PACK WOULD LOVE TO SEE A SOUTH WALES DERBY FINAL
MARLON Pack is not letting himself get too carried away, but admits the prospect of a South Wales derby play-off final against archrivals Swansea City would be some spectacle.
Cardiff City saw off Hull City in emphatic fashion, earning a convincing 3-0 win over the Tigers, who were relegated as a consequence.
While it was relatively straightforward for the Bluebirds, elsewhere in the Championship the landscape was frenetic.
In a late twist, Nottingham Forest ceded their grasp on sixth place when they were hammered 4-1 at home by Stoke City, allowing Swansea City the chance to leapfrog them into sixth place – which they did with their own emphatic 4-1 win at Reading.
Cardiff were 14th when Neil Harris took over in November, with the play-offs always a distant aim.
They have improved dramatically as the season has worn on and it has paid off, with City, and Swansea, just 180 minutes away from Wembley.
And, while Pack insisted the players know there is a big task ahead of them, he knows just how big a South Wales derby showdown at Wembley would be.
“There is a very happy dressing room, but at the same time we’re not getting carried away,” Pack said after the match. “We know we haven’t achieved anything yet. The form since lockdown has been brilliant and we’ve carried on momentum.
“I think the job he [Harris] and his backroom staff have done has been fantastic. The boys have bought into it from the start.
“You’ve seen a spike in form and his gradual influence on how we’re trying to play. I don’t think we’re the finished article yet, but at the moment it’s got us in a great position to get promoted.
“You’d probably have fancied Forest to get something at home to Stoke, but that typifies the Championship. It shows what a tough league it is.
“We played Swansea in the penultimate friendly before the return and they looked in good shape, but we can’t get too carried away. We’ve got two tough games against Fulham and they’ve got Brentford, but what a final it would be if it did happen.”
Pack believes there is more to come from Cardiff, despite them playing well in recent weeks, which will certainly be nice to hear from a fans’ perspective.
They have scored eight goals in their last three games and look far more free-flowing in attack. In fact, they look a real handful going forward heading into their two-legged play-off tie with Fulham.
Lee Tomlin, of course, has been instrumental in adding class and guile in the City attack, but Pack believes there is one other star in Nathaniel Mendez-Laing, whose contributions have perhaps been overlooked in recent weeks.
“I’ve been fortunate to play with Tommo before and I know his quality,” added Pack, who played with Tomlin at Bristol City.
“He can be that match-winner when the games are so tight. It’s our job behind him to give him that licence and freedom to go and roam.
“I know Lee has had the plaudits, but Mendy [Nathaniel Mendez-Laing] has come back and looked sharp.
“There’s Rob [Glatzel], Pato [Callum Paterson] and Danny Ward. We’ve got fantastic attacking players.”
Manager Harris said the pressure was on Fulham heading into next week’s semi-final, given the money they had thrown at assembling their squad.
Pack also subscribes to the same view, but believes all the focus should be on Monday and putting right that defeat of two weeks ago at Craven Cottage to ensure the pressure is placed firmly on Scott Parker’s men for the return leg next Thursday.
“We put pressure on ourselves,” he added. “Maybe we got written off in terms of making the play-offs, but that was down to our performances earlier this season. We’re gathering momentum at the right time.
“Maybe there is pressure on them, but a few games ago they beat us and we need to turn around that result.”
Pack was a bit of a shock signing on deadline day, it must be said.
Neil Warnock was delighted with the capture and Pack played a crucial role in the early part of the season.
He has had less game time of late, which he admits is a bit of a frustration, but his ultimate goal when he signed was to earn promotion and he believed the Bluebirds had a real chance of doing that.
Harris has earmarked Pack for certain games, matches in which he foresees Cardiff needing more defensive rigidity or leadership, and the midfielder has fulfilled that role with aplomb in recent weeks.
He knows the next week or so represents a huge opportunity not only for himself but for the Bluebirds fan base, with whom he is gutted he cannot share this ride in the empty stadia.
“I’m 29 now and my best opportunity to play in the Premier League would be to get promoted with a Championship club,” Pack added.
“It’s such a shame not being able to share it with the fans – especially with the first semifinal at home. Everyone’s in the same boat and we’ve got a massive opportunity now.
“Hopefully we come up trumps.”