Malky sets sight on another club record
Sat Feb 09, 2013 8:02 am
Cardiff City’s history-making class of 2012-13 head to Huddersfield today with their eyes firmly on the record books once more.
It has already been a season from Malky Mackay and his side which has had the statisticians poring over the club’s previous best achievements.
Firstly the number of consecutive home league wins at the start of a campaign tumbled ... soon followed by the record for number of home games won on the bounce, with an incredible ten straight victories achieved.
Whilst the Bluebirds were imperious in front of their own fans at the time, on the road the story early on was rather different.
Bad defeats at Bristol City, Crystal Palace and Nottingham Forest, followed by mad night at Charlton where Mackay’s men shipped five goals, cast doubts over Cardiff’s true promotion credentials.
But it seems those away days blues are well and truly gone, for the Bluebirds have followed that Charlton shocker back in early November with an impressive six wins and a draw away from home.
Last week’s triumph at Leeds was the fifth on the bounce outside the Welsh capital and victory once more in Yorkshire this afternoon would equal a six on the trot record only achieved twice before.
Once was by the Bluebirds’ side of the 1992-93 season under Eddie May, who also made it a super six. The other was by the Cardiff side from way back in the 1945-47 campaign who won a magnificent seven times away on the bounce.
Mackay’s men are currently third on the list and the manager said: “It is a nice statistic at the moment. The players have worked really hard, as have the staff, in terms of the away form.
“We actually had a really good away record last year, but at the start of this season we had to tweak things in terms of how our away form was going.
“We weren’t playing particularly badly, but we were creating our own problems.
“There were individual errors happening and once those had been ironed out I thought that the performance levels away from home were deserving of results and points.
“It’s funny, but someone new to football would wonder why it was different away from home than at home.
“Those of us in football realise the differences and the challenges that being away from home can bring up.
“It can be tough at any ground in terms of the playing surface. the home team are used to the atmosphere of their crowd. They sometimes have the confidence levels because of previous results.
“Each of these things come into play, but there are ways to approach it and we have been doing so in a really good manner.”
Mackay’s men were up against it last week, but managed to end a proud home record for Leeds who had won their six Championship games at Elland Road..
Huddersfield are far less impressive in front of their own supporters and, after a bright start the season following promotion from League One last year, they have won just one of their last eight home league games.
The Terriers are also without a manager after Simon Grayson departed last month. Mark Lillis has been placed in temporary charge of the Yorkshire outfit, but Mackay is expecting nothing but a stern test irrespective of who is at the helm.
“These things sometimes throw themselves up. Last week we were playing against a team in Leeds who had won six at home on the bounce. This afternoon’s game throws up a different challenge,” said Mackay.
“Huddersfield have done fantastically well to come up to this division. They are a good solid club with some good people there.
“They started the season really well and kicked on their form from the last season. They have invested and have some good players. But at that moment it is that time in between managers.
“However, what I have no doubts about is the fact that we are in for a tough game.”
Cardiff have been dealt an injury setback. with centre-half Ben Turner looking doubtful today after picking up an ankle knock.
His possible absence could mean either a game for youngster Ben Nugent next to skipper Mark Hudson, or see Matthew Connolly move inside to centre-half and Kevin McNaughton coming in at full-back.
It could have been worse, though for the Bluebirds after so many of Mackay’s players were involved in international action midweek, but have emerged by and large unscathed.
Goalkeeper David Marshall is carrying a knock which meant he joined up with Scotland, but did not feature in their clash with Estonia. However, the shot-stopper is expected to be okay for his club today.
As too is midfielder Aron Gunnarsson who had a tightness in his back and did not link up with Iceland for their midweek friendly.
Kim Bo-Kyung played 45 minutes for South Korea as they lost 4-0 at the hands of Croatia at Fulham’s Craven Cottage.
Craig Bellamy also had only a half as Wales overcame Austria in Swansea, Mackay saying he made an agreement with Chris Coleman over the use of the striker and that he was back ‘fit and raring to go.’
Amongst Mackay’s other offensive options is Fraizer Campbell who proved the match winner at Elland Road after he scored within two minutes of coming on forhis debut.
Following his £600,000 move from Sunderland last month Campbell is trying to get back up to speed after seeing his opportunities limited in the north-east.
Mackay warned it might take a few weeks for his new marksman to reach full match fitness, saying: “Fraizer needs a bit of game sharpness.
“He came on at Leeds and had 20 minutes, but I almost had to carry him off the pitch after that.
“I know over the next few weeks he will get to the right levels. The Championship is high intensity, it’s fast and furious and Fraizer will quickly get back to that point.”
He could take another step on that route at Huddersfield, and put Mackay’s Bluebirds within one game of that away day record.
Read more: Wales Online http://www.walesonline.co.uk/footballna ... z2KO2wMIL7
It has already been a season from Malky Mackay and his side which has had the statisticians poring over the club’s previous best achievements.
Firstly the number of consecutive home league wins at the start of a campaign tumbled ... soon followed by the record for number of home games won on the bounce, with an incredible ten straight victories achieved.
Whilst the Bluebirds were imperious in front of their own fans at the time, on the road the story early on was rather different.
Bad defeats at Bristol City, Crystal Palace and Nottingham Forest, followed by mad night at Charlton where Mackay’s men shipped five goals, cast doubts over Cardiff’s true promotion credentials.
But it seems those away days blues are well and truly gone, for the Bluebirds have followed that Charlton shocker back in early November with an impressive six wins and a draw away from home.
Last week’s triumph at Leeds was the fifth on the bounce outside the Welsh capital and victory once more in Yorkshire this afternoon would equal a six on the trot record only achieved twice before.
Once was by the Bluebirds’ side of the 1992-93 season under Eddie May, who also made it a super six. The other was by the Cardiff side from way back in the 1945-47 campaign who won a magnificent seven times away on the bounce.
Mackay’s men are currently third on the list and the manager said: “It is a nice statistic at the moment. The players have worked really hard, as have the staff, in terms of the away form.
“We actually had a really good away record last year, but at the start of this season we had to tweak things in terms of how our away form was going.
“We weren’t playing particularly badly, but we were creating our own problems.
“There were individual errors happening and once those had been ironed out I thought that the performance levels away from home were deserving of results and points.
“It’s funny, but someone new to football would wonder why it was different away from home than at home.
“Those of us in football realise the differences and the challenges that being away from home can bring up.
“It can be tough at any ground in terms of the playing surface. the home team are used to the atmosphere of their crowd. They sometimes have the confidence levels because of previous results.
“Each of these things come into play, but there are ways to approach it and we have been doing so in a really good manner.”
Mackay’s men were up against it last week, but managed to end a proud home record for Leeds who had won their six Championship games at Elland Road..
Huddersfield are far less impressive in front of their own supporters and, after a bright start the season following promotion from League One last year, they have won just one of their last eight home league games.
The Terriers are also without a manager after Simon Grayson departed last month. Mark Lillis has been placed in temporary charge of the Yorkshire outfit, but Mackay is expecting nothing but a stern test irrespective of who is at the helm.
“These things sometimes throw themselves up. Last week we were playing against a team in Leeds who had won six at home on the bounce. This afternoon’s game throws up a different challenge,” said Mackay.
“Huddersfield have done fantastically well to come up to this division. They are a good solid club with some good people there.
“They started the season really well and kicked on their form from the last season. They have invested and have some good players. But at that moment it is that time in between managers.
“However, what I have no doubts about is the fact that we are in for a tough game.”
Cardiff have been dealt an injury setback. with centre-half Ben Turner looking doubtful today after picking up an ankle knock.
His possible absence could mean either a game for youngster Ben Nugent next to skipper Mark Hudson, or see Matthew Connolly move inside to centre-half and Kevin McNaughton coming in at full-back.
It could have been worse, though for the Bluebirds after so many of Mackay’s players were involved in international action midweek, but have emerged by and large unscathed.
Goalkeeper David Marshall is carrying a knock which meant he joined up with Scotland, but did not feature in their clash with Estonia. However, the shot-stopper is expected to be okay for his club today.
As too is midfielder Aron Gunnarsson who had a tightness in his back and did not link up with Iceland for their midweek friendly.
Kim Bo-Kyung played 45 minutes for South Korea as they lost 4-0 at the hands of Croatia at Fulham’s Craven Cottage.
Craig Bellamy also had only a half as Wales overcame Austria in Swansea, Mackay saying he made an agreement with Chris Coleman over the use of the striker and that he was back ‘fit and raring to go.’
Amongst Mackay’s other offensive options is Fraizer Campbell who proved the match winner at Elland Road after he scored within two minutes of coming on forhis debut.
Following his £600,000 move from Sunderland last month Campbell is trying to get back up to speed after seeing his opportunities limited in the north-east.
Mackay warned it might take a few weeks for his new marksman to reach full match fitness, saying: “Fraizer needs a bit of game sharpness.
“He came on at Leeds and had 20 minutes, but I almost had to carry him off the pitch after that.
“I know over the next few weeks he will get to the right levels. The Championship is high intensity, it’s fast and furious and Fraizer will quickly get back to that point.”
He could take another step on that route at Huddersfield, and put Mackay’s Bluebirds within one game of that away day record.
Read more: Wales Online http://www.walesonline.co.uk/footballna ... z2KO2wMIL7
Re: Malky sets sight on another club record
Sat Feb 09, 2013 5:24 pm
Nevermind about it 