CARDIFF HAVE NO IDENTITY/ARE WORFUL UNDER HARRIS SAYS

Cardiff City have no new identity & are woeful under Neil Harris - it's one step forward, then four back in the last game



By Nathan Blake

Friday 24th January 2020


Our Bluebirds expert doesn't know where the team is going at present



Our Bluebirds expert doesn't know where the team is going at present

Neil Harris has been Cardiff City manager for more than two months and I always said it would take until the end of January to start seeing his proper stamp upon the team.

Unfortunately, we're just days away from the beginning of February and in truth I'm still no clearer to knowing what that really is.

I can't honestly look at it and think Harris has significantly improved this, that, or something else about the team. I'd like to, but I can't sit here and write that because the fans can see the reality of what things are like for themselves.

They're not stupid. They know their football.

Yes, we're slightly better in a couple of areas, but I'm scratching my chin and thinking to myself 'Where's he really going with this team?'

At Birmingham, where Cardiff were woeful in the first 45 minutes and decent in the second half, they got back into the game playing Neil Warnock-style route one football.

So it was kind of one step forward, and four back, in my opinion. The previous manager lost his job because the style of play he insisted upon clearly wasn't working. The new manager was brought in to make the transition in style - yet, to get back into the Birmingham game, Cardiff were a Neil Warnock team in disguise.

It's hard for some of the fans to watch their beloved Bluebirds at the moment. You can't keep getting back up off the canvas to win a fight, yet that is the position Cardiff keep putting themselves in by starting games so poorly.

It was like that at the beginning of the season at Wigan, it was like that in home victories over Luton and Huddersfield, it was like that at Leeds a few weeks back when, commendably, Cardiff came back from 3-0 down, and it was like that again at Birmingham.

Harris said the walk past the angry Cardiff fans at half-time galvanised his players into their much better performance after the break, but I don't want to hear that sort of thing from him.

If I can't motivate my side standing on the side of the pitch for 45 minutes, then there's something wrong that I need to address.

The game lasts 90 minutes, not 45. When Cardiff fans are chanting 'Harris Harris, Sort it Out; Harris, Sort it Out' you know the performance level from the players simply isn't acceptable.

And it wasn't. No winning of the second ball, no aggression, no pressure, no pressing, no fluency. Everything was far too slow, waiting for something to happen, rather than making it happen.


Birmingham City's Jude Bellingham celebrates his goal to make it 1-0 against Cardiff City
To be fair to Harris, he is trying to handle the transition of a team ingrained in what Warnock wanted and attempting to get them passing the ball better.

But these awful starts have been consistent the whole season, whoever has been in charge. And it's so hard to put your finger on why.

Whatever it is though, Harris and his coaching staff have to sort it out, to use the fans' chant, as a matter of urgency. It's very well talking about the gallant second-half performance at Birmingham, or the Lee Tomlin-inspired last 20 minutes at Leeds.

But what about what went on before that? Why are Cardiff making things so difficult for themselves?

Why were a struggling Birmingham City, in a poor run of form, able to pop them off the park for 45 minutes with their passing and movement?

Every Cardiff player, by contrast, looked like he was dragging a lead weight behind him. Yes, we got back in the game, but it was through the Warnock approach. Balls pumped up, throw-ins, corners, set-pieces. That's how Cardiff apply pressure.

Harris was meant to manage the change, but we're approaching the end of January and I don't yet see the signs I want to of this becoming his team, with his style.

Look at his old Millwall team, by contrast. Their new manager Gary Rowett has got them playing a much better brand of football, one that is easier on the eye, and it is paying off in terms of results.

Sadly, I fear we're at the stage where Harris may have to simplify things. If he doesn't feel there are the right men amongst his bumper squad to evolve the team the way he wants, then maybe it will be back to Warnock tactics for the rest of the season.

Personally, I find it hard to believe that in such a big squad, and with the under-18s and under-23s, you can't find enough good players to fit a different system and produce the fast, flowing counter football that Cardiff require and that the fans want to see.

Please bear me out on this, but I'd rather Cardiff had gone to Birmingham and played really well in losing 2-1, than again being scrappy and drawing the way they did.

Why? Because at least I'd be able to start seeing an identity of style, rather than a side appearing to be caught between two stools.

I'd like to see Cardiff string together six good performances, win, lose or draw, which demonstrate there is a pattern moving forward. Evidence that we've gone away from where we were and are heading towards where we want to be in the future.

Results may go wrong initially, but over the course of the season you'll win more than you lose.

Saturday indicated we're back at square one. As such, if you were to ask me where the team is going at the moment, I'd have to say I don't know.

To be fair to Harris, he's inherited a situation that I have always argued could take three years to fix properly. The previous manager didn't like me saying that, we even had Sam Allardyce having a go at me in response, but I stand by every word.

A different recruitment plan is required to sustain the future, not individuals to fit short-term tactics that are looking heavily outdated this season.

But, three years or not, by the end of this month I still expected significant changes so we can see it is definitely a team moving in a different direction.

As if yet, I don't see that. Hopefully the manager can make it work sooner, rather than towards the end of the season, or even beyond that.

Perhaps an FA Cup run is what is required to give the Bluebirds a fillip. It's Reading away on Saturday. Which Cardiff City team will turn up, what style will they adopt?

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Cardiff City have no new identity & are woeful under Neil Harris - it's one step forward, then four back in the last game



By Nathan Blake

Friday 24th January 2020


Our Bluebirds expert doesn't know where the team is going at present



Our Bluebirds expert doesn't know where the team is going at present

Neil Harris has been Cardiff City manager for more than two months and I always said it would take until the end of January to start seeing his proper stamp upon the team.

Unfortunately, we're just days away from the beginning of February and in truth I'm still no clearer to knowing what that really is.

I can't honestly look at it and think Harris has significantly improved this, that, or something else about the team. I'd like to, but I can't sit here and write that because the fans can see the reality of what things are like for themselves.

They're not stupid. They know their football.

Yes, we're slightly better in a couple of areas, but I'm scratching my chin and thinking to myself 'Where's he really going with this team?'

At Birmingham, where Cardiff were woeful in the first 45 minutes and decent in the second half, they got back into the game playing Neil Warnock-style route one football.

So it was kind of one step forward, and four back, in my opinion. The previous manager lost his job because the style of play he insisted upon clearly wasn't working. The new manager was brought in to make the transition in style - yet, to get back into the Birmingham game, Cardiff were a Neil Warnock team in disguise.

It's hard for some of the fans to watch their beloved Bluebirds at the moment. You can't keep getting back up off the canvas to win a fight, yet that is the position Cardiff keep putting themselves in by starting games so poorly.

It was like that at the beginning of the season at Wigan, it was like that in home victories over Luton and Huddersfield, it was like that at Leeds a few weeks back when, commendably, Cardiff came back from 3-0 down, and it was like that again at Birmingham.

Harris said the walk past the angry Cardiff fans at half-time galvanised his players into their much better performance after the break, but I don't want to hear that sort of thing from him.

If I can't motivate my side standing on the side of the pitch for 45 minutes, then there's something wrong that I need to address.

The game lasts 90 minutes, not 45. When Cardiff fans are chanting 'Harris Harris, Sort it Out; Harris, Sort it Out' you know the performance level from the players simply isn't acceptable.

And it wasn't. No winning of the second ball, no aggression, no pressure, no pressing, no fluency. Everything was far too slow, waiting for something to happen, rather than making it happen.


Birmingham City's Jude Bellingham celebrates his goal to make it 1-0 against Cardiff City
To be fair to Harris, he is trying to handle the transition of a team ingrained in what Warnock wanted and attempting to get them passing the ball better.

But these awful starts have been consistent the whole season, whoever has been in charge. And it's so hard to put your finger on why.

Whatever it is though, Harris and his coaching staff have to sort it out, to use the fans' chant, as a matter of urgency. It's very well talking about the gallant second-half performance at Birmingham, or the Lee Tomlin-inspired last 20 minutes at Leeds.

But what about what went on before that? Why are Cardiff making things so difficult for themselves?

Why were a struggling Birmingham City, in a poor run of form, able to pop them off the park for 45 minutes with their passing and movement?

Every Cardiff player, by contrast, looked like he was dragging a lead weight behind him. Yes, we got back in the game, but it was through the Warnock approach. Balls pumped up, throw-ins, corners, set-pieces. That's how Cardiff apply pressure.

Harris was meant to manage the change, but we're approaching the end of January and I don't yet see the signs I want to of this becoming his team, with his style.

Look at his old Millwall team, by contrast. Their new manager Gary Rowett has got them playing a much better brand of football, one that is easier on the eye, and it is paying off in terms of results.

Sadly, I fear we're at the stage where Harris may have to simplify things. If he doesn't feel there are the right men amongst his bumper squad to evolve the team the way he wants, then maybe it will be back to Warnock tactics for the rest of the season.

Personally, I find it hard to believe that in such a big squad, and with the under-18s and under-23s, you can't find enough good players to fit a different system and produce the fast, flowing counter football that Cardiff require and that the fans want to see.

Please bear me out on this, but I'd rather Cardiff had gone to Birmingham and played really well in losing 2-1, than again being scrappy and drawing the way they did.

Why? Because at least I'd be able to start seeing an identity of style, rather than a side appearing to be caught between two stools.

I'd like to see Cardiff string together six good performances, win, lose or draw, which demonstrate there is a pattern moving forward. Evidence that we've gone away from where we were and are heading towards where we want to be in the future.

Results may go wrong initially, but over the course of the season you'll win more than you lose.

Saturday indicated we're back at square one. As such, if you were to ask me where the team is going at the moment, I'd have to say I don't know.

To be fair to Harris, he's inherited a situation that I have always argued could take three years to fix properly. The previous manager didn't like me saying that, we even had Sam Allardyce having a go at me in response, but I stand by every word.

A different recruitment plan is required to sustain the future, not individuals to fit short-term tactics that are looking heavily outdated this season.

But, three years or not, by the end of this month I still expected significant changes so we can see it is definitely a team moving in a different direction.

As if yet, I don't see that. Hopefully the manager can make it work sooner, rather than towards the end of the season, or even beyond that.

Perhaps an FA Cup run is what is required to give the Bluebirds a fillip. It's Reading away on Saturday. Which Cardiff City team will turn up, what style will they adopt?

Annis, we have pretty much been saying the same for the last few weeks but there's a few posters on here that's in denial! We look completely incapable of stringing more than 3 passes together, the players look completely clueless. The comment about dragging lead weights behind them sums up it perfectly.

I say what I see, I see an absolute shambles.

It certainly does show what poor value we've had from three years, which presumably means six windows, and tens of millions of pounds of Sir Neils recruitment.

When’s the clear out. Even Pep couldn’t polish this particular turd.

To be fair to Harris, he's inherited a situation that I have always argued could take three years to fix properly. The previous manager didn't like me saying that, we even had Sam Allardyce having a go at me in response, but I stand by every word.

A different recruitment plan is required to sustain the future, not individuals to fit short-term tactics that are looking heavily outdated this season.

Again the bit buried in the BS is the most important part.

Nathan seems to have forgotten the first 17 games of this season.

We sort of made ammends for the absolute embarrassment of the defeat at Swansea in the game at CCS and in the next week have two chances to make ammends for the horrific performance earlier in season at Reading.

To be fair to Harris, he's inherited a situation that I have always argued could take three years to fix properly. The previous manager didn't like me saying that, we even had Sam Allardyce having a go at me in response, but I stand by every word.

A different recruitment plan is required to sustain the future, not individuals to fit short-term tactics that are looking heavily outdated this season.

Again the bit buried in the BS is the most important part.

Agree

Harris needs to concede defeat in getting this group to play football this season and stick with the route one Warnock style until the end.We have a chance of the playoffs so stick to what we are good at for now. He can then try and change the style through the summer with one or two of his own signings.

Can’t really disagree with Blake.

Sooner this season ends the better.

Agree with NB. NH was the last manager we needed as he is the same as NW. I’d be happy with two years rebuilding the squad under a new manager as long as it’s someone who will start playing football. We need to get rid of 10/12 of this squad and bring in some quality. We also need a director of football and keep Dalman and Choo out of football matters.

Agree with all of that. Although I am willing to give Harris time, I did expect to see more of the promised changes by now. We either change our style of play and stick to it or we stick with the tactics warnock built this side to do. This limbo between the two is pointless.

Difficult position for Harris, change the style and probably lose a few more games or stick to long ball tactics, and maybe win a few more games, but get slated for the brand of football.

The woeful thing is these critics come out to play when no other fucker wants to write an decent article.

My views are the critic has no identity and his articke is woeful.in his article.

Stop trying to make £500 by writing shit !!!

Hope's this article helps and I never got paid

The woeful thing is these critics come out to play when no other fucker wants to write an decent article.

My views are the critic has no identity and his articke is woeful.in his article.

Stop trying to make £500 by writing shit !!!

Hope's this article helps and I never got paid

Agree

It certainly does show what poor value we've had from three years, which presumably means six windows, and tens of millions of pounds of Sir Neils recruitment.

Shsssssssssh,you know it's all harris's fault,because if he cannot get them to play decent football,he's shit well when did we play decent football under Warnock? I must have missed them games,at 3-0 down at Leeds, Warnock would have parked the bus,trying to avoid a disaster I have noticed an anti harris/tan agenda going on lately,by the usual suspects,conveniently leaving passages out,and highlighting the ones that suit,ffs are we going to have another divide amongst us,haven't we a responsibility as supporters to at least keep that part of, as some people call it,sir Warnock's legacy?? The manipulation of pundits quotes is a clear indicator of a vendetta type of post,by those who will never forgive tan,or accept Harris, whilst painting over the plain and simple facts of this squad is not good enough in the main,regardless of the repetitive he's(harris) had long enough to implement a complete reversal of playing style,that in all honesty has been alien to this squad for three years!!! He said this squad is full of quality on paper,which has been manipulated to" he has said this squad is quality"missing out the "on paper" bit,to enhance their argument that he's not good enough I notice the resident crackpot is back,under a few new guises,and is allowed to continue his reign of "I know best" ,hits is hits I guess eh

Why doesn’t Blakey and Danny Gabbidon have a go at management before criticising NH, from the comfort of their armchair or studios.

Why doesn’t Blakey and Danny Gabbidon have a go at management before criticising NH, from the comfort of their armchair or studios.

Dont give blakey ideas ffs

It certainly does show what poor value we've had from three years, which presumably means six windows, and tens of millions of pounds of Sir Neils recruitment.

Shsssssssssh,you know it's all harris's fault,because if he cannot get them to play decent football,he's shit well when did we play decent football under Warnock? I must have missed them games,at 3-0 down at Leeds, Warnock would have parked the bus,trying to avoid a disaster I have noticed an anti harris/tan agenda going on lately,by the usual suspects,conveniently leaving passages out,and highlighting the ones that suit,ffs are we going to have another divide amongst us,haven't we a responsibility as supporters to at least keep that part of, as some people call it,sir Warnock's legacy?? The manipulation of pundits quotes is a clear indicator of a vendetta type of post,by those who will never forgive tan,or accept Harris, whilst painting over the plain and simple facts of this squad is not good enough in the main,regardless of the repetitive he's(harris) had long enough to implement a complete reversal of playing style,that in all honesty has been alien to this squad for three years!!! He said this squad is full of quality on paper,which has been manipulated to" he has said this squad is quality"missing out the "on paper" bit,to enhance their argument that he's not good enough I notice the resident crackpot is back,under a few new guises,and is allowed to continue his reign of "I know best" ,hits is hits I guess eh

Agree

Blakey just repeating what most fans are saying/thinking.

Our style has always been route one dog shite from Malky and Warnock. So we've got identity!!

Watching Brentford with there foreign contingent playing beautiful football whilst Harris simply states ‘we only know the British market’.

Of course you do you dinosaur