Cardiff City head coach Brian Barry-Murphy has made it clear that external opinions about his team's recent form won't distract from their pursuit of what he calls an "extraordinarily special" promotion.
The Bluebirds currently sit second in League One, holding a seven-point cushion over third-placed Bradford City with just six matches remaining in the season. Their position remains strong despite a recent dip in form that has seen them secure only two victories in their last eight outings.
Barry-Murphy addressed concerns about fan frustration after some supporters booed following a recent 0-0 home draw against Blackpool. "I think anyone's opinion on where we're at or what we've done is valid, it's an opinion, but it's not part of our focus," the manager stated.
"When I was a younger coach I would jump to the defence of my players and my club because it was a reaction, but I now have more experience. I understand what gets said, where we're at and our focus is just on the next game."
The Irish manager emphasized that his team's attention remains firmly on their upcoming match against Bolton Wanderers this Saturday at Cardiff City Stadium. "The focus for ourselves is always on the next game because the permutations of trying to figure out what will happen or what may happen in the future, what other teams do, is not only a waste of our time, it tends to take away the focus from what is the most important thing."
When questioned about potential points targets for the remaining fixtures, Barry-Murphy remained steadfast in his approach. "My most important message is absolutely not. We have to focus on trying to win on Saturday and that is my sole and most important focus at the moment for the players."
Cardiff have occupied an automatic promotion spot for most of the campaign, giving them breathing room despite their recent struggles. Barry-Murphy acknowledged the significance of their position while keeping perspective on the challenges ahead.
"We're going to do our best to try and win [against Bolton], but there's been must-win games throughout the course of the season - it's a term that's used in whatever way you want, but we'll try and win it for sure."
The manager concluded with a message to his squad, emphasizing the importance of maintaining their current focus. "The message to the players is it's clearly a very big game because it's our next game. And if we win, it's going to be a brilliant result for us."