Cardiff City confident of Premier League promotion push
Npower Championship Venue: Cardiff City Stadium Date: Saturday, 30 October Kick-off: 1500 BST Coverage: Full commentary on BBC Radio Wales (SE FM only), BBC Radio Cymru, BBC Radio 5 live sports extra & online, live text commentary online and score updates on BBC Radio 5 live and on BBC Sport website & watch highlights on The Football League Show
Peter Whittingham is a former England under-21 international
Peter Whittingham has revealed Cardiff City's players believe they will win Premier League promotion this season.
The Bluebirds thrashed Leeds United 4-0 in their fourth successive Championship win and face fourth-placed Norwich City and third-placed Swansea City next.
Cardiff are level with table-toppers QPR and could go top if they beat Norwich and QPR fail against Burnley.
"There is massive belief in our squad," said Whittingham. "And we're all thinking it is our year."
Cardiff suffered Championship play-off final disappointment last season when Blackpool came from behind twice to beat the Welsh team 3-2 at Wembley and secure coveted promotion to the Premier League.
Their Wembley heartbreak came just 12 months after Cardiff failed to reach the play-offs by just on goal on the final day of the 2008/09 season.
Cardiff suffered a second transfer embargo for a large part of the 2010 close season due to a delay in paying debts, including a £1.3m owed to HM Revenue and Customs, as apathy reigned at the Cardiff City Stadium following the play-off defeat.
But the club's new Malaysian owners, replacing the Peter Ridsdale administration, lifted spirits among disillusioned fans as they completed the high-profile loan signings of Premier League quality players Jason Koumas, Seyi Olofinjana, Andy Keogh and Wales captain Craig Bellamy.
Dave Jones warns his Cardiff City side against complacency
Now Cardiff's star-studded squad have won four successive Championship games, boasting the joint best attack and second meanest defence in the division and are level on points with leaders Queen's Park Rangers.
The Bluebirds, who only lost Joe Ledley during a tumultuous summer, are now being widely-tipped for promotion this season after putting their play-off deflation behind them.
And Whittingham, last season joint Championship top-scorer, insists Monday's 4-0 demolition of Leeds United at Elland Road is a statement of intent by a Dave Jones side that has lost just twice this season.
He said: "With the signings that we made in the summer, we are all thinking it is our year but it is all about taking our chances.
"Our substitutes bench on Monday night was frightening and full of players that would get into any other Championship team."
Cardiff's promotion credentials will be severely tested in the next month as Jones' men face the other three teams that make up the Championship's top four.
Norwich and Swansea will visit the Cardiff City Stadium before the Bluebirds travel to Reading and Scunthorpe United, host Nottingham Forest before a potential top-of-the-table showdown with QPR at Loftus Road.
So Cardiff's six-match unbeaten run will be examined by Norwich on Saturday but Whittingham insists: "Our confidence is high.
"This is a great squad with some really big players for this division and the lads are happy."
Bellamy will face his first club on Saturday when Norwich visit south Wales as the home-town hero hopes to extend his 100% record as a Cardiff player.
The on-loan Manchester City superstar has endured time on the sidelines due to his ongoing knee trouble but Bellamy has fully recovered and is looking to add to his two goals and three assists.
"Craig is a big lift for any team whoever they are in the world," said Whittingham.
"He is a great player and boosts the team massively because you know you can give him the ball and something will happen."
Whittingham has warned his team-mates against complacency so early in the season but his captain Mark Hudson feels Cardiff can secure automatic promotion instead of relying on the play-of lottery.
"The main aim is to get promoted automatically," said Hudson.
"We felt so disappointed last season but we feel we can get automatic promotion this time around and that belief comes from the manager down."
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