Jan 24, 2012 6:57 am
MALKY Mackay believes Cardiff City Stadium ‘will be rocking’ for tonight’s Carling Cup semi-final against Crystal Palace.
Manager Mackay dismissed reports from London that Palace believe the Bluebirds will be ‘scared stiff’ about tonight’s second leg after losing 1-0 at Selhurst Park.
The winners on aggregate will go forward to the final where they will take on Liverpool or Manchester City, who meet in their return match tomorrow.
“We are obviously excited to be in the semi-finals of a cup,” said Mackay. “We have prepared properly and now we are looking to enjoy it.
“We have done well in the Carling Cup this season, we have had some fantastic games and have all enjoyed it.
“Effectively, the scoreline means we are a goal down at half-time in the tie. It will be a full house and rocking tonight.
“I was delighted with how the fans showed their passion and got behind the team against Portsmouth and I don’t see any difference this evening.
“It will be a fantastic occasion, but we need to play the game, not the occasion.
“The fans have been through it before, but I can only talk about what I see and feel here. There is a confidence within our stadium which will be full of people who desperately want the team to do well because they see the players care.
“Their team play with passion and they embrace that. That’s why I feel the home fans can be our 12th man in this second leg.”
Freedman attempted to pile the pressure on Mackay by suggesting their supporters will be ‘scared stiff’ of seeing their charges come up short again following their play-off defeats to Reading in the semi-finals last year, Blackpool in the 2010 final and the 2008 FA Cup final loss against Portsmouth.
“I look after my own club and it is not my style to talk about other teams,” said Mackay. “Needless to say, though, part of the team talk is done.”
“We’ll make sure we play the way we want to play. We’ll be calm going out there.
“We’ll stick to our game plan and our players will know what they’ve been asked to do.
“I have got confidence in my team to be able to run for 90, 95 minutes or longer, and that will be the case this evening.
“I have no doubt in the ability and enthusiasm of my team to play Saturday-Tuesday games.”
Cardiff City have earned 10 points from the last 12 Championship points on offer and their next League match after tonight’s cup outing is against leaders Southampton away a week today.
Now they face a tense evening at Cardiff City Stadium and Mackay says: “We’ve been through the competition and played Premier League opposition.
“We’ve been to extra-time and penalties.
“There’s a whole rollercoaster of emotions that have gone on this season and the players have handled it all very calmly.”
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Tue Jan 24, 2012 7:41 am
the stewards need to leave us alone tonight to get on with making the atmosphere as hot as it can be..
theres no doubt that 4000 standing noisy palace fans will be doing their best to shut us up..
this cannot happen..