" CARDIFF ARE CALLED THE BULLY BOYS "

Neil Warnock's Cardiff bully boys muscle in on promotion to Premier League after beating Middlesbrough

Cardiff use muscle and their physical power to beat teams.


Daily Mail

Monday 21st February 2018

Sean Morrison believes size matters when it comes to promotion and some of Cardiff City’s Championship rivals are feeling inadequate.

The Bluebirds skipper used his 6ft 3in frame to clamber all over Middlesbrough’s Ben Gibson and head the only goal of a game shaped by the home team’s power and physicality.

Morrison, who has scored three goals in his past four matches and helped Cardiff restrict the opposition to just two in the same period, is the embodiment of his team’s domineering style that has lifted them back into the top two.


They and their manager, Neil Warnock, were accused of over-doing the physical stuff against Manchester City in the FA Cup, but here they simply had to muscle up fair and square to overcome Boro — a chastening experience for boss Tony Pulis.

‘Being able to outmuscle teams is one of our biggest strengths as we have a big, physical bunch of players and some good footballers,’ said Morrison.

‘We 100 per cent take pride in being a physical side. I don’t think many teams want to play us. Teams line up against us and see the size and physicality we have and it’s quite daunting.’

Cardiff’s ambition of a return to the Premier League is based on the broad shoulders of centre backs Morrison and Sol Bamba, plus defender Bruno Manga, striker Kenneth Zohore, and midfielders Marko Grujic and Callum Paterson, who are all well over six foot.


It is the kind of aerial power and show-us-your-guns armoury that must have had Pulis wistful for his Stoke City days, although it would be lazy to label Cardiff as one-dimensional since much of their game goes through the skilful trio of Junior Hoilett, Joe Ralls and new loan signing Armand Traore.

But Pulis, whose team are slipping back from the play-offs after just one win in four matches, admitted they were bullied before they were beaten.

He said: ‘Cardiff really squeezed the life out of us at times. They’ve got five or six players who are over 6ft 3in, never mind ones over 6ft. Cardiff are second for a reason. They’ve got an identity and I like watching teams with an identity. Whether you agree with it, or like watching it, that’s up to you.’

Morrison added: ‘It’s a great compliment for him to say that and it shows the quality we have. It’s something he’s done in the Premier League for years.’

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Cardiff use muscle and their physical power to beat teams.

DO YOU AGREE?

Cardiff use muscle and their physical power to beat teams.

DO YOU AGREE?

Yes

Cardiff use muscle and their physical power to beat teams.

DO YOU AGREE?

It would be stupid not to use our height to our advantage. But then you also need the others players with the pace and skill to make it work.

complete agree but i think "bully boys" is a little strong, not exactly a team full of thugs and our fair play record this season shows that

Cardiff use muscle and their physical power to beat teams.

DO YOU AGREE?

It's a bit of a myth which I think Warnock is quite happy for other teams to believe

Patterson, Grujic and Zahore are all well over 6ft but they are hardly "bruisers"

Its lazy journalism that every Warnock team is described as physical and long ball, but it is working to our advantage as a few teams, are indeed beaten before a ball is kicked

Agree 100% and this is something we have been lacking in previous seasons. When you look at the money Boro have spent we shouldn't have had a prayer but we looked completely dominant as we have most of the season barring the blip over Christmas and it's performances like this that will hopefully keep us in that top two.

Yes. It's no coincidence that the 4 games we lost on the run, Morrison did not play. He is a big part of our system & "physicality". We have been on the receiving end of this so often in the past. Now we use it to our advantage. Nice to see we "out physicalled" a Pulis team. Their player was pulling Morrison all over the place prior to the goal. The Ref warned him twice. So for me, what goes around, comes around.

Petty much agree with that. We are physical and long ball.

Another thing we are is Mentally strong

Bamba, Morrison, Pelts, Gunner, Madine, Patterson and a few others are tough Mentally and keep going until the final whistle even if things are not going well

Even the "smaller less physical players" like Ralls, Bennet and Holliett always keep going to the end

Something we lacked under OGS and Slade

Petty much agree with that. We are physical and long ball.

We are physical yes but I don't agree we are long ball sorry matey. We play a direct and concise game with minimal passes from defence to attack but that doesn't just mean lumping it up in hope which is what I tend to think of as long ball.

Across the entirety of the season, we've only played two more long balls than Wolves and actually three less than Brentford - two teams getting plaudits for playing flowing passing football.

Yes we use our strength and height, but that doesn't mean we are a team of thugs. But if that is what teams think of us before a game starts then that means they are a bit scared really so it plays into our hands. As has been said we are nowhere near the top of the disciplinary table, so we can't be that bad can we. CARDIFF v whimps ........love it

https://www.transfermarkt.com/champions ... bewerb/GB2

Bully boys maybe, Dirty? not a chance, we are ranked 5th in the fair play league

We don't get enough credit for the way we play at times we play some good football at times what a lot of teams don't like is that we are strong in midfield and defence what do teams expect us to lie down so they can walk all over us you got to have strong midfield players and defenders to get out of this league

if that is what teams think of us before a game starts then that means they are a bit scared really so it plays into our hands.

Good point - another thought too add around that is that it perhaps some teams could underestimate our ability to actually play some decent fast-paced passing football

We use the assets that we possess really well if that is deemed as being physical then so be it as it is to quote a phrase "A mans game". But people forget that we can also play some good football too. Most managers that say this about us are usually bitter having just got beat by us. As the saying goes Play to your strengths