Riza defends changes as Cardiff fight for survival

Cardiff City manager Omer Riza has defended making constant changes to his team as he attempts to steer them away from the Championship relegation zone.

Cardiff are 22nd in the table with five games left this season, trailing Derby County in the final safety spot on goal difference, albeit a significant goal difference of 10.

Although the Bluebirds are unbeaten in four, they have drawn their past three matches, and Riza's changes in personnel and formation have drawn criticism.

His switch to a back five at Preston North End on Tuesday backfired with a wretched first-half display, though reverting to a four at least helped Cardiff earn a 2-2 draw in injury time.

"That's what they call the tinkerman is it? I don't like to be labelled that, but it is what it is," Riza said.

"I'd like to have a stable back four I don't need to change, or a back five depending what we need to do, but predominantly a four.

"When I have put out a sustained team of the same XI, we've blown up and I've had to make changes. It's a gruelling league and it's hard for the players. But predominantly if we can keep the same back five with a keeper, of course I'd like to do that.

"I've had to put Andy Rinomhota at right-back because we lost Perry [Ng] and Andy's been instrumental. Centre-halves have been injured, Jasper [Daland] has come in and not had much consistency with injuries, and then we had players out of form.

"We've had to make changes. This is why we've got a squad so I'm not changing for the sake of it. I've had to make changes."

Riza admitted his change of system at Preston was a mistake, adding: "In hindsight I should have gone 4-2-3-1, but we thought again with the problems Preston we'd shore up first half and hurt them in the second.

"We couldn't contain them enough with silly errors and mistakes we made. With the goals, Dimi [Dimitrios Goutas] came out of a pocket of a space he shouldn't have done, Jasper opened up a space he shouldn't have done and we were quite passive at times, which is disappointing, but it can happen. That's why I had to change at half-time."

Although Cardiff have only won one of their past eight games, results elsewhere have gone their way with defeats for relegation rivals Oxford United, Portsmouth and Plymouth Argyle on Wednesday.

Next up for the Bluebirds is a huge encounter against another team near them in the league table, as 20th-place Stoke City visit Cardiff City Stadium on Saturday.

"We have five massive games. This is a very, very big game," said Riza. "The point against Preston was massive and we go into this game and we will be ready again.

"We are fighting. The boys know how much it means and we are fully focused on the job we are trying to get done.

"We know the seriousness of where we are and we know it's not a joke. We have been given an opportunity on Saturday and it's a very important game. Hopefully we can perform in both halves and get the result we need."