JORDON: NO FEAR, JUST BELIEF

this season.Jordon MutchFew Barclays Premier League observers would have failed to be impressed by the blossoming potential of 22 year-old

While David Marshall has quite rightly garnered praise from all quarters for his heroic deeds between the sticks, Derbyshire-born Jordon has been accumulating impressive statistics at the other end of the field.

Indeed, a number of penciled-in World Cup probables including Everton's Ross Barkley and Liverpool's Raheem Sterling can be found in Jordon's wake in this respect. City's box-to-box playmaker has scored 7 BPL goals to date this term with 5 assists – that's a direct contribution to 39% of the Bluebirds' total League tally. All in just 32 BPL appearances, too.

Speaking exclusively to cardiffcityfc.co.uk on Thursday ahead of City's crunch clash at Sunderland this coming Sunday, the typically humble Jordon preferred to focus on his team's form and potential, rather than his own.

“We've taken four points from our last two games, against Stoke and Southampton,” he said. “Both are strong teams and four points from two in the Premier League is decent for any side. We're really happy with this – it sets us up for the run-in.

“We're playing well as a team again and have only let one goal in during those two games too – a penalty at that. I think we've really brightened up in terms of our shape and play and we have to stay disciplined now. We've worked hard on what's not been right and hopefully we can reap the rewards come the end of the season.”

With Sunday's fixture at Stadium of Light kicking-off at the unusually early time of midday, Bluebirds fans not opting for a north-east sleep-over on Saturday evening are set to leave as early as 2am to arrive in Weirside in time for the dinner-time start.

It's something that's not been lost on the Bluebirds players either says Jordon, with the backing of the City support a key factor in the squad's rejuvenation in recent weeks.

“Cardiff City Stadium was very noisy at times last weekend and the traveling fans who came to Southampton the week before that were brilliant as well,” he reflected. “Sunday is going to be a long trip for some of them coming to cheer us on, but we're going up there to make sure that they have something to shout about on their trips home.

“It's important that the fans know how much we want to do this for them – it means everything to stay in this league and give them Premier League football again next season. It should be a great game and we are confident going there like we were when we went and won at Southampton a fortnight ago.

“This game is being billed as a relegation fight, but it's not the way you look at a game really. You just have to focus on your opposition, whoever that may be, and make sure that you're prepared to go out and compete for the three points. If we do that on Sunday then it will give us a fantastic chance of staying up with two games to go.

“The crucial thing is to play without fear, I think. We've had a really good week and know that on the back of recent results that we're capable of getting the points. If you go into games with nerves then it affects your game, so we can't let that be a factor. We won't."

With each of City's immediate rivals at the bottom playing ahead of them on Saturday, a win for the Bluebirds could conceivably lift them out of the bottom three with two left to play.

It's an uplifting statistic indeed, but one that Jordon warns is dangerous to think of with a lot of hard graft to be done to achieve that goal.

“It's true, we could be out of the relegation zone come Sunday evening if results go our way and we do our job at Sunderland who have shown recently that they're a good side. But that doesn't just happen – you have to make sure you do your jobs or things won't fall as you want them. We need the points to climb to safety so we know what we have to do by the time kick-off comes around.”