Cardiff City's promotion hopes have stalled
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First Minister Rhodri Morgan has stepped away from the cauldron of politics and into the turbulent world of football to give advice to Cardiff City about how to win promotion.
On the eve of their clash with Division Two champions Wigan, Mr Morgan suggested in a BBC Wales webchat that Cardiff should bring in a sports psychologist.
The Bluebirds are currently struggling to maintain their drive to reach Division One, after failing at the play-off stage last season - Mr Morgan suggested the players were suffering from a "fear factor".
Last year, Mr Morgan entered the row over the future of Welsh rugby, saying that the Welsh Rugby Union (WRU) was "in tatters at the top"
However, the criticism he received for his comments from the then WRU secretary Dennis Gethin, has not stopped him getting involved in Cardiff's affairs.
Mr Morgan was at last Saturday's 3-0 home defeat by Colchester United - he described the team's performance in that game as "abysmal".
Rhodri Morgan intervened in rugby affairs last year
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"Cardiff City should consider the employment of a sports psychologist," he said.
"The way they fell away last season in the playoffs and the way they've fallen away at the end of this season when they looked well-set for automatic promotion shows some kind of fear factor is affecting the team.
"Maybe a sports psychologist could help the manager, captain and other players overcome this fear and make them play with their full potential when the chips are down," he added.
Cardiff City chairman David Temme, said the club welcomed the suggestion.
"We are always prepared to listen to ideas that will enhance the team's performance," he said.
Elsewhere in the webchat, Mr Morgan said he would stay in office as long as the people of Wales trusted and wanted him.
He was asked about the odds being offered by a south Wales bookmaker on him losing his job after Thursday's Welsh Assembly election.
"I think you should know from signals given you by the people when you have overstayed your welcome - I don't think I'm at that stage yet," he said.
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