By Gareth James
Erol Bulut insists his Cardiff City “machine” can keep pumping out the results whether or not Aaron Ramsey is fit to play at Sunderland on Sunday.
The Bluebirds have won back-to-back victories for the first time since February and aim to make it three wins on the bounce when they head to the North-East.
Cardiff will travel to the Stadium of Light, looking to chalk up a third consecutive Championship win for the first time since a run in January-February 2022.
Thankfully we were proven wrong. Credit where it's due to Mehmet Dalman. He fought to get his man in at Cardiff City FC. Vincent Tan put his trust in him to make the right decision. A man that most people didn't even know in Erol Bulut. He has changed the club and its atmosphere. pic.twitter.com/UrkCLzRr9T
— CCFCxAR10 (@CCFCxAR10) September 21, 2023
They are likely to include captain Ramsey in their line-up after he missed the midweek 3-2 win over Coventry City – which followed their derby triumph against Swansea City – but even if the Wales skipper is missing again through a hamstring concern, Bulut says the team will keep firing.
“I spoke with him (Ramsey), he will be ready for Sunday, he feels good. Today (Thursday) he was on the field, he made some runs, physically and mentally he is in a very good shape. We need him.
“Aaron Ramsey is very important for this club, for me and for the team. It’s not easy to not have him in the game.
“But we showed – our players showed – we don’t have to concentrate only on one player. If it’s not Ramsey, it has to be someone else. Our company, our machine has to work always. It has to be the same performance if someone else plays.”
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With three victories and a draw from their seven matches so far this season, Cardiff are inside the Championship’s early-season top ten.
But how much further last season’s relegation scrappers can go in this campaign, will depend on consistency and squad depth, argues Bulut.
The flashes of inspiration from Ramsey have been highlighted, but over the course of the 46-game season, it will be the overall quality that determines their placing, says the Turkish boss.
“Everyone has to fight for this. I cannot play until the end of the season with 13 or 14 players, I have 25 and I will use all of them. We will get injuries and cards, so everyone has to be ready.
“I said to the players who are not playing, in two weeks it could be different. They could be in the first XI and have to give 100%. If you don’t show you want the shirt, in two weeks’ time you won’t get the shirt.”
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Bulut insists the fact that Cardiff were able to back-up their 2-0 win over the Swansea by beating the Sky Blues four days later was an encouraging sign of their progress.
“For me it was not only three points, but it was also everything, for the future and for the next games,” he said.
“I told them to believe in yourselves and believe in what we did from the start of the season until now and the steps they have made.
“That means not only to believe in themselves but also believe in their team-mates.
“I said to them that if you believe in what we are doing, you will see where we can go with this team.”
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But Sunderland are also a team in good form and their manager Tony Mowbray has challenged his side to extend their winning run to four matches.
The Black Cats, who defeated Blackburn Rovers 3-1 last night, have three successive victories to their name.
Mowbray wants them to go one further, but thinks it’ll be a tough ask against a Cardiff team currently riding the crest of a wave.
“The team are functioning alright”, Mowbray said. “I have just said how difficult it is to win three on the bounce in the Championship.
“It is really, really difficult. I have just challenged them there about can we do four on the bounce on Sunday. Our biggest danger for that game will be ourselves, really.
“We have to turn up and make sure we are right at it, as if we are playing a top, top team and Cardiff, I think have won back to back games now as well so they will be on a high.
“It should be a great game, but a great opportunity for us to keep racking up the points.”
“But if we believe in something, we can do a lot of things. In the end, I don’t know if this will happen. But at least we know what we are fighting for.”
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