Erol Bulut dismisses excuses for poor Cardiff City performance and takes responsibility for key error in Hull City defeat.
The Bluebirds boss is facing an uncertain future in the capital.
Erol Bulut says his misfiring Cardiff City stars cannot use uncertainty over his own future as an excuse for recent performances.
The Bluebirds slumped to their third defeat in four at Cardiff City Stadium, this time going down 3-1 at the hands of Hull City, and were once again well short of the required intensity to cope with a Hull side still harbouring slim hopes of a play-off finish.
Indeed, the manner of this performance was very much in line with a side that has little to play for, and with Bulut still hoping to earn a new deal when his current contract expires at the end of the season, it’s clearly been a challenge to muster up the appropriate level of incentive.
Manolis Siopis echoed those sentiments in the week, suggesting the uncertainty around Bulut was affecting the players, but the City boss himself has insisted that the ongoing situation cannot be accepted as an excuse.
“I’ve said before that clearness is always good,” he said. “For the team. For the club and also for the coaching staff. When you don’t have clearness it can happen that players are more relaxed and are not pushing.
“We have the situation now where with 56 points we’re in mid-table, but as the manager, I’m not going to accept this. To be relaxed. So how we did in the second half today. Against Ipswich. Against Coventry. That’s what I’m expecting from my players for the next five games.
“I can’t be relaxed, so they can’t be relaxed. Also for the future of the players it’s important. Next season the club can try and build on the team. So every individual player still has to push their performance high for the last five games.”
Bulut’s side did threaten to get back into the game following Fabio Carvalho’s double, courtesy of Karlan Grant’s sixth goal of the season, only to concede a third moments later when Nathaniel Phillips allowed Jaden Philogene to race away and score.
It was a moment Bulut says he was partially at fault for.
“It was a misunderstanding between Ralls and Nat,” he said. “I was talking with Nat to tell him about his position. At that moment, Ralls played the ball to him, he didn’t see the ball and we concede the goal.
