Boss Neil Harris insists there is no hangover from last season for Cardiff City, as he looks to “pick the right team” to face Nottingham Forest this weekend.
Like Sabri Lamouchi’s Reds, the Bluebirds have lost their opening two fixtures of the new campaign - away to Northampton Town in the Carabao Cup and a 2-0 Championship defeat at home to Sheffield Wednesday last Saturday.
While Forest narrowly missed out on a top six finish in 2019/20, Cardiff secured their place but were toppled by Fulham in the play-off semi-finals.
Harris though, says his squad are now fully focused on a fresh challenge - and a busy schedule - as they look ahead to their trip to the City Ground.
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"I hope not," he said, when asked about a potential hangover from last term.
"I hope the cup game was an isolation. They played it like a cup final - we played it like a pre-season friendly.
"On Saturday, it was individual errors, team errors.
“I see the mentality is right every day on the training pitch.
"But if there is a hangover we need to shake it off quickly. I don't sense it at the moment, but I understand it will be labelled that if we don't start picking points up quickly at the start of a Championship campaign."
"It's a disappointing result, yes, but we've had disappointing results over the course of the last nine months," he added of defeat to the Owls.
"Unfortunately, there are going to be more disappointing results over the next nine months! I'm experienced enough to know that.
"It's making sure we can be as consistent as possible, on and off the pitch, as a football club.
"We have to put the week behind us. It has been difficult, but all I am interested in now is studying the game, picking the right team for Nottingham Forest away and us getting our first points of the season on the board."
Harris also bemoaned a lack of creativity against Wednesday, as his team failed to make the most of their possession.
He told WalesOnline: "We didn't show enough quality in the final third to break down a back seven - a five-man defence and two holding midfielders.
"We need to be more fluent as a team, it's not about getting people in. We didn't have enough ideas or creativity against a very resolute Sheffield Wednesday side."
