Cardiff City: Paul Trollope receives board backing despite shaky start

Paul Trollope was part of the Wales coaching set-up at Euro 2016

Paul Trollope is confident he can change the fortunes of Cardiff City after he received strong backing from the club's chairman.

Chairman Mehmet Dalman spoke twice to the players this week after Cardiff sank to bottom of the Championship.

Dalman expressed immediate support in the dressing room after Saturday's home defeat by Leeds United - and went to the training ground in midweek.

"The people upstairs have been very supportive," said Trollope.

''It's been a difficult few weeks and that is when we need to show our strength of character."

After four consecutive League defeats, Cardiff will look to move off the bottom by stopping the rot at Rotherham, who are just a point above them.

Former Bristol Rovers manager Trollope says the support from the club's owners is helpful.

''We've received a lot of support from after the game against Leeds going through the week from the chairman and the board.

"The support has been appreciated because I think in the modern game that is not always the case," he explained.

"I think a lot of people are seeing what we do and how we are trying to work and what we are trying to mould into. It has been a difficult circumstance."

Mehmet Dalman joined the Cardiff board in 2012

"But we are confident with that support and with us sticking together we can get the wins to get off the bottom of the table because it's a horrible place to be. It's something we need to address as quickly as possible and we are looking to do that at Rotherham."

And Trollope is hoping results will soon match what he believes are improved performances.

"It's a frustrating, difficult time but sometimes you need to go through these to progress. we are certainly hoping and working to make sure that is the case.

"We obviously know we cannot keep getting beat, getting beat, getting beat because obviously things change."

Trollope faces selection difficulties for the Rotherham game with injury doubts over Anthony Pilkington, Kadeem Harris, Freddie Gounongbe and Arron Gunnarsson.

But Stuart O'Keefe is poised to return from a broken arm suffered in the EFL Cup defeat at Bristol Rovers.