Cardiff City: Erol Bulut urges players not to get 'comfortable'

Image source, Getty Images

Image caption, Cardiff City are without a win in five home matches but are on the road against Norwich City next

Erol Bulut says his Cardiff City players cannot get "comfortable" as they bid to turn around their poor run of form.

The Bluebirds have lost five of their last six games going into Saturday's trip to play-off chasing Norwich City.

It is a sequence of results which has seen the Welsh side fall away from top-six contention themselves.

"I was talking about this with my coaching staff, are the players too comfortable?" Bulut said.

"We're safe, but we have a good team, I don't want this.

"I don't want my players to be comfortable.

"We have 15 games to play, we have to try and get the maximum points we can get.

"This is not in my character to say to my players 'oh we are safe'. This is not me, I cannot lie to myself.

"I also want for my players not to be like this, to give everything until the end for the fans.

"They are supporting us everywhere and we have to give them something back.

"Even if we lose points, we at least have to fight until the end."

Cardiff have gone into the final stages of the last two seasons battling to avoid relegation from the Championship.

Exactly 12 months ago, they were in 21st position and only two points above the bottom three, eventually surviving after Reading were deducted points.

But with his own contract currently expiring at the end of the season, Bulut insists there can be no let up this term.

"It depends on every player, where they want to be with this club," he added.

"They have to show it, I have to show it, what we want for next season so from now, 15 games, everyone has to push for the maximum to be together for next season, to go in a different way with the club.

"Of course, for many players who have been here the last few years at Cardiff City, it was not comfortable because they were in 21st position and now we are in a different way and we want to build.

"We have to show the best for the last 15 games to prepare maybe for the next season with those players."

Influential midfielder and Wales captain Aaron Ramsey is in contention to make his first start since September at Norwich after injury, while striker Yakou Meite will miss the trip to Carrow Road because of a calf problem.