Cardiff City (A)

[jmjhb]

2 minutes ago, Lt. Aldo Raine said:

It's eaually daft to claim progress simply because the season after we finished fifth we finished third

It does if we go up

[Lt. Aldo Raine]

1 minute ago, jmjhb said:

It does if we go up

We didn't though

And if we had, it'd have been the actual promotion that was progress

[gonzo]

I still fancy us in the play-offs.

Cardiff are just a better football team than us.

[Whitestar]

Its all bollox and guessing anyway, IF we were by some flook or miracle to get promoted then there is not one player on view today (or recently) that is good enough to play at a higher level, the manager is clueless and unless the Evatt tactics change the attendance will plumitt.

Just saying like.

[gonzo]

4 minutes ago, Whitestar said:

Its all bollox and guessing anyway, IF we were by some flook or miracle to get promoted then there is not one player on view today (or recently) that is good enough to play at a higher level, the manager is clueless and unless the Evatt tactics change the attendance will plumitt.

Just saying like.

Let's all just give up then eh?

 

We play nothing like Evatt tactics.

I'm pretty sure we wouldn't be under transfer embargo either.

Oxford stayed up after a play offs win. So have Charlton.

Plenty go up and stay up. 

 

[gonzo]

And flook or miracle? We've been 3rd or in and around the play offs for a reason. We have every right to be there. Just been consistent enough to make the autos.

You'd think we were facing relegation tonight and not just been beat away at the 2nd best team in the division.

It was a shit performance but fuck me lads put the knives down.

[batton carrier]

6 hours ago, royal white said:

Is there anybody hoping we drop out of the play offs? 

No

[only1swanny]

5 hours ago, CumbrianWhite said:

Gale is looking like more money wasted. Our recruitment for players we’ve paid for over the last 4/5 years has been dreadful. 

He's got the ability, but his attitude shifted very early on. 

SS needs time to build, we're bringing through younger players and being a but more savy.  

Gale and Taylor haven't worked out, it's just a pity they should be a pairing. 

[only1swanny]

17 minutes ago, gonzo said:

And flook or miracle? We've been 3rd or in and around the play offs for a reason. We have every right to be there. Just been consistent enough to make the autos.

You'd think we were facing relegation tonight and not just been beat away at the 2nd best team in the division.

It was a shit performance but fuck me lads put the knives down.

Cardiff have been hands down strongest team all season with a recent cock up. 

They were always going to get back on track at some point, just looks like they did it against us. 

10 points clear of 3rd place, they're a damn good team that were championship last season. They came out at us from the start and ran out of energy about 60 mins in, by that point the damage had been done. It's a tactic that works against us. 

 

[Eddie]

33 minutes ago, Whitestar said:

Its all bollox and guessing anyway, IF we were by some flook or miracle to get promoted then there is not one player on view today (or recently) that is good enough to play at a higher level, the manager is clueless and unless the Evatt tactics change the attendance will plumitt.

Just saying like.

Ignoring the rest of it… why would attendances plummet if we were to go up? They’ve increased year after year playing the same garbage teams in the same shit league. Even if we were battling at the lower end of the league, just the novelty of playing teams we haven’t seen for years, bigger away followings etc. would see our gates increase further. Our support is brilliant and it won’t be “plummeting” any time soon, no matter what happens.

[gonzo]

1 minute ago, Eddie said:

Ignoring the rest of it… why would attendances plummet if we were to go up? They’ve increased year after year playing the same garbage teams in the same shit league. Even if we were battling at the lower end of the league, just the novelty of playing teams we haven’t seen for years, bigger away followings etc. would see our gates increase further. Our support is brilliant and it won’t be “plummeting” any time soon, no matter what happens.

The guys an absolute lunatic that permanently juiced up on Newcastle Brown Ale and doesn't even watch our games.

[ianofcleveleys]

2 hours ago, Johnnyrotten said:

What about Bradford, Stockport or Stevenage?

The anomaly is how few points we've got and still been 3rd till recently.  The 3rd placed team in the last 2 seasons has got 87 points.  We're on 70 points with 4 tough games left.  We would have likely finished 7th in the previous 2 seasons with our likely total of 74 or 75.  Massive under achievement however its dressed up.

We are this season's anomaly. A thoroughly well resourced and supported 'big hitter' who have made serious heavy weather of being better than far more modest outfits. 

SS needs to give his head a good shake here, before he makes a fuck up of it

[Stig]

2 hours ago, Johnnyrotten said:

Great post and agree with it, but just on that bit, I'd say not creating chances has been our achilles heel.  Some of the away games have been painful.  Just some excitement at the likes of Port Vale, Doncaster, Burton and Northampton would have been an improvement, but the keepers may as well have stayed at home in too many games this season.

Agreed. What chances did we make today to not take..?

We had the odd game at the start of the season where we could say that was the case (Burton and Northampton away come to mind) but since November the pattern has been that we don't create much at all and score about the amount you'd expect on those low chances.

Meanwhile we concede almost immediately under any pressure, regardless of chance quality. Today was actually better than usual defensively (from a stats point of view) as we should have conceded much earlier than we did.

[Stig]

3 hours ago, noxid said:

Where do I start with this shambles.

All this passing at the back between the keeper, Toal and Johnstone is just as bad as the ian evatt tactics. It's ingrained into them. They will never change. Where was Forino today, our best defender by a mile. Conway slow, gives his marker way too much space. Maybe he should watch a tape of how close the opposition stick to CDubarry. He always takes throws-ins backwards towards our defenders (usually Tooal) even when we are half way into the opposition half. Sometimes as a result it then goes all the way back to our own keeper from an attacking position. I'm totally baffled at this negative tactic which must have come from somewhere? I would go so far as banning him from throwing it backwards in the opponents half. What's the worst that could happen. Even with 88mins on the clock, we are still spraying the ball sideways in our own penalty area like it's a training ground exercise. What's wrong with the lot of them. Last week we hoofed it straight down field avoiding our lightweights in midfield and grabbed two scrappy goals. What the fuck is wrong with that. 

No shots on goal until min 60 in a promotion match. Instructions from the bench must be laughable. Subs should have been made at half time but SS didn't have the guts to change it up.

Terrible all-round and Tuesdays match another must win against hungrier team. Big rant over with until the next time. 

ps Dalby MOM today

 

Can't disagree with that. The whole style of play is so negative. Throwing backwards and not crossing in, instead passing back to the goalie to hoof it, is a plague on football in general and we are stuck doing it.

The only thing I would just challenge is Dalby MOTM. Yes he puts himself about and I'm pleased with his physical presence but can he actually kick a ball? He's getting no service but he can't make anything for himself either. He seems to need specific service of balls in the box or rebounds to tap in to score. I struggle with him being MOTM just for tussling for the ball

[ianofcleveleys]

Since the last time we went away, scored, had a measure of control and kept a clean sheet (Wimbledon), we have kept one clean sheet home or away (the turgid draw with Donny) and have let 2 in 6 times. 

 

[Dr. Feelgood]

55 minutes ago, ianofcleveleys said:

SS needs to give his head a good shake here, before he makes a fuck up of it

The trouble is, when under pressure he goes in on himself & reverts to a light form of Evatt-ball. It's his security blanket and far too many of the longer squad are under its spell too.

[Domcarey1]

Not a great performance or result today but no need to panic just yet unless we repeat it on Tuesday.

Train was cancelled at Manchester this morning while we were sat on it then we spent 40 minutes near Newport after a driver issue. Got into Cardiff with 10 mins of the game left….think we dodged a bullet by missing it though….

Schuey now needs to decide on his best 11 for the play offs & make sure that ACD is primed & ready to hit peak form….

Still feeling confident about going up, probably cause I didn’t see us play today….

 

[Ani]

1 hour ago, Stig said:

Can't disagree with that. The whole style of play is so negative. Throwing backwards and not crossing in, instead passing back to the goalie to hoof it, is a plague on football in general and we are stuck doing it.

The only thing I would just challenge is Dalby MOTM. Yes he puts himself about and I'm pleased with his physical presence but can he actually kick a ball? He's getting no service but he can't make anything for himself either. He seems to need specific service of balls in the box or rebounds to tap in to score. I struggle with him being MOTM just for tussling for the ball

We had a throw in , first half, first we had been 10 yards in their half. A shit throw and three weak passes later keeper was hoofing it.

Dalby was ok first half but seemed to just get shit as second half went. Players rating could be interesting

Bonham 5 

Conway 2

GJ 3 

Toal 2

Christie 1

22 2

Sheehan 3

Dempsey 2 their midfield just ran past him

Gale 2

Burstow 2

Dalby 4 (5 first half, 3 second) 

[bolton va va]

Just back, & we were as bad today as we were good at Plymouth.

A flat performance played in a typical flat 12-30 KO atmosphere.....the Cardiff fans only piped up after they went ahead,

We were lucky to reach H/T level & we really needed to make changes then. For me, the substitutions were obvious but too late.........ACD, Rodrigues & even Apter improved us but it was too late.

[Rival Son]

8 hours ago, Lostock Whites said:

Our priority has to be to sign a left footed centre back

Or stop loaning out our young backups. I know it’s the 5th tier, but both Sam Inwood (backup for Johnston) and Charlie Warren (backup for ACD) have received very positive reviews, but been unavailable to us, when needed.

We need Category B status, to allow the likes of these two to stay with us, and have a competitive U21 fixture list, to keep the squad backups match-fit, developing and, most importantly, available when needed.

I’ve probably veered from the match thread!

[Zico]

5 hours ago, Lt. Aldo Raine said:

Because each season is a season in its own right, with differing strength between the clubs

Some seasons the spread of talent will be quite even, others more concentrated, and that will have an impact on points total

It's eaually daft to claim progress simply because the season after we finished fifth we finished third

I think the point there always was we went from a team that was challenging for a play off spot to one that was challenging for the top two

Anyway

I've not doubt we'll finish top six but right now could really finish 3rd or 6th, neither would surprise me

[Kane57]

7 hours ago, Rival Son said:

Or stop loaning out our young backups. I know it’s the 5th tier, but both Sam Inwood (backup for Johnston) and Charlie Warren (backup for ACD) have received very positive reviews, but been unavailable to us, when needed.

We need Category B status, to allow the likes of these two to stay with us, and have a competitive U21 fixture list, to keep the squad backups match-fit, developing and, most importantly, available when needed.

I’ve probably veered from the match thread!

I agree on the need for quality backup but the two players you have mentioned are playing two steps up from park football

[Lt. Aldo Raine]

7 hours ago, Zico said:

I think the point there always was we went from a team that was challenging for a play off spot to one that was challenging for the top two

Anyway

I've not doubt we'll finish top six but right now could really finish 3rd or 6th, neither would surprise me

It was about points totals and how we've massively underachieved because we'd typically finish about seventh with the number of points we're likely to end up with

[Lt. Aldo Raine]

8 hours ago, Rival Son said:

Or stop loaning out our young backups. I know it’s the 5th tier, but both Sam Inwood (backup for Johnston) and Charlie Warren (backup for ACD) have received very positive reviews, but been unavailable to us, when needed.

We need Category B status, to allow the likes of these two to stay with us, and have a competitive U21 fixture list, to keep the squad backups match-fit, developing and, most importantly, available when needed.

I’ve probably veered from the match thread!

I don't think they're considered the backups though

They're young players (although Warren isn't in footballing terms) who've been sent on loan because they need to further their development

I think that would be the case no matter the academy category

[Tombwfc]

11 hours ago, only1swanny said:

Cardiff have been hands down strongest team all season with a recent cock up. 

They were always going to get back on track at some point, just looks like they did it against us. 

10 points clear of 3rd place, they're a damn good team that were championship last season. They came out at us from the start and ran out of energy about 60 mins in, by that point the damage had been done. It's a tactic that works against us. 

 

 

'Hands down the strongest team all season'... they're 12 points behind Lincoln. They'll need to win every game from here to hit 92 points, generally the baseline standard for a 'good' second placed team.

Last three home results have been a draw with Blackpool and defeats vs Wycombe and Lincoln.

There's absolutely nothing about Cardiff, this season or this month, that suggests we - who fancy ourselves as the third best team in the league - should be going there and rolling over in such an uncompetitive manner.