Mick McCarthy: Cardiff City squad the 'best I have inherited', says Bluebirds boss
Last updated on .From the section Cardiff
Mick McCarthy has hailed his squad as the best he has ever inherited following his unbeaten start to life as Cardiff City boss.
Cardiff had lost six games in succession prior to McCarthy replacing Neil Harris as manager in January.
The Bluebirds have since gone four unbeaten, with back-to-back wins at Bristol City and Rotherham in their last two outings.
"I've been delighted, they've responded to everything," said McCarthy.
"When I first got the job, I had a look at the squad and arguably it's probably the best squad I've ever inherited.
"(There are) good players and quite clearly, having seen the games we've had, they have a real work ethic and are prepared to scrap.
"I'm not immune to the fact that, when you lose a few games, confidence does go, belief goes and people start looking around for answers and sometimes are looking at someone else and not at themselves.
"How do you restore that? It didn't look like it was going to be restored at 2-0 down at Barnsley, but with a 2-2 draw they showed a willingness to work and the fight that they've got in them.
"That started it and with another draw and two great wins, it just adds to that self-belief and restores self-belief that you can win games again."
Cardiff have 18 games remaining of the Championship season and are eight points off the top six in 11th.
McCarthy, a former Millwall, Sunderland, Wolves and Ipswich manager, says there are no thoughts yet about aiming for the play-offs.
"We've had two really good results and I've said to the lads that what we can't do is be complacent," he said.
"Eight points from four games is a great return but we don't suddenly start believing that we're this team that can just go and press all the way.
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"We've got to win (at home to Coventry on Saturday) and then get something out of the next game against Luton and if we can do that after six, seven or eight games then I think we might start believing.
"But what I don't want to do is to be bigging it up and suddenly find we trip ourselves up against Coventry."
Wales midfielder Jonny Williams is still waiting to make his Cardiff debut due to a knee injury and will again be missing for the Coventry game.
Goalkeeper Alex Smithies is still out after suffering from a virus but midfielder Leandro Bacuna is available again.
