Cardiff City: Bluebirds players should be 'hurting more', says manager Steve Morison

Former striker Steve Morison won 20 caps for Wales, scoring once

Cardiff City's poor form should "hurt more" for their players, says manager Steve Morison.

The Bluebirds lost 3-2 at Bristol City on Saturday, their sixth Championship game without a win.

The manner of Cardiff's performances has been particularly concerning, with Morison questioning whether his players have the required desire.

"We need to be better. It's got to hurt more. It's got to come from within," he said.

"We weren't good enough [against Bristol City], we just got outfought in the second half. Outbattled. It's mind-boggling at times, you are flabbergasted.

"People will always look at team selection or tactics. The reality is if you don't do the job you're asked to do or employed to do by the football club then you're going to get beat.

"It hurts me for the fans and it hurts me for the football club. But it's not me getting outfought. It should hurt them a hell of a lot more than it hurts me.

"It should hurt them to go and get in their car again and go and tell their family, kids, or whatever, 'Oh we lost again'. That's my question: does it hurt enough?

"I'm going to get in the car with my family, no one is going to talk to me on the way home because that's how much it hurts.

"It's just not acceptable, second-half performances like that."

Cardiff's defeat against Bristol City leaves them 20th in the Championship table, hovering dangerously close to the relegation zone.

Morison said on Friday that he can sometimes be "too honest" in his assessment of his players, admitting it was a "mistake" to describe young winger Isaak Davies as a "hindrance" following his substitute appearance during last month's defeat at Bournemouth.

The ex-Wales striker also mentioned how his former Millwall manager Kenny Jackett helped instil in him a "nasty" side to his game.

Morison would like to do the same to his players, but fears too many of them lack the ruthless streak required to flourish in the Championship.

"When Kenny Jackett did that to me it was just one player. There is not enough time in the day to do that to the whole squad. It has to come from them," he said.

"We are just so nice. So nice. I have to tell them to go and get the ball, they are just standing there like, 'Oh we've lost again'. Come on. Go and leave a bit on someone. Go and drag the ball off someone, make the goalie hurry up. They are just booting balls into the stand thinking, 'That's alright, we've got another game next week'.

"It's not like this has just happened today. There is a reason why we are down the bottom, we can't keep relying on everyone else not to win.

"We've kept one clean sheet this year. It's just got to hurt.

"The players have to ask themselves, does it hurt enough? We need to stop talking about that. Players who are not in the squad who kick off, 'Oh I'm not in the squad, what is your plan for me?'. It's one game. Relax. We are going into two games a week for six weeks, everyone is going to be used.

"But it doesn't matter what team you pick, certain things are happening all the time and it's a habit that they need to kick. I can't be more honest than that."

He also told the media: "You're all quite happy to dig me out when I dig out one player on his own, what are you going to do now? I'm being honest about the whole team."

Meanwhile, Cardiff hope to re-sign Ryan Giles on loan from Wolves after the Premier League club recalled the winger from his loan with the Bluebirds.

"If Ryan Giles becomes available, it's no secret that we'd like him and I'm sure most teams in the Championship would," said Morrison.

"That's something I'll try to do, if I get a phone call to say it's an option. I'm sure there will be conversations taking place in the early part of the week."