Kadeem Harris is convinced Cardiff City can prove the doubters wrong – just as he has disproved Neil Warnock.
Harris was considered to be a likely passenger this season on the Bluebirds’ return to the Premier League, a back-up option at best but a striker so far down the queue that his manager questioned whether he might actually get a game.
Instead, the season is only in mid-autumn and already the 25-year-old has altered perceptions. Harris has been Cardiff’s most penetrative forward over the past month, scoring in the victory over Fulham and then last weekend turning provider for Callum Paterson in an impressive display.
After Cardiff had snatched a priceless 2-1 victory, Warnock admitted Harris had undermined his original assessment and said the former Wycombe player had been the club’s best performer in training for the past six week.
Harris himself has been pleased with his adjustment to the top tier, but believes the whole team can now do the same and defy the predictions.
“It annoys me when people write us off because I know what we’re capable of,” says Harris.
“It’s up to us to prove everyone wrong. Week by week, we’ve improved. We’ve had a hard run against the top five teams so games like Brighton against teams below the top five are the ones we can get something out of and get points.”
Harris does not have the all-round smoothness of Junior Hoilett or the power of Kenneth Zohore, but his balance on low-centred swerving surges is a huge problem for defenders.
Brighton’s defenders were reluctant to rush in whenever he was in possession, for fear of giving away a penalty, and if Cardiff can get the ball to him more often then he will become increasingly important to the survival cause.
He adds: “It makes such a difference to win, every point in the Premier League is big. Everyone is delighted to go into the international break with three points.
“There have been games recently that we felt we should have got more from, so I’m thankful.
“We haven’t capitalised on certain situations where we’ve been playing against 10 men, but this was different though and it goes to show how much we’re improving. I also think we can continue to do so.
“We were a constant threat during the game, even if they had 11 men I think it would have been the same. We’ve shown we’re a threat going forward and we can continue to be a threat going forward.”
Harris’s strike partnership with Paterson would have been a wild one to predict at the start of the season, but it now appears to be Warnock’s current favoured option.
The Scotland player has appeared at full-back, midfield and centre-back for Cardiff since he joined from Hearts, but Harris is convinced his utility value extends to Paterson being a Premier League front man.
“He’s been everywhere, his work rate is outstanding and when you work as hard as he does you can play anywhere on the pitch.
“I’m not surprised because his work rate is that good he tires out the defenders he plays against. He gets in the positions to get goals and it’s showing now.”