Time to focus ahead of key Cardiff clash

matches – really hurt, but he says it won’t distract them from preparing studiously for this Saturday’s upcoming test in Wales.

Neil Warnock’s Cardiff are one of three teams on 18 points – eight ahead of Wagner’s side – and the boss recognises the importance of not letting that margin become any wider.

“The focus on the Premier League is always there,” said Wagner, who has Christopher Schindler available against Cardiff after a one-match suspension.

“It doesn’t mean even if you come into the next round of the FA Cup the focus will be less on the Premier League.

“We have another defeat and this hurts, because we wanted to have the winning feeling back which we haven’t now for such a long period.

“Nine defeats in a row means we have nine games without a clean sheet, which is not good enough, and we haven’t scored enough goals as well.

“So we have problems on both ends of the pitch which we have to solve.

“Even if we have conceded these defeats, we have to get back to work and focus on Cardiff.”

Asked about the pressure which the last six weeks has brought on the club and on himself as head coach, Wagner indicated Town are looking only at breaking their losing run.

“The fact is we have now lost nine games in a row – seven by one goal – and I take responsibility for it,” he said.

“It is the truth as well that everything that happened in the last three-and-a-half years here with our football club, I take the responsibility for, including this period which we have at the minute.

“Obviously Cardiff is a big game, but it is no bigger than the game we had the week before, the week before and the week before.

“There is no difference for us. We had big games last week and the week before as well.

“We have to get this feeling back that we are able to win football matches or collect points.

“As long as we are not able to get this feeling back, it will be more and more complicated for us.

“This is why this game is so big. Not because it is Cardiff or because there is an eight-point gap between them and us, but because it is the next game and we have to have this (winning) feeling back.”

We have problems at both ends of the pitch which we have to solve