City manager looks ahead to FA Cup fourth round tie
City manager Ole Gunnar Solskjær has expressed the importance of the Bluebirds involvement in the FA Cup with Budweiser ahead of a fourth round tie with Bolton Wanderers.Cardiff travel to the Reebok Stadium on Saturday afternoon to take on Dougie Freedman’s SkyBet Championship side, with Solskjær eager for his squad to build momentum ahead of important Premier League ties with Manchester United and Norwich City next week.
Speaking in his pre-match press conference at Cardiff City Stadium, where he confirmed the arrival of Jo Inge Berget from Molde, Solskjær said: “You always look at every game as a chance to look at the players again, to try one or two things and see how they respond to them and my philosophy. Tomorrow’s game against Bolton is a big one for the club.
“I think a cup run would be great for us; it builds momentum and confidence. I know some people say it’s a distraction, but for us it’s a chance to work with the lads once again and to try and implement what we want to do.
“I can only speak from the Norwegian and English point of view, the FA Cup was always the biggest ‘one game’ occasion in football. The final was always one of the games you looked forward to and this is the game we want to get to. The FA Cup is massive for us.”
The Bluebirds go into the fourth round tie off the back of an impressive performance against Premier League title hopefuls Manchester City, with the City manager keen to build on a spirited performance that saw them score twice at the Etihad Stadium last weekend.
“Manchester City are a squad with incredible talent,” reflected Ole. “You can’t hope for too much up there really, but for the last fifteen minutes we really had something to go for after quite a poor start.
“There are a few things I would like to adjust, especially our mind-sets when we’re on the ball, because without the ball I think we’re very solid and have a good foundation.
“I want the lads to express themselves more and believe in ourselves more. Let’s be in the mind-set of going to grounds like the Etihad and Old Trafford and look to keep hold of the ball more.”
WATCH KEVIN MCNAUGHTON AND OLE GUNNAR SOLSKJAER SPEAK TO THE PRESS ON YOUTUBE BELOW