x

Carsley Thinks It's Our Cup Final

Birmingham captain Lee Carsley believes that facing Birmingham is like a cup final for most teams

Carsley will lead his side out against Swansea City at the Liberty tonight believing that they should start as favourites in every game that they play.

Birmingham were accused by Nottingham Forest of "not fancying it" after a 1-1 draw between the two sides two weeks back.

But the 2nd placed Blues - favourites to return to the Premiership - Carsley thinks should now start playing like favourites and that he wants to start at 7th placed Swansea this evening.

"We've got a nice bunch of lads who all want to do well and sometimes I think you need a jolt to the system," he told the Evening Post

"We know what we think about ourselves but we're not really aware of how the opposition view us and we've got to have a bit more self-belief.

"We went a goal up at Forest, then had a look to see how they'd react. They went for it and perhaps we didn't cope with it that well.

"We've got to go into games believing in ourselves, because the opposition are because it's a big game for them.

"It's like their cup final and we've got to start playing like we are the favourites."

What to read next:

Queens Park Rangers 4 - 0 Leeds United - Player Ratings and Reports
If you saw the match, please give us your player ratings and a mini match report.
End game – Preview
QPR need one result, in any one of a multitude of the remaining games, to secure their Championship safety - they get first swing at getting it for themselves tonight at home to Massive Leeds United.
So near and yet so far - History
Ahead of the visit of Leeds to Loftus Road on Friday we look back at the final day of the 1975/76 season when QPR got the 2-0 win they needed to take their title bid down to Liverpool's final match at Wolves - 48 years ago this week.
Three into two won't go, will Leeds last the pace? Oppo profile
Having started the year with nine straight wins Leeds looked all set to overpower the Championship even in this extreme year at the top, but they’ve dropped points in five of their last ten to put the whole thing back in the balance. Nico Franks and Gruev Armada (@timmsy_ks) gave us the latest.
Bond in charge of Leeds clash - Referee
Premier League referee Darren Bond is the man entrusted with Friday night’s televised clash between QPR and Leeds.
Dykes' long awaited goal secures crucial QPR win - Report
QPR moved themselves to within touching distance of Championship survival with a scrappy, hard fought, tense 1-0 home win against Preston on Saturday.
Queens Park Rangers 1 - 0 Preston North End - Photo Gallery
Pictures from Ian Randall at Loftus Road where Lyndon Dykes scored the only goal and QPR secured a priceless 1-0 win against Preston to all but assure their Championship status for next season.
Queens Park Rangers 1 - 0 Preston North End - Player Ratings and Reports
If you saw the match, please give us your player ratings and a mini match report.
W12 braces for pivotal Preston clash - Preview
Three points above the drop zone with three to play, QPR likely need one more win to save their season and, in theory, their best chance of getting that is tomorrow night, at Loftus Road, against Preston North End. Hold me.
Stoke/Bristol/Leicester – Awaydays
Take your mind off the potential calamity of the next fortnight by reliving the suffering that went before, in the latest Awaydays we’re calling Places I Woke Up Recently.