Sabri Lamouchi urges Cardiff to be more aggressive in Championship survival bid

Posted Sunday, February 05, 2023 by PA

New manager Sabri Lamouchi wants Cardiff to show more aggression if they are to move clear of the Sky Bet Championship relegation zone following a 1-0 defeat at Hull.

Cyrus Christie’s 62nd-minute goal left the visitors – without a league win since November 5 – two points adrift of the bottom three, though Lamouchi was left rueful of Callum Robinson’s first-half penalty miss.

He said: “I have a good squad. They are very nice guys, but maybe too nice.

“Cardiff must stay in the Championship, so we must find a solution. We need to be more aggressive in the two boxes and change our mentality to the game.

“If we opened the scoring first, it’s a different game – but it’s not enough. We are all disappointed. We can’t accept what’s happened.

“We have to change something because we have three teams behind us. We need to fight and to switch on. And if you want to win, you must score.

“I didn’t think we deserved to lose. We are close but far at the same time.”

Lamouchi was satisfied that Cardiff offered stiff resistance against an in-form Hull side, who struck a post early on through Regan Slater.

Indeed, the Bluebirds should have taken the lead from the spot when Callum Elder fouled Jaden Philogene after 22 minutes.

Robinson’s penalty was strong and precise, but Matt Ingram did brilliantly to save low towards the left post.

Hull came out with intensity after the restart and deservedly opened the scoring.

Christie had earlier gone close from a similar position, but he found his radar eight minutes later when he outmuscled Jack Simpson and flighted the ball into the bottom-left corner.

Lamouchi said: “We created chances but not enough to get back into the game.

“It’s very simple: we are frustrated and disappointed. We need to be more aggressive and show we want more from the game than their opponents.

“Maybe with a goal and a win, the confidence will be back. But, at the moment, we are in a bad moment and in a bad situation.

“We need to find a different spirit. Not from one, but all. We’re very disappointed with the result but not the performance.”

Hull are just four points off the play-offs and have lost once in nine league games under Liam Rosenior.

Rosenior said: “I want the fans and everyone involved with the club to be excited, but what we need to do is keep improving.

“We’ve shown in the last few games that we can win games in different ways.

“We showed a little more belief in the second half but some of our stuff in the first half was outstanding.

“I knew they’d be a real threat, physically, as they’ve got some big boys in the team. But that’s something you have to stand up to and fight against.

“We did that and I’m so proud of them. It also shows the mentality of this group.

“You need to be able to outplay teams and you also need to grind out victories in this league.”

On Ingram, whose position is under threat following the arrival of Karl Darlow, Rosenior said: “He’s been outstanding.

“Penalty saves are always massive moments. You need your mates to bail you out at times and, fortunately for us, Matty has done that with a brilliant save.

“I want players who are here for the team and they are buying into that – you have to earn your place in this team.

“We’ve still got loads to improve on going into a very difficult game against Stoke.

“I’ve got a lot of selection problems that I’m looking forward to.”