Sol Bamba insists the bubble hasn’t burst for Cardiff City.
The Bluebirds centre-back clawed a point with an injury time equaliser against Sheffield Wednesday on Saturday as his team failed to win for a third match on the trot.
But even though Cardiff have fallen out of the Championship’s automatic promotion places on goal difference – following their faultless five victories at the start of the campaign – Bamba reckons they will rise again.
“When you win five on the bounce, as we did, it is always good but we needed to know how we would respond to a defeat,” said the Ivorian.
“Now we know we can move on quickly.”
Having won five out of five, Cardiff have drawn twice either side of a 3-0 thumping away to Preston.
But Bamba, 32, believes the Championship is now tougher than ever and it was inevitable the red-hot pace-setters would cool for a time at some stage.
“In the last three games, we wanted to take more points than we did. But, overall, we are happy with where we are now.
“Over the past few seasons, you can clearly see that the level has gone up. Every team can beat every other.
“You can see it at the top of the table at the moment, with three teams all on 17 points.
“It’s going to be very tight from here to the end. But if we are there, or thereabouts, come January, then I think we’ve got a good chance.”
Bamba is developing a useful habit of scoring significant goals for the Bluebirds. His point-saver against Wednesday came after what proved to be the winner against QPR in Cardiff’s previous home game.
That’s a happy recent knack for a defender who only managed two goals all season in the last campaign.
“Obviously, with the timing of the goal so late in the game, it was special. And scoring at home is always special.
“But from my point of view, I would have preferred to have kept a clean sheet.
“We didn’t start the game as we wanted to. But it was a good response in the second-half. Sheffield Wednesday are a top team, so we’ll be happy with the draw.
“Perhaps there was a hangover from Preston. Maybe there was in the first 10 or 15 minutes, but we moved on. We wanted to respond and I think we’ve put that defeat behind us.”
Bamba’s forceful display in restricting the Owls to few clear-cut chances despite their dominance of possession, prompted his manager Neil Warnock to describe him as a “colossus”.
But the player who arrived on a free transfer shortly after Warnock’s arrival last season insists Cardiff’s defence – which has conceded just two goals in four home matches – is a joint source of pride, rather than down to one individual.
“I think he’s too generous. I think it was a collective effort. It felt like we had won and we always win together and we lose together.
“From front to back, we help each other and so that makes it easier for me.”