by Adam Evans
CARDIFF City appear to have turned a sharp corner since Mick McCarthy joined and are certainly on the up at the moment, but what has changed?
McCarthy has made a name for himself in the Championship in the past, winning the league title with both Sunderland and Wolverhampton Wanderers.
He certainly knows the Championship, which is known as one of the most unpredictable leagues in the world, like the back of his hand.
The Irishman has a strong knowledge about the second tier, but what exactly has he done in order to turn the Bluebirds’ abysmal form around?
Sense of Candidness won fans over
At the end of former Cardiff manager Neil Harris’ reign at the club, the atmosphere was undoubtedly very toxic as a result of them sitting in touching distance of the relegation zone.
After Harris was sacked and McCarthy was appointed there was an immediate positive reaction following on from his first press conference as the new gaffer.
Within his very first public appearance in South Wales he made it clear that he was going to take the responsibility on his own shoulders if the results weren’t up to scratch.
Alot of fans following the conference were pleased to see that he seemed upbeat and was more than ready to dig Cardiff out of what was a nervous situation for supporters at the start of his spell.
I was very disappointed thinking it wasn't showing a drive for the best. but then hearing him in the interview just made me think that attitude is what it is.
I particularly like him saying how if he is not given a contract extension then it is his fault. Taking Responsibility!
— Nelmzey (@Nelmzey) January 23, 2021
I like what he's said in the interview he's given. We need stability for the rest of the season and he'll give exactly that. The players are lacking in confidence and he's the prefect man to help them regain it. Just want to hear what the club has in mind for the future though.
— Alex Evans 🏴 (@Its_Alex_CCFC) January 23, 2021
More importantly than anything, the players are now playing with a sense of freedom and with a manager who clearly has their back at any moment, it most definitely would unnerve them and give them a confidence boost.
A manager with a positive demeanour such as McCarthy’s is one to help bring the right positive atmosphere back to a club that should be competing for a play-off spot at a minimum.
Steadied the ship
Prior to stepping in and signing the contract at the Cardiff City Stadium, McCarthy was up against it from the start; it would be save to say that he was taking command of a very rocky ship with Cardiff losing six of the last 10 matches before he took charge.
They are now in a much better position playing freely when the pressure is still massively on them to pull themselves up the Championship table back into play-off contention.
Since the 62-year-old’s arrival Cardiff been in much better form; McCarthy is currently unbeaten as Cardiff manager winning two and drawing two.
Those eight points have boosted the Bluebirds up the table into 11th, but there is still a lot of work to be done in order to catch the likes of Watford and Bournemouth, who are sitting on the edge of the play-off places.
Nevertheless the ship has certainly been steadied by captain Mick.
Man-management a massive plus
A manager with all of the experience that McCarthy has under his belt, the least you would expect him to have is an ability to control the players and keep the most positive mood around the camp.
In as a difficult situation as Cardiff were in when McCarthy was appointed it could have been tough to lift the players, but midfielder Will Vaulks has certainly noticed the difference since he signed on the dotted lines.
“I think he (McCarthy) has just shown his experience more than anything,” he told BBC Sport.
“He has really steadied the ship, lifted the confidence, you can feel around the place that everyone’s a bit more upbeat.
“Everyone is a bit more happy and I think happy players make better players and he has put his arm around players that have needed it.
“He’s not afraid to say what he thinks but also he’ll encourage you and say “listen, you’ve been brilliant but you could do better at this”, so his man-management skills I’d say so far is what’s lifted us.”