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NATHAN BLAKE: "WHAT CARDIFF HAVE TO DO IF THEY WANT TO GO

Mon Jun 24, 2019 7:35 am

NATHAN BLAKE: "WHAT CARDIFF HAVE TO DO IF THEY WANT TO GO UP"



The Man United template Cardiff City must mirror and the Bluebird who reminds me of Liverpool FC skipper



By Nathan Blake

Monday 24th June 2019


The pressure was off that day and we saw exactly what these Cardiff players are capable off. Excellent passing football, a possession-based game rather than the route one approach we have become accustomed to in recent years.

It was kind of bitter-sweet for me. Football is about pressure. Those who embrace it, and still play the right way, are the ones who succeed in the modern game.


Even in the year Cardiff have been away from the Championship, it's got tougher because more and more teams in that league are adopting a possession-based game. I'm not sure Cardiff can overpower them any more, like they did last time in going up, and are going to need different approach during 2019-20.

What we saw at Old Trafford showed the way forward. In that game the defenders were passing out from the back, we played through midfield and the front four - Josh Murphy, Bobby Reid, Nathaniel Mendez-Laing and Kenneth Zohore - were just fabulous.






Pace, power, skill, goal threat.

Cardiff were under the cosh early on, yet came through that to play the way they did and still win. Which makes it an even bigger achievement in a way.

But it frustrated me, too. It showed what these players could do, but only after the horse had bolted, relegation having already been confirmed.

Why couldn't we have seen this earlier, when it was plain to see as far as I was concerned that Cardiff needed to evolve to a more possession-based game to retain their Premier League spot?

We showed in glimpses what we could do. Southampton and Leicester away, then Old Trafford. It may not be the Manchester United of Giggs, Scholes and Ferdinand, but winning up there is great for the CV of Warnock and his players.

But what happens next is the key. Can we mirror that style in the Championship this season, when the pressure is back on, or do we revert to the old way of playing?


The former is a must for me. Not only is it the best way to achieve promotion, it also is closer to the approach Cardiff will need in the Premier League next time around. Thus would avoid the need for massive movement in the transfer market, enable Cardiff to be cuter, more selective, in choosing their targets.

It took Warnock and his coaching staff seven or eight games to adjust to the top flight. Given we only missed out by a couple of points in the end, that's clearly time we couldn't afford.

But it was understandable. This was a whole new league, literally, and it took a while to come to terms with the different demands.

This season Cardiff need to play differently, which if they succeed would mean less adjustment required should we go up again. Which hopefully will prove the case next May.

I've said it before, I say it once more, if Cardiff can stay in the Premier League for a few years, they become part of the furniture and the fan base will grow and grow.

That has to be the aim. How they can get there in terms of playing style is the key for me, this time around.




Cardiff could become as big as Newcastle

Modern day football has changed. I understand risk-free football, but players want to play these days. You'll rarely hear the old rhetoric of 'I'm not worried about passing, I just want to get out there and get a few tackles in' from any individual. Everyone in 2019 wants to be comfortable in possession. That is the new basic.

Cardiff have the tools to go up, make no mistake about that. A settled back four that was decent in the Premier League, so will be excellent at the lower level. Neil Etheridge is a quality goalkeeper, new midfielders will come in.

But this Cardiff side is better than the one that came up previously. Why? Because Reid and Murphy, signed for the Premier League at a cost of £21million, are in it and Mendez-Laing has taken his game to another couple of levels.

We didn't see much of Reid in the top flight, not in terms of a consistent run. In the Championship he will be hot, and I do mean HOT. He can tear up this division with the right service and partnership.

I don't know what the final stats were, but I'm guessing Cardiff's possession count in the Premier League was around the 30 per cent mark over the course of the campaign. In those circumstances, you are only going to see flash moments from Reid and Murphy, you won't see consistency.

But they should be players the team is built around next season. Get the ball to their feet on a regular basis and see what they can achieve.

I'm not advocating tiki-taka, no way. Swansea fans may be content with 30-odd softly-softly passes, ball played around at the back, but Cardiff fans aren't.

They want power, pace, aggression, dynamism, skill when it comes to their goals. Good goals, but 15 passes, maximum, instead of 30.


But they can have that and keep hold of the ball on a more regular basis. That's the balance that needs to be struck.

I guess who comes in at centre-forward is the key. Zohore may have been excellent at Old Trafford, but we haven't seen anywhere near enough from him in the last three years and personally I feel the waiting should be over.

Not everyone will agree on my Zohore assessment, I accept that. But for me Warnock needs to get someone new in, someone who's consistent, really dynamic, and can round off everything off.

Warnock tried to get Tammy Abraham a year ago. I'm not sure even he's dynamic enough for what Cardiff require.

Even in their promotion years Cardiff haven't had a regular goalscorer. The opportunity is there for somebody to sign for this club and become an idol to the fans, it really is.

Midfield is another area where Cardiff have to improve, but Joe Ralls and Will Vaulks might be the answer. I'm going to shock you here by saying Ralls has really grown on me. I've not always been his biggest fan, but a year of Premier League experience has made him look forward more and he got better as the campaign wore on.

He'll put himself about, bash into people, tackle, do the rough house stuff, but he's proved he can play too. He was far more creative towards the end than he was at the start.

Look, I'm not saying Ralls has suddenly morphed into Glenn Hoddle, but I would liken him to Liverpool captain Jordan Henderson in terms of how he has brought a new dimension to his game.


Cardiff's fans let Ralls know they didn't want sideways passing. He looks up these days, the first thought is whether he can get one of the front-runners away.

Ralls and Vaulks could work if Cardiff play through the lines and their main task is to get hold of the ball, keep hold of it and get one of the Fab Four threatening further forward.

I do hope Cardiff make this alteration in approach. If they do, with the power and pace already in the side, they'll definitely be challenging in the top six.

Re: NATHAN BLAKE: "WHAT CARDIFF HAVE TO DO IF THEY WANT TO G

Mon Jun 24, 2019 11:08 am

If only Blake could be our manager, we would be playing winning, attacking, possession football, how he hasn't been snapped up by some of he big clubs ill never know :?

Re: NATHAN BLAKE: "WHAT CARDIFF HAVE TO DO IF THEY WANT TO G

Mon Jun 24, 2019 11:18 am

Utter bloody nonsense by Blakey.
Let's do exactly what everyone else is already doing and see how many years it takes to get good at it ?

Re: NATHAN BLAKE: "WHAT CARDIFF HAVE TO DO IF THEY WANT TO G

Mon Jun 24, 2019 5:22 pm

I agree with Blake that that’s the way we should be pushing on and evolving.
Of course, it’s easy to talk like that but harder to put into practice. He’s right when he says you have to strike a balance.

Re: NATHAN BLAKE: "WHAT CARDIFF HAVE TO DO IF THEY WANT TO G

Mon Jun 24, 2019 6:10 pm

OriginalGrangeEndBlue wrote:I agree with Blake that that’s the way we should be pushing on and evolving.
Of course, it’s easy to talk like that but harder to put into practice. He’s right when he says you have to strike a balance.


We would obviously need to sack Warnock if that was the case.

Re: NATHAN BLAKE: "WHAT CARDIFF HAVE TO DO IF THEY WANT TO G

Mon Jun 24, 2019 6:33 pm

2blue2handle wrote:
OriginalGrangeEndBlue wrote:I agree with Blake that that’s the way we should be pushing on and evolving.
Of course, it’s easy to talk like that but harder to put into practice. He’s right when he says you have to strike a balance.


We would obviously need to sack Warnock if that was the case.

This^^^^

Re: NATHAN BLAKE: "WHAT CARDIFF HAVE TO DO IF THEY WANT TO G

Tue Jun 25, 2019 6:27 am

2blue2handle wrote:
OriginalGrangeEndBlue wrote:I agree with Blake that that’s the way we should be pushing on and evolving.
Of course, it’s easy to talk like that but harder to put into practice. He’s right when he says you have to strike a balance.


We would obviously need to sack Warnock if that was the case.


I get your meaning, of course but if you read his column he talks about certain games where we played more of that style but certainly not the tiki-taka style.
A balance is needed with more possession and the same type of quick, powerful breaks which we are capable of.

Re: NATHAN BLAKE: "WHAT CARDIFF HAVE TO DO IF THEY WANT TO G

Tue Jun 25, 2019 2:14 pm

Hardly nonsense saying he thinks city should keep possession and utilise the pace in the team more. Cant see how anyone wouldn't want to see that. So frustrating seeing everything lumped long and just hoping to win the 2nd ball. It can be done as well. In our first 10 games or so, in the season we got promoted, we played some lovely football and completely ripped some teams apart. The villa and Leeds games stand out. Keeping possession doesn't mean you can't still be direct.

Re: NATHAN BLAKE: "WHAT CARDIFF HAVE TO DO IF THEY WANT TO G

Tue Jun 25, 2019 3:19 pm

when i see nathan blake thats enough for me, talks pure dribble.

Re: NATHAN BLAKE: "WHAT CARDIFF HAVE TO DO IF THEY WANT TO G

Tue Jun 25, 2019 3:21 pm

Escott1927 wrote:Hardly nonsense saying he thinks city should keep possession and utilise the pace in the team more. Cant see how anyone wouldn't want to see that. So frustrating seeing everything lumped long and just hoping to win the 2nd ball. It can be done as well. In our first 10 games or so, in the season we got promoted, we played some lovely football and completely ripped some teams apart. The villa and Leeds games stand out. Keeping possession doesn't mean you can't still be direct.


You mean the Leeds game where we had 40% possession despite having an extra player for 45minutes.

Re: NATHAN BLAKE: "WHAT CARDIFF HAVE TO DO IF THEY WANT TO G

Tue Jun 25, 2019 3:27 pm

Escott1927 wrote:Hardly nonsense saying he thinks city should keep possession and utilise the pace in the team more. Cant see how anyone wouldn't want to see that. So frustrating seeing everything lumped long and just hoping to win the 2nd ball. It can be done as well. In our first 10 games or so, in the season we got promoted, we played some lovely football and completely ripped some teams apart. The villa and Leeds games stand out. Keeping possession doesn't mean you can't still be direct.


Lets be honest, Blakey could say he wants to see Cardiff get promoted and you'd still have people on here having ago at him :roll: Don't see how anyone can disagree with what he says. He'd like to see us keep the ball a bit more and utilise the power pace and flair we have in the last 3rd of the pitch.

Re: NATHAN BLAKE: "WHAT CARDIFF HAVE TO DO IF THEY WANT TO G

Tue Jun 25, 2019 4:03 pm

Bluebird Warrior wrote:
Escott1927 wrote:Hardly nonsense saying he thinks city should keep possession and utilise the pace in the team more. Cant see how anyone wouldn't want to see that. So frustrating seeing everything lumped long and just hoping to win the 2nd ball. It can be done as well. In our first 10 games or so, in the season we got promoted, we played some lovely football and completely ripped some teams apart. The villa and Leeds games stand out. Keeping possession doesn't mean you can't still be direct.


Lets be honest, Blakey could say he wants to see Cardiff get promoted and you'd still have people on here having ago at him :roll: Don't see how anyone can disagree with what he says. He'd like to see us keep the ball a bit more and utilise the power pace and flair we have in the last 3rd of the pitch.


Exactly. We have got the players who can do it so can’t see why can’t play that way. Instead of lumping it up to a striker who can’t head the ball and then moaning that he doesn’t win anything.

Re: NATHAN BLAKE: "WHAT CARDIFF HAVE TO DO IF THEY WANT TO G

Tue Jun 25, 2019 4:15 pm

2blue2handle wrote:
Escott1927 wrote:Hardly nonsense saying he thinks city should keep possession and utilise the pace in the team more. Cant see how anyone wouldn't want to see that. So frustrating seeing everything lumped long and just hoping to win the 2nd ball. It can be done as well. In our first 10 games or so, in the season we got promoted, we played some lovely football and completely ripped some teams apart. The villa and Leeds games stand out. Keeping possession doesn't mean you can't still be direct.


You mean the Leeds game where we had 40% possession despite having an extra player for 45minutes.


Is that the game we scored 3 goals - 2 of which we before the sending off? We only had 20odd % possession against United last game of the season but our front 4 caused all sorts of problems for their defence by running at them.

I’m not saying we should be getting 60% possession by passing it around at the back. But watching every ball go long is frustrating to watch. Especially as half the time we end up straight on the back foot again after losing possession. Keep the ball on the floor and use the pace in the team to drive into the box - we have definitely got the players capable of doing it.

Re: NATHAN BLAKE: "WHAT CARDIFF HAVE TO DO IF THEY WANT TO G

Tue Jun 25, 2019 4:31 pm

Possession football is fantastic if there's an end product but lot times there is not? We scored some good goals with good possession football but we pushed forward quickly to get goals not pass side to side! Our success is dependent on us having an outlet upfront Ken
if he's opto it or need get someone else .

Re: NATHAN BLAKE: "WHAT CARDIFF HAVE TO DO IF THEY WANT TO G

Tue Jun 25, 2019 5:03 pm

Possession football doesn't really play to power and pace though does it?! It's more suited to craft and guile.

Surely pace and power is better suited to the way Warnock plays? Sit tight then first ball forward. Try and catch them unawares. Do the Jack b*stard thing and mess about at the back for 20 passes and all their defenders have time to get back and mark men.

Of course we'd all love a de Bruyne in the middle creating and spraying passes about but that ain't gonna happen.

Re: NATHAN BLAKE: "WHAT CARDIFF HAVE TO DO IF THEY WANT TO G

Tue Jun 25, 2019 5:47 pm

jimmy_rat wrote:Possession football doesn't really play to power and pace though does it?! It's more suited to craft and guile.

Surely pace and power is better suited to the way Warnock plays? Sit tight then first ball forward. Try and catch them unawares. Do the Jack b*stard thing and mess about at the back for 20 passes and all their defenders have time to get back and mark men.

Of course we'd all love a de Bruyne in the middle creating and spraying passes about but that ain't gonna happen.



Blake is obviously talking about city post NW? What he is describing is not NW style of play! His is getting ball up top quickly either long of quick passing not slowly sideways ..