Malky sees Leicester as a big threat
Tue Dec 18, 2012 6:54 am
Malky Mackay accepts that Leicester City are among the biggest threats to Cardiff City in the chase for automatic promotion.
Manager Mackay takes his Bluebirds squad to play the Foxes at the King Power Stadium this Saturday and says: “They have, like us, a squad rated among the best in Championship football.
“Leicester are a club who have built steadily and have had serious backing over the last few years.
“They have been able to add to their squad and the key factor is that Leicester have had the backing to do that without taking away top players. Key players have stayed and they have strength in depth.
“Managers there have trimmed where they felt it was needed, but have not been forced to lose players they wanted to keep. That’s the biggest factor for them as they built their squad.”
Nigel Pearson has been back in charge of Leicester for more than a year, having ended his first spell in 2010. Paulo Sousa, Sven-Goran Eriksson and Mike Stowell followed before Pearson returned and was given the chance to finish the task of leading them to promotion.
Cardiff follow that trip to Leicester with successive home matches, against second-placed Crystal Palace on Boxing Day and then Millwall, who are sixth, on Saturday, December 29.
Former Blackpool manager Iain Holloway brings his Palace team to Cardiff City manager, while ex-Swansea City boss Kenny Jackett visits with his Lions of Millwall a few days later.
“Palace continued to build after last season, when they laid a solid foundation,” says Mackay. “They looked a team in the real sense last season, a team maybe that was more than the sum of its parts.
“The way they played and their consistency impressed. They also have the X-factor in Wilfried Zaha.
“He has been a talent in this division for some time now and has been coming on really well. Now he looks a player who won’t be in this division for much longer, either with Palace in the Premier League or not.
“That Zaha factor plus the team mindset makes them a potent threat for the rest of this season.
“They have a new manger, but the team is similar to that which played under Dougie Freedman. It’s very much the same. Why change something that’s not broken.
“Millwall, too, have been winning games consistently. Kenny has them on a great run.
“If you do that it’s easy to climb the table. Look at Reading last season when they went on a crazy run and won the League.
“Millwall are certainly a team who can maintain their challenge. Certainly, I would not rule that out in any way.
“I played for a Watford team who many said would not last the course. To some we were relegation favourites, but we were promoted. When a team plays as a team, gets on a roll and stays free of injuries plus suspensions as much as possible they can certainly maintain the challenge.
“Kenny Jackett has done a great job there. He’s manager of the month. That says it all.”
Mackay’s City are preparing for three matches in eight days, against promotion rivals Leicester, Palace and Millwall, which will take them beyond halfway in the season.
“To be in the promotion places at this stage and gelling together as a team is what we were aiming for,” he says. “That’s a good feeling, but we have to keep our eyes on the ball and chalk off one game at a time. Nobody is getting carried away.
“It’s steady as she goes within the camp. We can reflect at our progress so far and feel we have done a solid job as a group. But we have to stay consistent and stay focused.
“The next game is against Leicester and that’s the only one which counts right now.”
Read more: Wales Online http://www.walesonline.co.uk/footballna ... z2FNsVMM34
Manager Mackay takes his Bluebirds squad to play the Foxes at the King Power Stadium this Saturday and says: “They have, like us, a squad rated among the best in Championship football.
“Leicester are a club who have built steadily and have had serious backing over the last few years.
“They have been able to add to their squad and the key factor is that Leicester have had the backing to do that without taking away top players. Key players have stayed and they have strength in depth.
“Managers there have trimmed where they felt it was needed, but have not been forced to lose players they wanted to keep. That’s the biggest factor for them as they built their squad.”
Nigel Pearson has been back in charge of Leicester for more than a year, having ended his first spell in 2010. Paulo Sousa, Sven-Goran Eriksson and Mike Stowell followed before Pearson returned and was given the chance to finish the task of leading them to promotion.
Cardiff follow that trip to Leicester with successive home matches, against second-placed Crystal Palace on Boxing Day and then Millwall, who are sixth, on Saturday, December 29.
Former Blackpool manager Iain Holloway brings his Palace team to Cardiff City manager, while ex-Swansea City boss Kenny Jackett visits with his Lions of Millwall a few days later.
“Palace continued to build after last season, when they laid a solid foundation,” says Mackay. “They looked a team in the real sense last season, a team maybe that was more than the sum of its parts.
“The way they played and their consistency impressed. They also have the X-factor in Wilfried Zaha.
“He has been a talent in this division for some time now and has been coming on really well. Now he looks a player who won’t be in this division for much longer, either with Palace in the Premier League or not.
“That Zaha factor plus the team mindset makes them a potent threat for the rest of this season.
“They have a new manger, but the team is similar to that which played under Dougie Freedman. It’s very much the same. Why change something that’s not broken.
“Millwall, too, have been winning games consistently. Kenny has them on a great run.
“If you do that it’s easy to climb the table. Look at Reading last season when they went on a crazy run and won the League.
“Millwall are certainly a team who can maintain their challenge. Certainly, I would not rule that out in any way.
“I played for a Watford team who many said would not last the course. To some we were relegation favourites, but we were promoted. When a team plays as a team, gets on a roll and stays free of injuries plus suspensions as much as possible they can certainly maintain the challenge.
“Kenny Jackett has done a great job there. He’s manager of the month. That says it all.”
Mackay’s City are preparing for three matches in eight days, against promotion rivals Leicester, Palace and Millwall, which will take them beyond halfway in the season.
“To be in the promotion places at this stage and gelling together as a team is what we were aiming for,” he says. “That’s a good feeling, but we have to keep our eyes on the ball and chalk off one game at a time. Nobody is getting carried away.
“It’s steady as she goes within the camp. We can reflect at our progress so far and feel we have done a solid job as a group. But we have to stay consistent and stay focused.
“The next game is against Leicester and that’s the only one which counts right now.”
Read more: Wales Online http://www.walesonline.co.uk/footballna ... z2FNsVMM34
Re: Malky sees Leicester as a big threat
Tue Dec 18, 2012 9:40 am
Gonna be a tough game, this game is to get us back on track.
Re: Malky sees Leicester as a big threat
Tue Dec 18, 2012 4:58 pm
even peterborough are a threat to us at the moment,
everyone wants to chop our heads off, and we perhaps aren't up to the pressure?
we were and doing ok when we were going about our business unnoticed but now cardiff city are the team to beat and you have to be that little bit better
everyone wants to chop our heads off, and we perhaps aren't up to the pressure?
we were and doing ok when we were going about our business unnoticed but now cardiff city are the team to beat and you have to be that little bit better
Re: Malky sees Leicester as a big threat
Tue Dec 18, 2012 8:59 pm
if we get a point at leicester and beat palace i think we will be on our way 