HE MICKS US LAUGH

Vaulks hails new boss for lifting spirits

WILL VAULKS insists Mick Mccarthy has lifted the clouds hanging over Cardiff and there is now a clear horizon to the play-offs.

That may be a long shot since the Bluebirds are still 11 points adrift and back in 14th.

But the Wales midfielder is clear the mood has improved since Mccarthy came in to replace sacked Neil Harris.

Former Republic of Ireland manager Mccarthy gained his first victory in the job and Vaulks (above) revealed: “Everyone is more happy and I think happy players make better players. He’s not afraid to say what he thinks, but he will also encourage you and say, ‘You’ve been brilliant but you could do better in this’.

“So far, I’d say it’s his manmanagement skills that have lifted us. But he also knows what he is doing, tactically.

“Against Barnsley, when we were 2-0 down, he put a centrehalf on. I thought, ‘What’s going on here?’ But he changed the team shape and we came back to 2-2 and almost won that game.

“We know that we’re not going to be right up there this season, because too much has gone. But I’m not going to be shy about it, I want to push for that sixth place.

“Why not try and get as far up the league as possible? We just have to keep racking up the wins and see where that takes us.” After two draws, Mccarthy’s first victory came with goals from Curtis Nelson and Kieffer Moore, despite the alarming early departure of keeper Alex Smithies with a mystery illness.

The Robins were awful with one shot on target despite 62 per cent possession and are now six points off the play-off pace themselves.

Boss Dean Holden admitted: “We let ourselves down and carried no threat.”

FIRST CURT IS THE DEEPEST Cardiff celebrate Curtis Nelson’s opener, with Kieffer Moore adding a second goal (below, right)