" Vocal support, bottle and a slice of luck "
Thu Apr 26, 2018 11:01 am
The things Cardiff City need to edge out Fulham in Premier League race: " support, bottle and a slice of luck"
If Cardiff have proved nothing else this season it is that they have plenty of bottle. It is bottle that has them punching above their weight in amongst big spenders and salvaging so many points so late in games.
By Scott Johnson
Thursday 26th April 2018
What they have done is lost three very tough games against three very good sides. In isolation and all honesty, they were all games that Cardiff were likely to lose. It’s just unfortunate that they were all scheduled so close together at the tail end of a tough season.
It’s unfortunate that the Derby game was called off when Cardiff were flying and Derby were down to the bare bones. It was unfortunate that Cardiff contrived to miss two injury time penalties against Wolves too, but these things happen. They will either make success all the more sweeter or forever be held up as pivotal turning points if things don’t work out.
Team spirit and courage are this side’s key strengths and Neil Warnock will set about firing his side up for another tricky trip to Hull on Saturday. Fate remains in their hands, even if momentum is not.
These games have highlighted a few failings.
Whether or not you rate Gary Madine is a moot point, what is apparent is that he does not fit the way Cardiff play. It is hard to tell whether Madine is failing Cardiff or Cardiff are failing Madine. It’s probably somewhere in the middle.
It cannot be expected that Madine will slot in to the side and fill Kenneth Zohore’s shoes. They are very different players with very different needs. Zohore wants the ball into space or at his feet, driving at defenders. Madine wants it on his chest with his back to goal, ready to lay the ball off and look for the return.
If you make Madine work the channels or Zohore win headers, you are playing to their weaknesses rather than their strengths. Madine needs someone like Liam Feeney making crosses, instead he’s feeding off scraps and Cardiff are making him into something of a misfit. Either they bend to his needs or he probably shouldn’t be playing.
There is a lack of quality options out wide too. The alternatives to Junior Hoilett and Nathaniel Mendez-Laing are waifs and strays that were acquired on loan because they were out of favour at their parent clubs.
Jamie Ward, Yanic Wildschut, Armand Traore and Feeney are all talented, but none of them are serious competition for a regular place. When they come in they do okay, but you don’t see them from one month to the next. I’ve long thought that Callum Paterson could provide a solution on the right, but he’s currently filling another void in the centre.
The right balance centrally also remains elusive. You can perm any combination from Aron Gunnarsson, Joe Ralls, Craig Bryson, Loic Damour, Marko Grujic and Paterson without compromising on quality, which is a great source of strength, but they have yet to find a combination that has truly gelled.
These ongoing concerns paint a rather bleak picture, but the reality is that Cardiff are two games away from the Premier League. Despite everything, two more wins will seal the deal.
Cardiff were written off after collapsing over Christmas and responded by going on a lengthy winning run. Losing late on in consecutive games against Wolves and Aston Villa saw them exceed expectations once again to win at Norwich.
Hull will be tough. They’ve scored 16 goals in their last five games and will provide a stern test for a Cardiff defence that had a little wobble at Derby. All three goals resulted from massive individual errors, the likes of which had been kept to a minimum until then. Hopefully they got them all out of their system on Tuesday.
Reading won’t be easy either. They will be keen to end a miserable season on a high and Paul Clement will be looking to instil the kind of defensive discipline that inspired his initial revival of Swansea last year.
If Fulham manage to pip Cardiff, they deserve all the credit in the world for their achievement and remarkable unbeaten run. Ordinarily, Cardiff would be over the line by now and it has taken an extraordinary effort by Fulham to stay in the mix.
The Bluebirds will push them all the way though, of that I have no doubt. They will not fall away or go down without a fight. Their greatest foe may be tired bodies and minds, but Warnock knows what it takes to patch them up and send them out again for another scrap.
We’ve all had our confidence knocked in recent weeks, but now's not the time to write off Cardiff’s chances. On the contrary, they stand on the brink of something truly special and can’t do it without you, the fans.
The support against Forest and Derby was brilliant and may make all the difference in the final two games.
It’s time to keep the faith and stay positive.
If Cardiff have proved nothing else this season it is that they have plenty of bottle. It is bottle that has them punching above their weight in amongst big spenders and salvaging so many points so late in games.
By Scott Johnson
Thursday 26th April 2018
What they have done is lost three very tough games against three very good sides. In isolation and all honesty, they were all games that Cardiff were likely to lose. It’s just unfortunate that they were all scheduled so close together at the tail end of a tough season.
It’s unfortunate that the Derby game was called off when Cardiff were flying and Derby were down to the bare bones. It was unfortunate that Cardiff contrived to miss two injury time penalties against Wolves too, but these things happen. They will either make success all the more sweeter or forever be held up as pivotal turning points if things don’t work out.
Team spirit and courage are this side’s key strengths and Neil Warnock will set about firing his side up for another tricky trip to Hull on Saturday. Fate remains in their hands, even if momentum is not.
These games have highlighted a few failings.
Whether or not you rate Gary Madine is a moot point, what is apparent is that he does not fit the way Cardiff play. It is hard to tell whether Madine is failing Cardiff or Cardiff are failing Madine. It’s probably somewhere in the middle.
It cannot be expected that Madine will slot in to the side and fill Kenneth Zohore’s shoes. They are very different players with very different needs. Zohore wants the ball into space or at his feet, driving at defenders. Madine wants it on his chest with his back to goal, ready to lay the ball off and look for the return.
If you make Madine work the channels or Zohore win headers, you are playing to their weaknesses rather than their strengths. Madine needs someone like Liam Feeney making crosses, instead he’s feeding off scraps and Cardiff are making him into something of a misfit. Either they bend to his needs or he probably shouldn’t be playing.
There is a lack of quality options out wide too. The alternatives to Junior Hoilett and Nathaniel Mendez-Laing are waifs and strays that were acquired on loan because they were out of favour at their parent clubs.
Jamie Ward, Yanic Wildschut, Armand Traore and Feeney are all talented, but none of them are serious competition for a regular place. When they come in they do okay, but you don’t see them from one month to the next. I’ve long thought that Callum Paterson could provide a solution on the right, but he’s currently filling another void in the centre.
The right balance centrally also remains elusive. You can perm any combination from Aron Gunnarsson, Joe Ralls, Craig Bryson, Loic Damour, Marko Grujic and Paterson without compromising on quality, which is a great source of strength, but they have yet to find a combination that has truly gelled.
These ongoing concerns paint a rather bleak picture, but the reality is that Cardiff are two games away from the Premier League. Despite everything, two more wins will seal the deal.
Cardiff were written off after collapsing over Christmas and responded by going on a lengthy winning run. Losing late on in consecutive games against Wolves and Aston Villa saw them exceed expectations once again to win at Norwich.
Hull will be tough. They’ve scored 16 goals in their last five games and will provide a stern test for a Cardiff defence that had a little wobble at Derby. All three goals resulted from massive individual errors, the likes of which had been kept to a minimum until then. Hopefully they got them all out of their system on Tuesday.
Reading won’t be easy either. They will be keen to end a miserable season on a high and Paul Clement will be looking to instil the kind of defensive discipline that inspired his initial revival of Swansea last year.
If Fulham manage to pip Cardiff, they deserve all the credit in the world for their achievement and remarkable unbeaten run. Ordinarily, Cardiff would be over the line by now and it has taken an extraordinary effort by Fulham to stay in the mix.
The Bluebirds will push them all the way though, of that I have no doubt. They will not fall away or go down without a fight. Their greatest foe may be tired bodies and minds, but Warnock knows what it takes to patch them up and send them out again for another scrap.
We’ve all had our confidence knocked in recent weeks, but now's not the time to write off Cardiff’s chances. On the contrary, they stand on the brink of something truly special and can’t do it without you, the fans.
The support against Forest and Derby was brilliant and may make all the difference in the final two games.
It’s time to keep the faith and stay positive.
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Re: " Vocal support, bottle and a slice of luck "
Thu Apr 26, 2018 11:36 am
I'd love to think that our support can make a difference but I'm not so sure.
Almost three thousand of us at Derby couldn't inspire the boys to victory and I remember us winning away at Wolves and Leeds where we had no away support!
Having said that, if there is even the slightest chance that our support can lift the team then we have to give it as loudly as possible!
Almost three thousand of us at Derby couldn't inspire the boys to victory and I remember us winning away at Wolves and Leeds where we had no away support!
Having said that, if there is even the slightest chance that our support can lift the team then we have to give it as loudly as possible!
Re: " Vocal support, bottle and a slice of luck "
Thu Apr 26, 2018 11:48 am
We need Fulhams luck and that would see us home! 
Re: " Vocal support, bottle and a slice of luck "
Thu Apr 26, 2018 12:06 pm
pembroke allan wrote:We need Fulhams luck and that would see us home!
And theirs to have run out. Surely?!
Re: " Vocal support, bottle and a slice of luck "
Thu Apr 26, 2018 12:27 pm
jimmy_rat wrote:pembroke allan wrote:We need Fulhams luck and that would see us home!
And theirs to have run out. Surely?!
Yes preferably on Fri! !!
