A Reporters view of Cardiff City today:
Fri Jul 07, 2023 4:02 pm
Cardiff City's perfect pre-season win record v two Welsh league sides was scuppered with almost the last kick of the game as a stoppage-time strike from Gassan Ahadme for Cambridge United cancelled out Callum Robinson's earlier goal in Leckwith.
By Glen Williams
The Bluebirds were the dominant side throughout, but it took until the 73rd minute for Robinson to slot home his second pre-season goal of the summer. But the lead wasn't to last - with a late ball floated into the box which allowed XX to tap home neatly at the back post and earn the League One side a draw.
The Cambridge clash afforded Bulut the opportunity to further assess his players, granting the starting XI 60 minutes and thus building up the minutes in their legs.
It was another chance for players to grab the manager's attention, too, and Sheyi Ojo might have done that with a positive first-half performance which started with him beating his opposite number before floating a ball in towards Kion Etete, whose header was saved.
City almost found the back of the net with a lovely team move, which started with Joel Bagan picking the ball up in midfield before hooking it out to captain Joe Ralls. Ralls knocked it inside to Etete before young Kieron Evans was found on the wing. He played a lovely reverse pass to Rubin Colwill, who could only lash it over the bar from a tight angle.
The hosts' biggest chance of the first half, though, was when Perry Ng's low cross was flicked on by Colwill, who also impressed, to Ralls before the skipper hit one shot which was blocked but rebounded straight to him - the follow-up was saved well by the Cambridge 'keeper.
Jack Stevens was made to work again before the half was through, though. Colwill spread a lovely ball out to Ojo, who cut inside and hit a low drive towards the far corner, but the U's stopper tipped it around the upright.
Cardiff didn't have it all their own way in the second half, though. Ryan Allsop was forced into a smart low save just after the break and the U's had the ball in the back of the net from the resultant corner. Fortunately for City, though, the referee adjudged that a foul had been committed in the lead-up to the goal.
Cardiff weathered that particular storm, though, and began regain control, creating chances through both Colwill and Kieron Evans, although the deadlock could not be broken.
The XIs changed after 62 minutes and it didn't take long for Robinson to get on the scoresheet. Max Watters did well on the edge of the box to lay off Ollie Tanner, who pulled a smart cross back to Robinson near the penalty spot and he made no mistake and stroked it home.
It's fair to say the sting went out of the game thereafter, with the new-look XI struggling to get into a regular rhythm, while still being relatively solid out of possession.
But that would not last as Cambridge's late strike courtesy of a neat finish from Ahadme meant City's pre-season record now reads two wins and one draw.
Cardiff City XI: Allsop; Ng, McGuinness, Simpson, Bagan; Wintle, Ralls; Evans, R. Colwill, Ojo; Etete.
Cardiff City XI after 62 minutes: Alnwick; Romeo, Benjamin, King, T. Davies; Adams, Rinomhota; Tanner, Robinson, J. Colwill, Watters.
Subs: Crole, Ashford.
By Glen Williams
The Bluebirds were the dominant side throughout, but it took until the 73rd minute for Robinson to slot home his second pre-season goal of the summer. But the lead wasn't to last - with a late ball floated into the box which allowed XX to tap home neatly at the back post and earn the League One side a draw.
The Cambridge clash afforded Bulut the opportunity to further assess his players, granting the starting XI 60 minutes and thus building up the minutes in their legs.
It was another chance for players to grab the manager's attention, too, and Sheyi Ojo might have done that with a positive first-half performance which started with him beating his opposite number before floating a ball in towards Kion Etete, whose header was saved.
City almost found the back of the net with a lovely team move, which started with Joel Bagan picking the ball up in midfield before hooking it out to captain Joe Ralls. Ralls knocked it inside to Etete before young Kieron Evans was found on the wing. He played a lovely reverse pass to Rubin Colwill, who could only lash it over the bar from a tight angle.
The hosts' biggest chance of the first half, though, was when Perry Ng's low cross was flicked on by Colwill, who also impressed, to Ralls before the skipper hit one shot which was blocked but rebounded straight to him - the follow-up was saved well by the Cambridge 'keeper.
Jack Stevens was made to work again before the half was through, though. Colwill spread a lovely ball out to Ojo, who cut inside and hit a low drive towards the far corner, but the U's stopper tipped it around the upright.
Cardiff didn't have it all their own way in the second half, though. Ryan Allsop was forced into a smart low save just after the break and the U's had the ball in the back of the net from the resultant corner. Fortunately for City, though, the referee adjudged that a foul had been committed in the lead-up to the goal.
Cardiff weathered that particular storm, though, and began regain control, creating chances through both Colwill and Kieron Evans, although the deadlock could not be broken.
The XIs changed after 62 minutes and it didn't take long for Robinson to get on the scoresheet. Max Watters did well on the edge of the box to lay off Ollie Tanner, who pulled a smart cross back to Robinson near the penalty spot and he made no mistake and stroked it home.
It's fair to say the sting went out of the game thereafter, with the new-look XI struggling to get into a regular rhythm, while still being relatively solid out of possession.
But that would not last as Cambridge's late strike courtesy of a neat finish from Ahadme meant City's pre-season record now reads two wins and one draw.
Cardiff City XI: Allsop; Ng, McGuinness, Simpson, Bagan; Wintle, Ralls; Evans, R. Colwill, Ojo; Etete.
Cardiff City XI after 62 minutes: Alnwick; Romeo, Benjamin, King, T. Davies; Adams, Rinomhota; Tanner, Robinson, J. Colwill, Watters.
Subs: Crole, Ashford.
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Re: A Reporters view of Cardiff City today:
Fri Jul 07, 2023 5:53 pm
Are supporters supposed to be optimistic about this?
Re: A Reporters view of Cardiff City today:
Fri Jul 07, 2023 6:07 pm
BC-CB wrote:Are supporters supposed to be optimistic about this?
No, because people shouldn't be optimistic or pessimistic based on friendly games.
The first couple are always about fitness. After that, it's trying out tactics to find the right fit for when the season starts.
Also, as we have a new manager, he's giving every player a chance to prove themselves to him.
Some are taking that chance like Evans, but others like Simpson aren't.
If some people think results in friendlies are important and something to show how the season ahead will go, they're not.
I watched the game and it was another good workout.
Re: A Reporters view of Cardiff City today:
Fri Jul 07, 2023 6:21 pm
worcester_ccfc wrote:BC-CB wrote:Are supporters supposed to be optimistic about this?
No, because people shouldn't be optimistic or pessimistic based on friendly games.
The first couple are always about fitness. After that, it's trying out tactics to find the right fit for when the season starts.
Also, as we have a new manager, he's giving every player a chance to prove themselves to him.
Some are taking that chance like Evans, but others like Simpson aren't.
If some people think results in friendlies are important and something to show how the season ahead will go, they're not.
I watched the game and it was another good workout.
Well said sir
Re: A Reporters view of Cardiff City today:
Fri Jul 07, 2023 6:26 pm
BC-CB wrote:Are supporters supposed to be optimistic about this?
Most of our supporters are switched on enough to know that due to lots of new signings and players like O'Dowda and Collins coming back, our starting XI for the first game of the season is likely to bear little or no resemblance to the teams the manager has cobbled together so far.
Re: A Reporters view of Cardiff City today:
Fri Jul 07, 2023 6:48 pm
Warnock had the lads play pub teams in 2017 and we went on to get promoted 
Re: A Reporters view of Cardiff City today:
Fri Jul 07, 2023 9:17 pm
Kav's Free Kick wrote:Warnock had the lads play pub teams in 2017 and we went on to get promoted
Exactly, preseason opposition are just to get fitness up .