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Mackay must be allowed to continue good work at Cardiff

Welsh football weekly with Luke James

It's not been the easiest of starts to life in the Premier League for Cardiff as they fight to survive among the big boys.

The club have found themselves at the wrong end of the table for much of the season, around several other clubs who have already made managerial changes.

One of those was Fulham, whose board bowed to fan pressure and sacked Martin Jol as manager after Saturday's 3-0 loss at West Ham.

But despite the inevitable doom enveloping most sides around the drop zone, a poll of supporters on Cardiff's website shows that most are more than satisfied with their side's start.

A massive 56 per cent believe City have made an "excellent" start to their first top-flight season while another 32 per cent think Malky Mackay's men are doing "as expected," with just 12 per cent being undecided.

Being an official club poll, there's no option to express disappointment.

Cardiff are certainly holding their own but this perception of excellence stems from just three games.

As well as beating fellow strugglers Fulham at Craven Cottage, Cardiff's other two victories have come against recent champions Manchester City and fierce rivals Swansea City.

South Korean midfielder Kim Bo-Kyung's also snatched a point against Manchester United with a 91st-minute equaliser at the Cardiff City Stadium last week.

Taking those scalps has given City fans the hope that their side's lowly position is temporary. Their optimism could yet be proved well placed.

Cardiff began a festive calendar of genuinely crucial matches yesterday against Stoke at the Britannia Stadium.

The Potters, now led by former Wales striker and manager Mark Hughes, started the night just one place above Cardiff on account of a slightly better goal difference.

Following the six-pointer, it's straight to London to face struggling Crystal Palace at Selhurst Park on Saturday, though Mackay's men would do well to guard against complacency given that no-nonsense Newport-born boss has Tony Pulis sparked something of a revival since arriving and led the Eagles to victory over West Ham on Tuesday evening.

West Bromich Albion, Liverpool, Southampton and rock-bottom Sunderland complete December's schedule.

Mackay will know that he desperately needs to put together a run of results and points on the board before the year is out, not least because away fixtures against Arsenal, Manchester City and Manchester United await his side in January, but also because of the unsettling influence of meddling Malaysian owner Vincent Tan.

Tan earned a place on the wrong side of World Soccer magazine's most recent Heroes and Villains column for replacing the club's head of recruitment with a 23-year-old family friend.

Now Turkish media are reporting that journeyman manager Yilmaz Vural is being lined up to replace Mackay.

At least Cardiff's prospects on the pitch are boosted by the return of key personnel.

Combative midfielder Aaron Gunnarsson is fully rested after battling in vain to see Iceland through a World Cup play-off against Croatia last month, while £7.5 million summer signing Andreas Cornelius is finally fit to lead the attack.

Cardiff don't need a Christmas miracle but simply to keep the faith in Malky and his men.

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