Cardiff City: Boss Sabri Lamouchi says squad good enough to stay in Championship
- Published
Sabri Lamouchi has won four, drawn one and lost eight Championship games as manager of Cardiff City
Cardiff City manager Sabri Lamouchi has claimed his squad do not deserve to be in danger of relegation from the Championship.
The Bluebirds are outside the bottom three on just goal difference with five games of the season remaining.
But the Frenchman insists his players should not be in that position.
"I have a fantastic group and to be honest I am really surprised to find this group with this quality in this situation," said Lamouchi.
"They deserve to be proud at the end of the season."
Former France international Lamouchi took over from sacked Mark Hudson with Cardiff one place and three points above the drop zone.
He became the club's third manager of the campaign, Steve Morison having been in the dugout for the opening 10 games before his dismissal in September.
With the Bluebirds travelling to Watford on Wednesday night, Lamouchi - whose contract runs until the end of the campaign - says it is not the right time, nor is he the right person, to discuss the issues behind the club's difficulties over the year.
"I want to be positive, I want to look forward," he said.
"I want to think about the next five games and maybe more but not to tell you why we are where we are.
"The only thing I can tell you and to be absolutely honest, this squad is good enough to stay in the Championship.
"But the reality is we are where we are. We are in a bad situation and we have to realise where we are.
"We need to play like a desperate team to want points. We need points and that's it.
"Then, after, we can sit and discuss and make some points about the season. But not now."
Having previously set out targets - claiming in early February they needed "five or six" wins to secure safety - Lamouchi says he is now not sure how many points will see off the threat of dropping into the third tier for the first time in 20 years.
But he did assure fans that plans are already being made to avoid repeating the mistakes of this year, and that he has faith in owner Vincent Tan and executive chairman Mehmet Dalman to be able to focus on the future while he concentrates on the relegation fight.
"They love the club and it is absolutely tough for them as well," he said.
"They don't want to live another year like this one. Don't be worried at all about that.
"They don't want to pay for nothing. They don't want to put money away for that, it's a lot of stress for them, a lot of pressure.
"They understand and I understand the fans. But the players, the management, the staff, all fans, we all want absolutely the same.
"I can't talk about the future, I can't talk about the past. It's not in my hands. It's not my club and it's not my money.
"Vincent Tan, Mehmet, [chief executive] Ken Choo, they are all absolutely focussed and worried about the situation. They will do absolutely everything for the right things for the club, like we are trying to do all the time, sometimes with success, sometimes with mistakes.
"But who has never made mistakes? They just need full support - just like our players - from our unbelievable fans.
" We just need, at the end of the season, to be proud. Even if, at the end of the season, it's not great, but to be safe and be in the Championship next season, it can be an amazing season. It's very strange to say that."