Omer Riza feels his information from Cardiff City players and coaches will give them an advantage over QPR and help the Bluebirds return to winning ways.
Cardiff are winless in their previous three games, having lost two and drawn one, but they have a wonderful opportunity to get back on track in front of their home fans on Wednesday evening. Cardiff have goalkeeper coach Gavin Ward, who spent eight years in the same position in west London, and Chris Willock, who was a fan favourite at Loftus Road until leaving for south Wales this summer.
Speaking prior of the clash, Riza stated: “Wardy [Gavin Ward] stayed there for eight years, so he was part of the furniture. Chris [Willock] was there for a while, so it’s great to have guys who have been there and know the players well. We did our homework on them, so that was good.
“I expect the same from every team in the league; everyone wants points, and each point counts. They’ll be coming off a respectable effort against Stoke. They generated a lot of opportunities, were strong and resilient, and that is what we expect. As I already stated, we will approach every team we play against with the same mindset.
Cardiff still has a handful of injuries to deal with. In addition to the long-term absentees (Aaron Ramsey, Isaak Davies, Kion Etete, and Ryotaro Tsunoda), the Bluebirds are concerned about Calum Chambers and Anwar El Ghazi’s fitness.
Willock, in particular, will want to make a positive impression against his previous employers, and he may get the opportunity to do so on Wednesday evening.
Injuries, of course, create possibilities for others, and Riza concedes that some in his cohort have not performed to expectations.
“If you have the players to rotate, you rotate,” Riza stated on team selection. “We’ve had a few injuries and continue to have them.
“We have players who haven’t quite reached their peak performance.
“We’ll do our best to handle it. When the guys are ready and have reached the level where we believe they can have a significant influence, they will be given the opportunity to play.” Cardiff’s road record has been poor this season, with no wins away from home. In contrast, they have won four of their previous five home games, which has become a source of strength for the Bluebirds.
“It’s always your last game that people remember,” Riza told the crowd. “We lost 3-1 at Blackburn, which wasn’t a great game, but we’ve been strong at home and want to carry that into the next game. We aim to dominate possession and enjoy the ball. I’m sure we’ll go back to it tomorrow.
“When you have situations like (the late win over Norwich City), it brings the fans out of their seats. I’ve said it since the beginning: I want to excite the fans and have them back the boys no matter what. They are our fans, they adore the club, and they have been amazing. We have to give them something to cheer about.”
Leave a Reply