BLAKEY: RADICAL 'GAME PLAN' CHANGES NEEDED
Thu May 09, 2019 12:59 pm
The radical changes Cardiff City need to make to their game plan to get back to the Premier League and stay there
By Nathan Blake
Cardiff City legend Nathan Blake has highlighted what it will take for the Bluebirds to bounce back to the top flight
So Cardiff City's Premier League journey is over.
They made quite a fist of survival but the quality of the top flight ultimately shone through.
There was plenty to be pleased with, but if Cardiff are to bounce back from the Championship and stay in the Premier League, this season has shown them the areas they will need to work on...
POSSESSION IS NINE TENTHS OF THE LAW
Cardiff learnt this lesson the hard way this season.
If you have the ball, the opposition can't score. Simple as that.
Plus you won't get tired after 70 minutes of chasing if you can hold on to the ball considerably longer.
Teams press harder now and that means long balls are often misplaced or finding isolated strikers.
We've seen on a few occasions that Cardiff can keep the ball for 10 or 15 passes and then score at the end of it.
Unfortunately, we've only seen glimpses of that.
If Cardiff change the philosophy of defending deep and attacking set-pieces, their attacking players would thrive on that freedom.
It's football and there's no right or wrong way to play it.
But some more retention and patient build-up play would allow Cardiff to get the ball into final third and play in the right areas. It's all linked.
We have the players to do that - Bobby Reid, Josh Murphy, Nathaniel Mendez-Laing.
As good as our defence has been, Cardiff need to develop their attacking patterns of play to test defences and scores more goals.
To do that, they need to keep the ball more to give them licence to attack.
CHANGING THE WAY THEY DEFEND
Cardiff's defence has been a major positive this season, but I don't think they've fully played to their strengths this season.
Dealing with rotation in defence has been a problem for two seasons.
Sheffield Wednesday first gave Cardiff problems with their fluid movement up top and it's been something that the Bluebirds have struggled to deal with since.
You only need to look at what Crystal Palace's front four did last Saturday.
In the Championship, Sol Bamba wanted to push out and Sean Morrison wanted to sit deeper - looking to suit their respective strengths. That didn't work in the Premier League.
Add in the fact that Cardiff go man-to-man, it can leave their defence getting pulled apart by movement from both flanks.
Pressing is how most teams in the Premier League and Championship defend now.
Just as Cardiff need to change the way they keep possession to beat the press, maybe it's time to tinker with their defence to introduce a press of their own.
The way they defend now means their midfield can't press hard.
They sit in a low-block and that means the strikers have the most ground to cover. Midfield can't step up to cut off passing lanes or you create pockets of space in front of your defence.
Cardiff's defence has been impressive, but they were exposed by a lack of pressing at the highest level.
Maybe that means starting Bamba with Bruno Manga at the back - with neither likely to drop deeper to account for a lack of pace like Morrison does.
Pressing is a system fired by desire and hard work - it should be right up Cardiff's street.
BUILDING PARTNERSHIPS
Talking of partnerships, the lack of them has been another thing that has hurt Cardiff.
The centre-back pairings have worked well, as has the bond between the holding midfielder and the defenders.
But we can't say there's great partnerships between the full-backs and the wingers, or the midfield and attack or even the full-backs and the centre-backs.
Certainly no striking partnership has been built up.
Partnerships allow you to create, but Cardiff haven't always had the consistency in selection to forge those links.
It's not been helped by players being played out of position. Manga spent a large period of the season playing right-back. Victor Camarasa played on the right for a while.
Players like Reid, Murphy, Mendez-Laing and Junior Hoilett were all in and out of the team.
If Cardiff want to improve going forward, they need to develop the partnerships in attack that they have in defence.
By Nathan Blake
Cardiff City legend Nathan Blake has highlighted what it will take for the Bluebirds to bounce back to the top flight
So Cardiff City's Premier League journey is over.
They made quite a fist of survival but the quality of the top flight ultimately shone through.
There was plenty to be pleased with, but if Cardiff are to bounce back from the Championship and stay in the Premier League, this season has shown them the areas they will need to work on...
POSSESSION IS NINE TENTHS OF THE LAW
Cardiff learnt this lesson the hard way this season.
If you have the ball, the opposition can't score. Simple as that.
Plus you won't get tired after 70 minutes of chasing if you can hold on to the ball considerably longer.
Teams press harder now and that means long balls are often misplaced or finding isolated strikers.
We've seen on a few occasions that Cardiff can keep the ball for 10 or 15 passes and then score at the end of it.
Unfortunately, we've only seen glimpses of that.
If Cardiff change the philosophy of defending deep and attacking set-pieces, their attacking players would thrive on that freedom.
It's football and there's no right or wrong way to play it.
But some more retention and patient build-up play would allow Cardiff to get the ball into final third and play in the right areas. It's all linked.
We have the players to do that - Bobby Reid, Josh Murphy, Nathaniel Mendez-Laing.
As good as our defence has been, Cardiff need to develop their attacking patterns of play to test defences and scores more goals.
To do that, they need to keep the ball more to give them licence to attack.
CHANGING THE WAY THEY DEFEND
Cardiff's defence has been a major positive this season, but I don't think they've fully played to their strengths this season.
Dealing with rotation in defence has been a problem for two seasons.
Sheffield Wednesday first gave Cardiff problems with their fluid movement up top and it's been something that the Bluebirds have struggled to deal with since.
You only need to look at what Crystal Palace's front four did last Saturday.
In the Championship, Sol Bamba wanted to push out and Sean Morrison wanted to sit deeper - looking to suit their respective strengths. That didn't work in the Premier League.
Add in the fact that Cardiff go man-to-man, it can leave their defence getting pulled apart by movement from both flanks.
Pressing is how most teams in the Premier League and Championship defend now.
Just as Cardiff need to change the way they keep possession to beat the press, maybe it's time to tinker with their defence to introduce a press of their own.
The way they defend now means their midfield can't press hard.
They sit in a low-block and that means the strikers have the most ground to cover. Midfield can't step up to cut off passing lanes or you create pockets of space in front of your defence.
Cardiff's defence has been impressive, but they were exposed by a lack of pressing at the highest level.
Maybe that means starting Bamba with Bruno Manga at the back - with neither likely to drop deeper to account for a lack of pace like Morrison does.
Pressing is a system fired by desire and hard work - it should be right up Cardiff's street.
BUILDING PARTNERSHIPS
Talking of partnerships, the lack of them has been another thing that has hurt Cardiff.
The centre-back pairings have worked well, as has the bond between the holding midfielder and the defenders.
But we can't say there's great partnerships between the full-backs and the wingers, or the midfield and attack or even the full-backs and the centre-backs.
Certainly no striking partnership has been built up.
Partnerships allow you to create, but Cardiff haven't always had the consistency in selection to forge those links.
It's not been helped by players being played out of position. Manga spent a large period of the season playing right-back. Victor Camarasa played on the right for a while.
Players like Reid, Murphy, Mendez-Laing and Junior Hoilett were all in and out of the team.
If Cardiff want to improve going forward, they need to develop the partnerships in attack that they have in defence.
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Re: BLAKEY: RADICAL 'GAME PLAN' CHANGES NEEDED
Thu May 09, 2019 6:53 pm
He's right about being able to hold the ball because I've seen us smashing it upfield in the last five minutes when we've got a one or two goal lead.
Other than that, the coming season isn't the time to change our game. It works in the championship and we know that so let's just get one thing done at a time.
Providing we go back up then it's time to use the close season to restructure for the Premiership which will involve all the stuff he's suggesting , but if we start that now we'll take two or three years experimenting in the championship and maybe never get it right, plus we'll lose the massive promotion weapon we've got in our current manager.
Other than that, the coming season isn't the time to change our game. It works in the championship and we know that so let's just get one thing done at a time.
Providing we go back up then it's time to use the close season to restructure for the Premiership which will involve all the stuff he's suggesting , but if we start that now we'll take two or three years experimenting in the championship and maybe never get it right, plus we'll lose the massive promotion weapon we've got in our current manager.
Re: BLAKEY: RADICAL 'GAME PLAN' CHANGES NEEDED
Thu May 09, 2019 7:13 pm
So basically saying what worked in the championship won't work in the Premier league but we should now change what worked in the championships to something else.
We have never has possession under Warnock. I agree about building relationships on the pitch tho.
We have never has possession under Warnock. I agree about building relationships on the pitch tho.
Re: BLAKEY: RADICAL 'GAME PLAN' CHANGES NEEDED
Fri May 10, 2019 6:48 am
A couple of quality midfield players and a striker that can hold up the ball will improve our stats of ball retention.
Re: BLAKEY: RADICAL 'GAME PLAN' CHANGES NEEDED
Fri May 10, 2019 7:45 am
Totally agree with Blakey
Re: BLAKEY: RADICAL 'GAME PLAN' CHANGES NEEDED
Fri May 10, 2019 8:31 am
It's not as easy as that though is it.
We've tried it before under OGS and Trollope.
Why do fans have short memories.
Stick to what we are good at I say.
We've tried it before under OGS and Trollope.
Why do fans have short memories.
Stick to what we are good at I say.
Re: BLAKEY: RADICAL 'GAME PLAN' CHANGES NEEDED
Fri May 10, 2019 8:40 am
TaffEmbankment wrote:It's not as easy as that though is it.
We've tried it before under OGS and Trollope.
Why do fans have short memories.
Stick to what we are good at I say.
Agree; and better still, trust in the man designated with pulling it all together
He's not done a bad job to date in The Championship!
Re: BLAKEY: RADICAL 'GAME PLAN' CHANGES NEEDED
Fri May 10, 2019 2:47 pm
All this stick to what we know bollox and better the devil you know crap lacks ambition just like our owner. 
yeah do that and we will keep failing, Blakey is 100% spot on.
yeah do that and we will keep failing, Blakey is 100% spot on.
Re: BLAKEY: RADICAL 'GAME PLAN' CHANGES NEEDED
Fri May 10, 2019 5:51 pm
Numerous clubs have gone up playing a certain way and then changed their tactics when they are up. When you get to the premier league you can afford a better string of manager and the players needed to fulfil a system. There are plenty of clubs that try to play attractive football in the championship and they go no where. However playing ugly last season Cardiff managed to go up with what was frankly probably the best side the championship has seen (wolves not fulham). Let Warnock get his 9th promotion, and if he does, then start looking at potential managers to help solidify. Dont put the Cart before the horse, as the club could easily end up with a Solsjkaer that leaves us in a mess again. Instead we have a chairman and manager who have got Cardiff their best ever finish in the premier league and left us in a financial position we couldn't of dreamed of 4 years ago.