Ole Gunnar Solskjaer takes responsibility for Cardiff City start

Solskjaer says "I should get better results than this"

Manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer says he takes responsibility for Cardiff City's poor start in the Championship.

A 1-0 home defeat by Middlesbrough left the Bluebirds without a win in four games.

It was also their second home loss in four days after a 4-2 capitulation against Norwich.

"I'm responsible and I should get better results than this; [better] than what we've had in the first seven games," said Solskjaer.

Cardiff have won two, lost three and drawn twice since launching their bid to return to the Premier League.

They failed to respond to Kike's early strike at Cardiff City Stadium to add to the pressure on their Norwegian manager.

The Welsh club's officials refused to panic ahead of Boro's visit, but questions over Solskjaer's future will now dominate the fallout from this latest defeat.

Boos were directed at the former Manchester United striker during a performance that ex-Bluebirds striker Nathan Blake described as "inept" on BBC Radio Wales.

Solskjaer admitted: "They [Boro] defended well - I have to give them credit.

"We didn't have enough quality or composure to put that last ball in at the right place. That's football."

The Cardiff boss also agreed with Blake's assessment that confidence is lacking in Cardiff's ranks.

Blake says Solskjaer's tendency to make significant changes to his playing squad has played a part in that.

"[Cardiff were] inept - there was nothing there," said Blake. "Cardiff, just from the get-go really, were just devoid of ideas and I hate to say it, but devoid of confidence.

"The fans were on their backs and you could see certain players weren't up for the fight [and] didn't want to get on the ball.

"You keep changing players around; what you do, you chip away at their self-confidence because no matter what excuse or reason you give them for not playing, they're always going to feel like 'I've been dropped'."

Solskjaer's post-match assessment was that Kike's goal damaged Cardiff's morale.

"We just did not get going. Our first attack looked promising and then we got countered and conceded," said Solskjaer.

"We didn't need to do that in the first few minutes, we wanted to go and turn things around from losing to Norwich on Saturday and that knocked our confidence.

"We want to prove we are better than we showed against Norwich and it never happened.

"The first half was very poor, we got more second balls in the second half and we pushed them back, but we did not create any moments of quality to open them up which was very disappointing.

"But confidence only comes from performances and results and without it you are unable to make those quick decisions in the heat of battle and it cost us."

Despite fans' venting their feelings, Solskjaer applauded them at the final whistle and later acknowledged their right to express their feelings.

"I have to praise the fans for what they did during the game. They helped the boys," he said.

"We had a good backing, it was better than on Saturday and that shows their passion.

"They are entitled to stay behind and be disappointed.

"We are every bit as disappointed, but they did everything I could have asked from them during the 90 minutes."