FRAIZER: COOL, CALM AND CONFIDENT
Cardiff City striker Fraizer Campbell outlined the belief and strength of character within the squad, responding to press questions of pressure, form and worry with a calm but assured reply. Ahead of the trip to Sheffield Wednesday his team are currently four points clear at the top of the table with a game in hand on nearest rivals, Hull.
“We're definitely still confident as a squad,” he said. “We didn't win the game last Tuesday, but it still increases the lead at the top of the league, so we're not scared at all. You have periods in seasons where you're not playing as well as you have been, but I'm sure we will get back to that as soon as possible.
“Everyone says we might be a bit low on confidence, but I think every team would definitely change position with us. The performances can always be better even when we've won, we've looked at the video of games afterwards and agreed that we've won the game, but could have done this or that better. As a professional football you've always got to be looking to improve and as a team, that's what we look to do. We sit down after every game with the video and try to correct things, to try and improve as a team and we have to keep doing that.”
Points totals have been an indicator of what is required to secure a place in the top tier, but Campbell insists the team are just looking to win every game and leave the speculation to others.
“I haven't even looked to see how many points we need,” he admitted. “We've just got to go out there and try and win all these games really and if we can do that then we'll be happy at the end of the season. We've just got to take it one game at a time and take it from there.
“You do have a little look at the league every now and then. In this league some teams can win five in a row and then lose five in a row, you can't read too much into it. You've just got to worry about yourself and hopefully you can win more games than everybody else”.
Sheffield Wednesday sit four points above the relegation zone, currently fighting to avoid the drop. No games are easy however, with the end of season push driving teams on.
Of the run in Fraizer said, “Coming toward the end of the season the teams at the bottom are fighting for survival and the teams at the top are trying to push for promotion, so it's always difficult around this time of year to try and predict a result of a game because everybody is fighting for their lives. It's going to be another tough game.”
New loan signing Leon Barnett has seen promotion to the Premiership twice previously with both West Bromwich Albion and Norwich, and Campbell believes defensive reinforcements are a boost to the squad.
“It's always good to have competition for places,” he said. “I'm sure he wants to come and get involved in the final push until the end of the season, the lads have picked up a couple of knocks and we've got seven games I think next month. It's going to be tough physically for all of us to play seven games so it will be nice to have a little bit of extra cover.”
Fraizer was rewarded for his dream start at Cardiff City - five goals in February - with the league's Player of the Month accolade, showing just how important he has quickly become to Mackay's squad.
“I'm delighted. When moving to a new club it's always good to start off well and show the lads there's a bit about you. It's great to get the award. When you move you want to do well instantly, it's great that it's started so well for me.
“When you come to a new club's it's nerve racking meeting new people, trying to learn how they play football but at the minute it's going really well. I'm really enjoying myself – my family have moved down, we've got a house so it's going really well.”
