Cardiff City: Steve Morison thanks players after landing new contract
- Published
Cardiff have won eight of 21 Championship games since Morison took charge, as well as reaching the fourth round of the FA Cup.
Steve Morison has said thank you to his players for earning him a new deal to stay on as Cardiff City boss.
Morison has been in charge since October and has steered the club away from the Championship relegation zone.
Earlier this week the former Wales international was rewarded with a new deal until the end of next season.
"I had a meeting with them to thank them, I would not be sat here for a longer period of time if it wasn't for them and their efforts," said Morison.
"I told them I respected them all anyway but I respect them even more now as human beings. They could have not bothered with me, not bought into what I wanted to do, they could have not trusted me, but they have. I am really grateful for that."
He added: "I shared a pitch with a lot of them, so having stood in front of them and asked them to carry out a job, I have the utmost respect for them that they have done that.
"They have managed to get me an extended period in the job, we have had some really good moments, have really enjoyed it and I am really grateful and thankful to them."
Morison says continuing to be upwardly mobile in the Championship is his new priority and will be looking to "spoil the party" at promotion-chasing Queen Park Rangers on Saturday.
But with some security over his managerial situation, he will also be planning for next season.
Cardiff have 11 players out of contract this summer and Morison knows the harsh financial climate means he must seek to reduce the wage bill next term, with loan signings once again likely to play a large part.
But he can now step up talks over contracts and liaise with the club's hierarchy about which current players will remain in his plans.
"There are discussions to be had. Things might be taken out of our hands. They are all senior players who can all walk regardless of what we offer," he added.
Davies deal the first of many says Cardiff boss
"There are going to be some difficult conversations, honest conversations.
"It's never a nice thing when you are coming to the end of your contract and there is uncertainty. But with everything the way it's going , there has to be a sense of self-awareness of where the football club is now.
"That's where the conversations might be easier maybe, because players might say 'I can't stay for that anyway, so I need to leave.' But we'll cross those bridges when we need to.
"There are 11 games left, so let's get ourselves completely safe and see how things develop."
As for having to reduce the wage bill, Morison said: "No-one should worry and think that means we will be at a massive disadvantage, that will not be the case, everyone will be the same.
"There will be a few outliers, there always is, teams who have come down from the Premier League, teams that came down a year ago.
"With everything going on in the world now, there will not be an influx of money coming which people can spend willy-nilly, especially with things that have happened with the likes of Derby and Reading.
"One of the conversations I have had is we need to be sustainable."