These are your Cardiff City headlines on Sunday, March 13
Archer speaks out on future
Cameron Archer says he wants to go back to Aston Villa this summer and force his way into Steven Gerrard's plans.
The striker is currently on loan at Preston North End and was a target for Cardiff in the previous transfer window.
Bluebirds boss Steve Morison revealed earlier this week that they put together a presentation for Archer and Aston Villa in an attempt to lure him to south Wales.
"Cameron Archer's a really good signing," he said before the clash with the Lilywhites. "Someone we were interested in as well.
"We had a conversation, like we had to do with all the loan players.
"We had to put presentations together for all of them and we did that for a couple of players at Aston Villa, and they decided to go to other teams.
"That was it. Not really any different to any conversations we've had with other players.
"He decided to go to Preston and that's about it."
Archer has done well at Deepdale, scoring five in 11 appearances, and he's keen to show Gerrard what he can do ahead of next season.
"It's been the start I was hoping for and I will continue to try and score some more goals," he told LancsLive. "They (Villa) have got big aspirations and obviously I want to try and get a place there next season and some minutes.
"I've come here and it's been about doing what I have to do here first, and then going back there and seeing what happens."
The Bluebirds will likely be in the market for a new striker come the summer, with Jordan Hugill and Uche Ikpeazu set to return to their parent clubs.
Morison hails Smithies
Cardiff boss Morison has praised goalkeeper Alex Smithies by saying he's been "fantastic" since he was appointed.
Smithies has been an ever-present for Morison in league games, with Dillon Phillips taking the gloves in the FA Cup.
Smithies produced another assured display between the sticks against Preston, making a great save to deny Daniel Johnson in the second half.
Morison was delighted for his keeper, with the manager also expressing his approval of Uche Ikpeazu's efforts off the bench.
“It’s great that he (Smithies) gets his clean sheet," he said.
"He’s been fantastic since I’ve come in. You ask your goalkeeper to make big saves in big moments and he did that. In the same way, their keeper makes a good save from Uche at the death. I’m really pleased for Alex and pleased for the team to keep a clean sheet.
“Uche was due to start the game, but he was ill. From our point of view, it’s weighing up whether he has the impact because he comes off the bench. It’s working out whether, if I started him, would he have the same impact. He did well when he came on; it was a game that suited him. Everyone’s up for consideration, I just try to pick the best team I can."
Smithies himself believes all the signs are pointing to improvements at Cardiff City Stadium. The Bluebirds face Stoke City in the capital on Wednesday night.
“It was a tough game,” he said of the Preston match. “They’re a good team. We’ve come away with a clean sheet and had a couple of chances at the end. It would’ve been good to nick it but probably fair in the end.
“It’s been a very tough schedule and it was put together with us expected to be ready for that.
“We’ve been on a decent run, and we’re definitely showing signs of improvement. Today was a little bit scrappy at times, and we certainly could’ve tied it up at times, but we still had chances at the end to win it. We’re a lot more happy now than we were around Christmas time.
“Wednesday will be another tough game, as every game is in the Championship. We’ve just got to keep grinding.”
The Preston view - two points dropped
Preston's Brad Potts believes it was two points dropped for his side yesterday.
Both managers said post-match that the game was a "boring" one, but a draw and a clean sheet isn't to be sniffed at. Both teams had chances in the second half to win it, but ultimately a share of the spoils was a fair result.
Potts, though, feels it was a missed opportunity.
“The mood in the dressing room is that it was two points dropped,” Potts said.
"If we played as we have been we probably go on and win the game.
"We got into good areas but the final ball was not there.
"I do think we had two good chances in the second half, through DJ (Daniel Johnson) and Browney (Alan Browne) and I thought Browney got pushed.
"On the whole, it's a point away from home but we feel like we could have won it.
“We've had games where DJ or Cam have scored something out of nothing, on a day like today you know it's going to be tough against whatever team you play against.
"One goal is probably going to be the decider so it's frustrating on our behalf.
“I got in a few good areas but you've just got to pick someone out really, or their guy has blocked it, which is frustrating.
"I need to work on that but it's another point. I don't think people would have expected us to beat Bournemouth so following that up with another point here, and then if we go on and win on Wednesday, then it is a good point.”
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