There’s been plenty of change at Cardiff City this season, but one thing that hasn’t changed is their winning mentality.
A lot of senior heads either left or retired in the summer, leaving this season’s Bluebirds looking a lot different. Midfielder Lily Billingham returned to the capital at the start of the season after spending last year in the English third tier, but she’s hailed the positive atmosphere around the club.
Bute Energy Welsh Cup semi-finals
‘It was no brainer to re-join Cardiff City’
“This time last year I wasn’t sure where I’d be in terms of playing. I joined Cardiff back in pre-season, and it was a no brainer for me from there. Everyone was so welcoming. It’s a completely different team compared to when I was last at the club, there’s a few new staff, but I’m really glad I rejoined.
“We’re a lot closer as a group now. We do still have a lot of big characters in the dressing room, but we really are one big group. Everyone wants to lead, and everything is always positive in training and on matchdays.”
In terms of their form, particularly since the turn of the year, City have been dominant. And despite a loss to Wrexham last weekend, Billingham believes the squad is heading in the right direction.
“In phase one, we were still getting used to playing with new players, myself included in that, and we can all fit and work as a team. We’ve finally gotten to where we should be now with our new formation, and everything has clicked.
“Obviously, we lost to Wrexham on the weekend, which was disappointing, but we know what we have to do on Sunday. We have to be better, and that is what we’ll be.”
But facing City on Sunday in the Bute Energy Welsh Cup semi-final will be TNS, an all too familiar foe.
Both sides have got wins against each other this season, and Billingham knows how difficult the challenge will be, especially against a very different TNS compared to prior seasons.
“TNS are a really difficult team to come up against. We lost to them in the Adran Trophy, but when we played them again not too long after, we bounced back against them. It’s going to be a matter of who wants it more on the day and who prepares better. They’ve got a few new players, and having Maria Francis-Jones, who has a lot of experience, has been great for them.
“They’ve clicked this season as well, they’ve found their way in the league, and they have become a far better squad than what they used to be. They’re a lot more difficult now to play against. They’re fitter, more physical, and it is due to them having a younger squad as well, but they are a much harder side to play against.”
An unbeaten streak in the Bute Energy Welsh Cup
However, when it comes to the Bute Energy Welsh Cup, it really is City’s competition. Iain Darbyshire’s side haven’t been defeated in the competition since March 2019, and Billingham firmly believes the cup brings out the best in her team.
“The fact that we’ve won this competition so much recently gives us a lot of confidence heading into these games. We’ve won it a lot, and we want it to stay that way. It’s really important for us this competition.”
The Bluebirds have an opportunity on Sunday to reach their third final in a row, and every player is aware of the importance of the competition.
“Everyone here really wants to get to the final. From the new players, the older players, someone like me who missed last season’s final, we all know this is important. We all know we want this trophy to be ours again.”
