"Malky wary of Rickie Lambert return"

CARDIFF CITY boss Malky Mackay admits stuttering Southampton will receive a massive boost with the return of striker Rickie Lambert.

The 29-year-old Lambert, who sits top of the Championship goal-scoring charts with 15, will be back when the Bluebirds travel to St Mary’s on Tuesday hoping to force their way into the automatic promotion places for the first time this season.

Lambert has served a three-match ban following his red card at Brighton this month and will feature in the Saints’ FA Cup clash at Millwall today before facing the Bluebirds

Nigel Adkins’ side has seen their good start to their first second-tier campaign since earning promotion suffer recently with both Leicester and Bristol City registering wins on the south coast.

Cardiff now lie in third in the Championship just a point behind their hosts, who at one stage looked to be pulling away at the top.

But Mackay said he is reading nothing into the Saints’ wobble – and even insists they are the best team his side has faced.

Cardiff beat Southampton 2-1 in September with Kenny Miller on target twice for the Bluebirds.

“You get periods like that, dips in form for spells in the season, but it doesn’t mean everything has gone wrong or people have found you out,” said Mackay.

“Every team in the division will go through that. You pick up a few injuries or suspensions to key men and inevitably it does have a knock-on effect.

“For me, football-wise, Southampton are the best team we have played this season.

“I’ve got a deep respect for Nigel Adkins. He goes about his business in a quiet and methodical manner.

“We know we are in for a very tough night there and we are going to have to be at our best again to get a result.

“Lambert has been enjoying a great season in front of goal and is a big, big presence for his side.

“Any side is going to suffer after losing their big goal threat.

“When he plays he does bring that something extra to them that they don’t have when he’s missing.

“But they are a good side all round and we are going to have to match them and more if we are to get anything.”

Mackay must now bring his players back down to earth after they reached next month’s Carling Cup Final after a thrilling shoot-out victory over Crystal Palace on Tuesday.

But he and his men know that the prize is a big one if they can see off Southampton, the chance to force their way into the Championship’s automatic promotion places.

Although Mackay himself is refusing to get carried away by such talk insisting that, with 19 Championship games left, there is still plenty of football to be played this campaign.

“Obviously you want to be lying as high up the table as you can,” added Mackay.

“But there is a long, long way to go and I don’t really think you should start looking around you until when there are maybe 10 to go.

“We need to just keep concentrating on ourselves. We know what this division is like, very unpredictable, very tight and if you put a run of games together you can soon move up it.

“In the same way too, if you take your eye off things you can soon drift down it too.

“I am pleased we’ve put a little gap between ourselves and the sides below us, but we have to keep things going.

“Our focus right now is on our trip to Southampton.”

"Steve Tucker" Wales Online

I like Lambert. I remember watching him scoring a brace for Bristol Rovers and he was head and shoulders above anyone on the field that day.

hard game on Tuesday

Rickie Lambert will be a big threat to Cardiff and their asperations of breaking into the top 2 but there are other players that are also a main threat, i still believe Cardiff win come away from St Mary's with 3 points. Malky is the man with a plan and he will have the team fired up and ready to give another 110% for the cause, another 2-1 win will do me nicely!.

On the scoresheet today.

Turner will take him out.

Turner will take him out.

Turner is a beast of a defender, I rekon he will be better than Roger!