BREAKING NEIL HARRIS: " UPDATES CARDIFF CITY FANS "

“ NEIL HARRIS UPDATES CARDIFF CITY FANS “

Thursday 2nd July 2020




NEIL HARRIS:


First up is the matter of Robert Glatzel's fitness?

"He’s unlikely for Saturday. Protocol hasn’t ruled him out yet. We’re on the 24-hour time monitoring process at the moment.

"We’re in a little bit of a grey area. I’ll know more tomorrow. But he’s not been on the training pitch today."




Josh Murphy?

"Josh has done really well. We had a training group late on Tuesday after the game and he was part of that.

"That was really good training for the lads. It’s important that the players get what they need out of their weekly training schedule. He’s available for the weekend."


“ READ ALL NEIL HARRIS UPDATES BELOW “







Tomlin ready to start?

LEE HARRIS:

"I don’t think he’s far off. It’s risk and reward with Tommo at times, that’s the nature of coming back from an injury.

"There was a long time of doing nothing. I’ve not had to risk him so far, and it’s been a lovely position to be in.

"I’ll see what Saturday brings with the team selection, and what Tuesday brings, but while we’re going well, we really don’t need to risk players and I’ve been able to rotate players as well.

"Tommo’s impact has been immense coming off the bench and there is some stage where I would like to start him in games.

"We have three things to consider. Is he ready to start the games? How long will he last?

"And can I trust myself to take him off in a game if there’s a risk of injury, and can I trust Tommo wanting to come off. He’s getting a lot closer to being ready to start."

You do not have the required permissions to view the files attached to this post.

NEIL HARRIS:

Is Glatzel ok?

"He’s fine. He was in this morning, he’s on the bike, he’s around the lads.

"I spoke to him myself and had a chat with him. He feels fine and there’s no issues. It’s just protocol.

"I’ll have a clearer picture tomorrow whether he’s available for selection or not."

You do not have the required permissions to view the files attached to this post.

' UPDATED '


Bristol City also in play-off mix?

"I think if we can take points off the teams around us, it’s a huge ask to close the gap.

"We have to do the business on the pitch, we did it against Leeds and Preston and did exceptionally well in spells against Charlton."

You do not have the required permissions to view the files attached to this post.

NEIL HARRIS:


Josh Murphy?

"Josh has done really well. We had a training group late on Tuesday after the game and he was part of that.

"That was really good training for the lads. It’s important that the players get what they need out of their weekly training schedule. He’s available for the weekend."

You do not have the required permissions to view the files attached to this post.

NEIL HARRIS:


Boost after Adomah's departure?

"It’s brilliant. Albert has done great for us, but in Albert’s time in, we’ve had no Mendy for the first part, and then Mendy’s been back and we’ve had no Josh.

"Josh Murphy at some stage is going to really spark his Cardiff career. He’s done well for me in spells, and he’s done well at the club in spells, but this could be the period now, with no fan pressure or expectations on his shoulders, where Murph comes alive for us.

"We’ll have to see, and I can’t put too much pressure on his shoulders, but he could be a big player for us during the run-in."

You do not have the required permissions to view the files attached to this post.

NEIL HARRIS:


Wingers?

"I think the transfer fee is a big thing. Expectation comes with the transfer fee, and rightly so.

"When you play so well in spells, fans, managers and players want some consistency. Sometimes you have to accept that players will be a little bit more up and down with form sometimes.

"For us it’d be nice to see Murphy hit a purple patch and come back firing as we’ve seen with Junior [Hoilett] and Mendez."

You do not have the required permissions to view the files attached to this post.

NEIL HARRIS:




Bristol City


Severnside derby?

"It will be different.

"For me, the fan base, they make derby games. Of course there’s local rivalry and wanting to be better than your neighbour, or in this case across the water.

"It’s the rivalry on the terraces, and nowadays the banter on social media.I understand the importance of the game, not just for the fans, but for the league table. Bristol City have to beat us to catch us, that’s the reality."

You do not have the required permissions to view the files attached to this post.

NEIL HARRIS:


Bristol City also in play-off mix?

"I think if we can take points off the teams around us, it’s a huge ask to close the gap.

"We have to do the business on the pitch, we did it against Leeds and Preston and did exceptionally well in spells against Charlton."

You do not have the required permissions to view the files attached to this post.

NEIL HARRIS:


Omar Bogle comments?

"I’ve not seen the article so I can’t really comment. I need to see it to be able to comment at the moment. What I will say is that Omar is a special fella. We all have an opinion."

You do not have the required permissions to view the files attached to this post.

NEIL HARRIS:



Style?

"Short-term, I want us to win games. We need to find ways to win in the coming weeks.

"The bigger picture in the longer term, it’s finding a blend. I believe in our squad we’ve got very good technical players."

You do not have the required permissions to view the files attached to this post.

NEIL HARRIS:



Mood in camp physically?

"Seven points in three games is a huge bonus. It helps with the confidence when you’re playing well.

"Confidence tends to override everything else. I think you saw us finish very strongly against a freshened Charlton side.

"We ran the legs off them in the second half. We’re really pleased with the fitness levels."

You do not have the required permissions to view the files attached to this post.

NEIL HARRIS:


Belief?

"If you said to me when I took over that you’d be a point clear of seventh and four clear of eights with six games to go, we’d have all napped your hand off.

"I’m really pleased with where we are. I always want more, we should have nine points, I think we should have beaten Charlton.

"But we’ve got ourselves into this position, and we want to finish in the top six."

You do not have the required permissions to view the files attached to this post.

Betting odds

Bristol City win - 11/5

Draw - 23/10

Cardiff City win - 13/10

NEIL HARRIS:


Salary cap?

"It’s tough. I read that player turnover can take up to 107% of a club’s turnover.

"You’re heavily reliant on beneficiaries putting money in to support clubs. That’s the attraction as well.

"They want to invest their money, they want to buy into the Premier League dream.

"It’s a real tough one, because we need finances in the game to keep us going at the moment, so you need dreamers, but we also don’t want financial meltdown, so there has to be some governance as well.

"I think there will be some sort of cap brought in."

You do not have the required permissions to view the files attached to this post.

NEIL HARRIS:


Chats with Vincent Tan?

"I’ve not spoken with him on salary caps.

"I know there’s not an endless pit of money for Vincent to keep putting into the club, especially in this pandemic, which is why Mehmet spoke so openly.

"You guys will have an opinion on what could or should happen. The biggest thing for me is that we avoid a second wave of coronavirus.

"Football clubs have to find a better way of running themselves, that’s the clear picture, added with the dream, people coming in to chase the Premier League dream. That’s the tough one, finding the middle ground."

You do not have the required permissions to view the files attached to this post.

NEIL HARRIS:


Playing without a crowd?

"I think some players in this period will maybe play better, without a fanbase.

"Away fans giving them stick or expectations of some fans. Some will feel they can go out and play without the shackles.

"But some players react to having fans there and enjoy it. Dennis Wise who I played with, he loved the interaction.

"Someone like Callum Paterson responds really well and likes to be the pantomime villain at times."

You do not have the required permissions to view the files attached to this post.

Joe Bennett on the draw with Charlton

“It was a little bit slow. It is a point and a clean sheet though so we’ll take it and move on," he said.
“We’ll look at the positives and look forward to a big game on the weekend."
Joe Bennett

LATEST CHAMPIONSHIP PROMOTION ODDS


02/07/20

Promotion odds

Leeds United 1/16

West Brom 1/9

Brentford 8/13

Fulham 2/1

Nottingham Forest 11/2

Cardiff City 11/1

Derby County 22/1

Millwall and Swansea City 40/1

Blackburn and Preston 66/1

Bristol City 200/1

NEIL HARRIS:

You do not have the required permissions to view the files attached to this post.

Wigan's situation - does that concern you?


NEIL HARRIS:

"All Mehmet [Dalman] has tried to talk about is the reality, and to mark peoples’ cards that football is not exempt from financial difficulties.

"What’s happened at Wigan just highlights it. A championship club that seems well run to me.

"Do I think there’ll be more to follow? Yes, sadly I do. This is just a reality check for everybody. Owners, chairmen, chief executives, managers, players, agents, everyone.

"The reality for the players and agents is that they’re not going to get the salaries they’ve demanded before.

"It’s difficult times at the moment, and Wigan is a reminder that no matter how big the league is, financial disasters are around the corner if we’re not careful."

You do not have the required permissions to view the files attached to this post.

Ashley Williams could have played his last game for Bristol City after a mindless sending off in the Robins 1-0 defeat at Nottingham Forest which will earn him a four-match ban for violent conduct.

That will deny the veteran centre-back a chance to take on old foes Cardiff City at Ashton Gate on Saturday and by the time he will be available for selection again - with just two games of the season remaining - may find it hard to unseat Tomas Kalas or Filip Benkovic alongside Nathan Baker.

After a tussle on the ground over a 50/50 challenge, in his haste to get the ball back to take a free-kick, Williams launched his forearm at Yuri Ribeiro right in front of referee Darren Bond, earning a straight red.

“ WE ARE HUNGRY “

NEIL HARRIS:


Bristol C v Cardiff C


"It will be a derby with a difference," he began. "For me, the fanbase make derby games.

"Of course, there's rivalry between football clubs and wanting to be bigger and better than your neighbour down the road and across the water.

"The rivalry on the terraces and, these days, on social media makes these games though.

"Do the players understand the importance of it? Of course they do. It will be echoed to them again, as it already has been by me.

"I know the importance of the game, not just for the fans, but also for the league table."



The City boss went on to reflect on his team's first three games back as he called for another positive result this weekend.

"I'm really pleased with where we are and the three performances," he added.

"I always want more; I think we should have had nine points and beaten Charlton. But I'm really pleased with where we are at the moment.

"Now we've got ourselves in this position, we want to finish in the top six. That's the bottom line.

"To do that, we've got a tough run of games against teams at the top and bottom, but every club is the same.

"We're hungry for success – it's our job to stay in there now."

You do not have the required permissions to view the files attached to this post.