McCarthy: We Need to Beat Cardiff to Make the Play-Offs Tuesday, 14th Apr 2015 06:00 Boss Mick McCarthy believes the Blues will need to beat Cardiff City at Portman Road this evening in order to reach the play-offs. Town climbed to sixth - ahead of Brentford and Wolves in seventh and eighth on goal difference - following Saturday’s 3-2 victory over Blackpool with just four Championship games left to play. “I think for us to be in the play-offs we need to win,” he said. “That’s crazy because we could draw and we could win the next three, we don’t know. “But the reality is, with games ebbing away and the bit of momentum you need, I think we need to be going to Wolves with a win under our belt.” Cardiff are currently 12th, out of both the play-off battle and the relegation dogfight and, like the already relegated Tangerines, McCarthy expects them to play with greater freedom as a result of having nothing left to play for: “They’ll be exactly the same.” Having been relegated from the Premier League last season, it’s been a difficult first season back in the Championship for the Bluebirds. McCarthy knows from his experiences at one of his previous clubs that it’s not an easy transition to make. “It’s difficult, it’s a team that was relegated that has to be pulled up the boot straps and changed,” he said. “I had it at Sunderland. When I joined with nine games [of the 2002/03 Premier League season] to go and the team got relegated, suddenly all the players who were on millions were out the door and we were bringing in lads from Oxford [Dean Whitehead], Stockport reserves, Andy Welsh, Liam Lawrence came from Mansfield, Gary Breen came in on a free [from West Ham] and people like that and were rebuilding it. “That’s tough that, that’s hard that and that’s where they’re at now - Kenwyne Jones is out of Bournemouth now, Adam Le Fondre went up to Bolton. “It’s hard for Russell Slade, but they can come here and all they want to do is knock us off our perch, so let’s hope they don’t.” McCarthy has been impressed by the job Slade is doing: “He’s done well in difficult circumstances with changing from a Premier League club to a Championship club. “It’s hard managing expectations, managing players and actually managing when you’re trying have a huge overhaul of players, which is what’s happened again there.” On the injury front, McCarthy confirmed that Luke Varney was a doubt with the tight hamstring which forced him off in the first half on Saturday, while he doesn’t expect any of his other injured players to return. However, midfielder Kevin Bru, third in this year’s Player of the Year vote, was due to return to training yesterday. “He’s training on Sunday but he’s been out since the Watford game, which is three weeks and he’s not done anything so it's doubtful [he’ll be back],” McCarthy added. The Town boss was giving little away on whether he was planning to freshen his squad up for the third of three games in nine days, but said he would assess how his players had recovered from Saturday’s match before picking his side. He is likely to stick with Bartosz Bialkowski in goal, while skipper Luke Chambers will be at right-back, Tyrone Mings on the left and Christophe Berra and Tommy Smith at the centre of the defence. Cole Skuse will keep his regular role in the centre of the midfield with Richard Chaplow perhaps coming into the side for Teddy Bishop, who managed a full 90 minutes for the first time on Saturday. Jay Tabb will probably continue on the left, although Stephen Hunt and Jonny Parr are available as alternatives, while Paul Anderson could start in place of Varney, who is unlikely to be risked if there are any concerns regarding his injury. Up front, Player of the Year Daryl Murphy is again likely to be partnered by Freddie Sears, who was rested at Huddersfield last Monday. Jonny Williams is again set to play a part from the bench, as is Chris Wood. Cardiff boss Russell Slade is hoping his side continued their good recent form on the road: “We are unbeaten in seven games away. "We have been consistent, resilient and we need more of the same at Ipswich. They are a good team and it’s a tough test for us, but we are ready for the challenge.” On-loan Everton striker Conor McAleny is set to miss out with a hamstring injury, while Federico Macheda, Anthony Pilkington, Kagisho Dikgacoi, Ben Turner, Alex Revell and Nicky Maynard are all still sidelined. Town have the upper hand historically, winning 20 (18 in the league), drawing 12 (12) and losing 12 (11). In October, the Blues’ undefeated run was halted at eight games as Cardiff came from a goal down to win 3-1 at the Cardiff City Stadium. Daryl Murphy put Town ahead with a brilliant strike in the 29th minute, Peter Whittingham equalised with a similarly special effort on 37, before Federico Macheda netted two minutes after the break and Adam Le Fondre added the third on 69. Last time at Portman Road, in October 2012, Premier League-bound Cardiff came from behind to beat the Blues 2-1 to reclaim top spot. Debutant DJ Campbell put Town in front just before half-time, although having clearly used his hand, but two second-half goals from Heidar Helguson won the points for the Bluebirds. Cardiff midfielder Stuart O’Keefe was an academy schoolboy with Town, while the Bluebirds' Icelandic midfielder Aron Gunnarsson had a trial with the Blues' youth set-up when also a schoolboy. Central defender Semi Ajayi, who is on loan at Cardiff from Arsenal, was on trial with the Blues in January when he played a game for the U21s against the Bluebirds. Town U21s coach and former left-back Mark Kennedy joined the Blues from Cardiff in the summer of 2010 for £75,000. Bluebirds defender Josh Yorwerth, 20, is currently on trial with Town and scored for the U21s in yesterday’s 3-0 victory at Bristol City. Cardiff owner Vincent Tan is funding four coaches carrying 250 fans from Wales for tonight's game as a thank-you gesture in what's been a tough season for Bluebirds' fans. Tonight’s referee is Gavin Ward from Surrey, who has shown 112 yellow cards and nine red in 31 games so far this season. Ward’s most recent Town match was the 2-0 defeat at Rotherham in February when he booked Cole Skuse and Zeki Fryers, who was then on loan with the Millers. Squad from: Bialkowski, Gerken, Chambers, Mings, Fryers, Parr, Smith, Berra, Skuse, Bishop, Chaplow, Benyu, Williams, Tabb, S Hunt, Henshall, Anderson, Varney, Murphy, Sears, Wood.
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