Manager Neil Warnock declared Cardiff’s win over West Ham provided proof that his squad is united.
Cardiff ended a run of three successive Premier League defeats with an impressive 2-0 home victory, but remain two points from safety after Southampton came from behind to beat Tottenham.
Talk before the game had centred on the comments of former players Danny Gabbidon and Nathan Blake, who questioned the team spirit inside the Cardiff camp.
Former Wales striker Blake even went as far as to say that the dressing room was “splintered”, but defiant boss Warnock said the performance answered that criticism.
“I think even the lads mentioned the ‘split camp’ and the ‘splinters’ and what’s been said this week,” Warnock said after goals from Junior Hoilett and Victor Camarasa gave Cardiff a thoroughly deserved three points.
“But you don’t get a performance like that with a split camp. I thought they were fabulous, from one to 11 and the subs.
“I don’t think there was a weakness. I thought we worked hard this week in training and it’s benefited us.”
Asked if he had addressed those claims of a dressing-room rift, Warnock said there was no need to.
“I didn’t have to. The lads were all talking about it,” he added.
“We were asking them to stand up – ‘will you stand up please, you rifters!’ – but nobody stood up.
“You always get that when you get defeats, because you (the media) have got to write about something.”
Fellow strugglers Brighton and Newcastle also won on a dramatic day at the bottom of the table.
Only six points separate 18th-placed Cardiff and Newcastle in 13th, with eight games of the season remaining.
“I just think it brings a few more back into the pack,” Warnock said. “It makes a few more nervous.
“It’s always nice for a change to score the first goal, which put a bit of pressure on them.
“The only disappointment is we didn’t score another two or three when we had some fabulous opportunities.
“But it’s not us to make it straightforward, is it?”
West Ham stay ninth, but their away form has become a huge source of concern since the turn of the year.
Manuel Pellegrini’s side have now lost five of their last six league games on the road without scoring.
“It may be getting in the heads of the players,” Pellegrini said of the away form.
“I was surprised the way we played. I kept the starting XI that played so well against Newcastle and we spoke so much in the week about facing a team who is fighting against relegation.
“They were beaten badly here in their last two games but we couldn’t match what they did.
“They started very quickly and scored an easy goal. It’s difficult to find the reason, we knew it would be difficult.”
