Cardiff City are preparing to fire up their promotion challenge in 2018.
The Bluebirds have suffered three successive Championship defeats and slipped up 1-0 against Preston North End on Friday.
Now manager Neil Warnock and his players go to Queens Park Rangers on New Year’s Day intent on starting 2018 in style.
“It’s up to me now to lift the lads,” said Warnock. “I have to smarten it up, do things, change things and make sure we don’t feel sorry for ourselves.
“We won’t get down. We’ll get on with it, but I have got to do something in the next few days to give them a lift because it is difficult losing three on the trot.
“We’ll have a good following at QPR and the lads will be ready when I’m finished with them because we’re better than that.
“Even with the problems we have injury-wise we can do more, but it’s down to me and I have to do something different.”
Tom Clarke scored Preston’s injury time winner at Cardiff City Stadium, leaving the Bluebirds in third place behind Bristol City and Wolves.
The top two clash at Ashton Gate this afternoon (5.30pm).
Warnock is ready to back his players to the hilt and says: “I can’t fault the effort, they are trying their hardest.
“They’ve given me everything, but I was disappointed with the result.
“We lacked a little bit of quality in certain areas. We are lacking in midfield, but we only have two fit.
“It’s a sloppy goal and it’s a cruel game sometimes, but when you see the number of lads missing you realise what we’re without.”
The big positive from match against Preston was the lively performance of striker Rhys Healey when he went on during the second half. The former Connah’s Quay Nomads player is quick, has an eye for goal and shoots on sight.
John Ralls and Loic Damour battled in midfield, but how the Bluebirds are missing the box-to-box attribute of Icelandic warrior Aron Gunnarsson, who is ruled out by an ankle problem.
Warnock’s ambitions are being frustrated by a long injury list which includes captain Sean Morrison (groin), Danny Ward (knee), Kadeem Harris (ankle) and Jazz Richards (ankle), while Lee Tomlin is a highly creative playmaker who doesn’t look 100 per cent fit.
Warnock is ready to move fast when the January transfer window opens with one full signing and a couple of loan deals the priority.
The Bluebirds made three changes to his side for the visit of Preston North end with Callum Paterson, Tomlin and Liam Feeney all named in the starting line-up.
Substitute Junior Hoilett had one of Cardiff’s best chances and was unlucky not to give his team the lead from Kenneth Johore’s pass.
Preston’s winner came near the end when captain Tom Clarke headed in following a corner which led to a goalmouth scramble.
Healey almost fired an equaliser, but his shot was saved in style by the alert goalkeeper.
Preston are now seventh on 40 points, while third-placed Cardiff have 47 and manager Alex Neil says: “We’re nine games unbeaten, five wins and four draws. In this division that’s extremely difficult to do.
“We’ve kept 11 clean sheets season so far and done fantastically well.”
Cardiff City: Etheridge, Paterson, Bamba, Ecuele Manga, Peltier, Damour, Ralls, Tomlin (Healey 75), Feeney (Hoilett 63), Mendez-Laing, Zohore (Bogle 83). Subs Not Used: Murphy, Pilkington, Halford, Connolly.
Preston North End: Maxwell, Cunningham (Woods 83), Pearson, Clarke, Horgan (Robinson 68), Browne, Hugill, Gallagher (Harrop 68), Davies, Huntington, Barkhuizen. Subs Not Used: Rudd, O’Connor, Welsh, Mavididi.