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Now he's preparing is team for another assault on the play offs. He said: "We've got to do what we've got to do and finish as high in the league as we possibly can. We want to finish third so we have the advantage of playing at home in the second leg plus it's more money for the club as well.
"If we had played well [against Middlesbrough] and lost the thing would have been exactly the same. We would have had to pick ourselves up, get going and do the right things and we've tried to do that during the week with all the other bits and bobs that have been flying around. It's nothing new in this club; there's always something flying around.
"We've just made sure we've done it right in training and they are all fully focused for the next game. Nothing changes; we would still have had to go to Burnley on Saturday and get a result so nothing changes for us within that other than we are not fighting for an automatic spot, we are fighting to finish as high as we possibly can.
"We are disappointed because we lost a game against Middlesbrough that took away an automatic chance but we are in the play offs and have another bite of the cherry. I wonder how many managers would like to be in that situation.
"There are no guarantees as we found out last year. We've just got to focus now and get ready to do battle with another good team in this division and be at our best."
For Burnley there is nothing to play for in terms of the promotion places, although it is still possible for us to finish 7th and just outside them and that's what Eddie Howe wants to do.
"First and foremost you try and win the game and we will try and do that," he said. "We are looking for a performance. For the supporters and everybody we want to go out on a win and we want to go out in a positive fashion to get everybody believing that we could be successful again next year.
"I am sure Cardiff will want to win the game to keep their momentum going into the play offs, whatever happens, and we will have exactly the same feelings. It's not a dead game. I don't think there is any such thing in this league. It's so competitive.
"We saw that when Portsmouth came here. We saw how much they fought and we want that same level of commitment as their players."