Cup places on the line at Palace, warns Jones

Mar 4 2008 by Steve Tucker, Western Mail

CARDIFF CITY manager Dave Jones has warned his under-performing players, “If you don’t shape up at Palace, I’ll drop you for the Cup!”

The Bluebirds boss was left bitterly disappointed after City slumped to a 1-0 home defeat to Leicester on Saturday, putting in one of their worst showings of the season.

It was the latest in a recent run of poor results which has seen Cardiff take one point from the last 15 and slump to eight points off the Championship play-off places.

The Bluebirds desperately need something from their trip to Selhurst Park tonight to try to stay in touch with the leading pack.

Many are blaming Sunday’s FA Cup quarter-final tie at Middlesbrough for the Bluebirds taking their eye off the ball, but Jones insists if that is the case then it could prove a costly mistake for some of his stars.

With players now returning from injury and suspension to put pressure on his starting XI, Jones has warned no one is indispensable when it comes to the FA Cup.

“If there are minds on the FA Cup game then they want an absolute kicking because they shouldn’t be,” said Jones, who is poised to make changes tonight ahead of the trip to the Riverside.

“Of course if players don’t perform at Palace then I would pull them out for the Cup game. I have no sentiment when it comes to that. With the Middlesbrough game coming up it is a good time for the players returning to stake their claim.

“We will be able to use that over the next day or so by saying, ‘Look, if you are in the team at Palace and have the shirt you can put yourself into contention for probably one of the biggest days at this football club in a long time’.

“That is an incentive you hope the returning players, or even those left out, will grab.

“There have been a lot of opportunities missed lately and, hopefully, some fresh faces will put a stop to that.

“Hopefully, the injured ones coming back will give that little bit of pressure on others.

“Those who think they have not been under pressure because of the injuries or lack of players will now be put under by the players coming back.

“Normally you get one or two players off form, but not one of them could string a pass together against Leicester.

“The players returning hopefully will be hungry because they have not played in a long time.”

As they travel to South London, Jones has been left reflecting on a dire run of results which has left his side without a win in more than a month.

With games running out fast and teams jockeying for position in the promotion shake-up, Jones has admitted failure to take all three points from Palace would effectively write off his side’s chances of making the top six.

But he has shrugged off fears City could still be sucked into a relegation fight if their current run of form were to continue, with the Bluebirds now eight points above the bottom three.

“We need to go and win at Palace because the points tally over the last four or five games has not been good enough,” said Jones.

“We have had opportunities to keep in the pack in the league. If you look at the teams around us then by just taking six points from the last 15 we would have been right back in it. That is the frustrating thing.

“Basically we keep blowing our chances to stay within the pack and that is annoying.

“A play-off place is still possible so we will keep going.

“Teams always make a late charge and it seems at the moment no-one wants to seize the initiative.

“We are just focused on looking at the top end of the table. I am not going to worry about what anyone else is doing. I am just concerned about how we are performing.”

In a bid to improve that level of performance, changes will be made from the side which flopped against the Foxes.

After serving a two-match suspension, Dutch centre-half Glenn Loovens will return in place of Darren Purse whose calamitous own-goal handed Leicester victory.

Wales star Joe Ledley should travel after recovering from a hamstring injury and could play some part with Jones set to ring the changes in midfield.

Trevor Sinclair, now back to full fitness, could be handed a start whilst Riccy Scimeca, who came off the bench on Saturday for his first appearance in almost a year, will be among the substitutes again if not yet ready for a full 90 minutes.

Stephen McPhail, Gavin Rae or Peter Whittingham could prove the fall guys from the Leicester loss.

Jimmy-Floyd Hasselbaink could be rested ahead of meeting former club Middlesbrough, with Steve Thompson likely to get the nod in attack.

Jones added, “Palace play in a certain way, we know what we are going to be facing.

“They have been similar to us in that they were on a good run and have started losing at the same time we have.

“Both of us now will be looking for the win to hopefully go on a good run again.”

Palace are lying 11th in the table but claimed a first win in six games at Preston on Saturday.

The Palace trio of James Scowcroft, Clint Hill and Tom Soares are back in contention to face the Bluebirds after all serving one-match bans.