After a week of fantastic results on the pitch for Cardiff city, many people are already tipping them for a good season next year, and under-fire gaffer Russell Slade has earned the belief of a few of the bluebirds faithful. A surprise win at high flying Brentford and a dogged draw with Bournemouth at the Cardiff City Satdium.
What happened?
Andre Gray's goal on the first half an hour against Brentford looked like it would hand city another defeat, but we showed determination, recsiliance and a little not of quality to stun the Londeners and take a 1-2 victory back over the border after goals from Federico Macheda and Alex Revell gave us a much needed away win. It's now 3 times on a row that we have gone away and come back with a fantastic 3 points.
We then followed the own up with a very respectable 1-1 draw against Bournemouth, who were top of the table before the game. We came form behind again and showed determination in a scrappy game, but sometimes we were a tad shaky at the back.
My Verdict
I am extremely pleased with the two score lines that will go down in the books, but the performances and determination in both games really pleased me. It was one of the first times that we haves seen City players giving an extra 10% and willing to graft for the fans and for their team-mates.
I'm starting to warm to Slade, but I struggle to see how fans can instantly think he will deliver huge success next season. People easily forget the fact that for numerous months we have been served up drab performance after drab peorformsnce. I'm not saying that I will never like Slade and I'm not willing to give him a chance, but he must do more to regain my trust and prove that the last few weeks haven't been a fluke.
Next game
Next up is Birmingham at home on Saturday. I went to the away game at Sta Nadrews, and I thought it was a fairly even game, and I expect a similar contest on the weekend. I think the first goal will be crucial- If City can get it then I would hope that they could dominate the game at home. However, I'm not taking Birmingham lightly. They have been brilliant under Gary Rowett. They have been through a bit of a blip but are starting to come out if it and I fully expect a good game from them. Let's hope for another positive result!
Wednesday, 18 March 2015
Thursday, 12 March 2015
Taking Shape
After another thrilling and absorbing two nights of intense champions league action, the knockout stages are starting to take shape and we are one step closer to finding out who will lift the converted trophy in Berlin. Porto, Real Madrid, Bayern Munich and Paris-Saint Germain all made it through to the quarter finals after overcoming their opposition.
I think it's non-debatable that the most drama came at the Bernabau Stamford Bridge. On Tuesday night, Real Madrid came into the game with the tie finished in many people's eyes with Madrid comfortably winning the first leg 0-2 at the Veltins Arena. However, German visitors Schalke would not lie down and produced a stunning performance to win the game 3-4 on the night. Cristiano Ronaldo scored twice and Karim Benzema netted one, but goals from Christian Fuchs, Leroy Sane and a crucial double from Klass Jaan Huntelaar at his old club gave Schalke a memorable win. Despite Real being poor, the visitors should be proud of their performance.
Real, however have big problems. Whenever I see them play they never malfunction as a team, always arguing on the pitch and showing a lack of trust in each other in attack. Gareth Bale has been singled out for critism, but for me the blame lies with the entire team. At the moment they are just a bunch of individuals, and you can't win games with individuals.
Another enthralling game was the clash between Chelsea against PSG, with the latter progressing after extra time. The game had it all. Tension, controversy, goals and passion, but sadly the main talking point of the match was the way the Chelsea players surrounded the referee in an attempt to get Zlatan Ibrahimovic sent off, which in the end worked. Chelsea have been accused of gamesmanship by many pundits.
On the pitch, PSG overcame adversity to beat a shambolic Chelsea side with ten men after Thiago Silva scored an incredible header to send the visitors through, winning on away goals. For the most part of the match Chelsea played with ten men, but it seemed like Chelsea were disadvantaged in terms of numbers. They were all at sea at the back and their approach play was far too slow to penetrate.
The other two games had nowhere near as much nail-biting drama, but that was largely down to the two winning sides. Porto blew Basel away in Portugal to ease into the next round with Bayern Munich also dominating with a 7-0 victory over Ukrainian outfit Shaktar Donetsk.
Bayern have to be one of the favourites for the tournament now. They have such quality in their side and their strength in depth is incredible, with their second team perfectly capable of beating any side in this competition. You can never write PSG off, although I really cannot see them making it all the way. Real Madrid must sort out their ever-growing problems if they are too challenge. A team like Barcelona or Bayern would surely punish them if they put in a performance like onTuesday night. I'm making these assumptions believing that Manchester City will get knocked out by Barcelona in the second leg.
I think it's non-debatable that the most drama came at the Bernabau Stamford Bridge. On Tuesday night, Real Madrid came into the game with the tie finished in many people's eyes with Madrid comfortably winning the first leg 0-2 at the Veltins Arena. However, German visitors Schalke would not lie down and produced a stunning performance to win the game 3-4 on the night. Cristiano Ronaldo scored twice and Karim Benzema netted one, but goals from Christian Fuchs, Leroy Sane and a crucial double from Klass Jaan Huntelaar at his old club gave Schalke a memorable win. Despite Real being poor, the visitors should be proud of their performance.
Real, however have big problems. Whenever I see them play they never malfunction as a team, always arguing on the pitch and showing a lack of trust in each other in attack. Gareth Bale has been singled out for critism, but for me the blame lies with the entire team. At the moment they are just a bunch of individuals, and you can't win games with individuals.
Another enthralling game was the clash between Chelsea against PSG, with the latter progressing after extra time. The game had it all. Tension, controversy, goals and passion, but sadly the main talking point of the match was the way the Chelsea players surrounded the referee in an attempt to get Zlatan Ibrahimovic sent off, which in the end worked. Chelsea have been accused of gamesmanship by many pundits.
On the pitch, PSG overcame adversity to beat a shambolic Chelsea side with ten men after Thiago Silva scored an incredible header to send the visitors through, winning on away goals. For the most part of the match Chelsea played with ten men, but it seemed like Chelsea were disadvantaged in terms of numbers. They were all at sea at the back and their approach play was far too slow to penetrate.
The other two games had nowhere near as much nail-biting drama, but that was largely down to the two winning sides. Porto blew Basel away in Portugal to ease into the next round with Bayern Munich also dominating with a 7-0 victory over Ukrainian outfit Shaktar Donetsk.
Bayern have to be one of the favourites for the tournament now. They have such quality in their side and their strength in depth is incredible, with their second team perfectly capable of beating any side in this competition. You can never write PSG off, although I really cannot see them making it all the way. Real Madrid must sort out their ever-growing problems if they are too challenge. A team like Barcelona or Bayern would surely punish them if they put in a performance like onTuesday night. I'm making these assumptions believing that Manchester City will get knocked out by Barcelona in the second leg.
Thursday, 5 March 2015
Turning A Corner
Cardiff City's impressive 1-3 win over strugglers Rotherham away from home on Tuesday night was yet more evidence that slowly but surely the bluebirds are turning a corner. Just under 400 city fans made the long journey to the New York Stadium on a bitter cold Tuesday evening and their loyalty was rewarded with Bruno Ecuele Manga, Kiko Macheda and Conor McAleny goals giving city another precious victory on the road, which surely cements our championship safety.
People will say "oh it's only Rotherham away", but you can only beat what is in front of you and if you go to any ground in the league and are 0-3 up within 40 minutes then you will be extremely happy. It's no difference here. I think my eyes nearly feel out of my head when I checked my ipad to see the score. I went on another site just to check the score was actually real when we went 0-3 up.
It's satisfying to finally look back at a city match and be able to say that we thoroughly deserved the win and it was never really in doubt, which I think is certainly the case here. 2 of the goals were fine finishes, especially Macheda's who normally draws a lot of criticism from me and many others. But there I no doubting that his hooked volley to give us a commanding 0-2 lead was one of the best I've seen from a city player all season.
Another man who has also drawn a lot of criticism from me is bluebirds manager Russell Slade, but credit where credit is due, we had a game plan on Tuesday that was masterminded by him and it worked. Yes, new head coach Paul Trollope has been a breath of fresh air, but credit also has to go to Slade for some of the recent results. His style of football is normally frustrating to say the least, but if he can keep results like this up then I will give him more time in the hot seat.
Aside from the tremendous result on Tuesday, another hot topic this week has been the idea of more cost-cutting taking place in the summer transfer window. Now don't get me wrong, I want this club to develop and keep good players, but this season some of our high earners just haven't performed to the levels that we should expect. David Marshall has been solid this year, but his deputy Simon Moore has proved that he could do a fine job if he was to leave. We could make a handy 4 million at least from that sale. Craig Nonne has hardly had one good game for us this season, and with a 2 million offer coming in from Norwich in the last window, more money could be made from that. Peter Whittingham has been another player that has been poor this year, and in Stuart O Keefe, Joe Ralls and Tom Adeyami, we have perfectly capable young talent that could attempt to fill his boots.
Anyway, next up for the bluebirds is a home game against Charlton on Saturday. I think it would be unfair to the lads that did a superb job on Tuesday, so I would like Slade to go with a similar team for this clash. Before the end of the season, I would also like more young players to wear the blue shirt to give them a chance to prove that they have futures.
Before I finish this blog, I would just like to give my well wishes to Swansea City striker Bafetimbi Gomis who suddenly collapsed in a premier league game on Wednesday. We may be huge rivals, but I don't wish to see any players health decreasing on the football pitch. Best wishes Bafe
People will say "oh it's only Rotherham away", but you can only beat what is in front of you and if you go to any ground in the league and are 0-3 up within 40 minutes then you will be extremely happy. It's no difference here. I think my eyes nearly feel out of my head when I checked my ipad to see the score. I went on another site just to check the score was actually real when we went 0-3 up.
It's satisfying to finally look back at a city match and be able to say that we thoroughly deserved the win and it was never really in doubt, which I think is certainly the case here. 2 of the goals were fine finishes, especially Macheda's who normally draws a lot of criticism from me and many others. But there I no doubting that his hooked volley to give us a commanding 0-2 lead was one of the best I've seen from a city player all season.
Another man who has also drawn a lot of criticism from me is bluebirds manager Russell Slade, but credit where credit is due, we had a game plan on Tuesday that was masterminded by him and it worked. Yes, new head coach Paul Trollope has been a breath of fresh air, but credit also has to go to Slade for some of the recent results. His style of football is normally frustrating to say the least, but if he can keep results like this up then I will give him more time in the hot seat.
Aside from the tremendous result on Tuesday, another hot topic this week has been the idea of more cost-cutting taking place in the summer transfer window. Now don't get me wrong, I want this club to develop and keep good players, but this season some of our high earners just haven't performed to the levels that we should expect. David Marshall has been solid this year, but his deputy Simon Moore has proved that he could do a fine job if he was to leave. We could make a handy 4 million at least from that sale. Craig Nonne has hardly had one good game for us this season, and with a 2 million offer coming in from Norwich in the last window, more money could be made from that. Peter Whittingham has been another player that has been poor this year, and in Stuart O Keefe, Joe Ralls and Tom Adeyami, we have perfectly capable young talent that could attempt to fill his boots.
Anyway, next up for the bluebirds is a home game against Charlton on Saturday. I think it would be unfair to the lads that did a superb job on Tuesday, so I would like Slade to go with a similar team for this clash. Before the end of the season, I would also like more young players to wear the blue shirt to give them a chance to prove that they have futures.
Before I finish this blog, I would just like to give my well wishes to Swansea City striker Bafetimbi Gomis who suddenly collapsed in a premier league game on Wednesday. We may be huge rivals, but I don't wish to see any players health decreasing on the football pitch. Best wishes Bafe
Sunday, 1 March 2015
Fight but not flair
It was a gritty performance from Cardiff City but they still fell 0-1 to Wolverhampton Wanderers in the sky bet championship. Hopes were high amongst many city fans after the 0-1 win away at Wigan on Tuesday. Personally, I thought we would get something from today but I knew it would be a very tough game against an inform Wolves outfit. And so it was...
What happened
A 26th minute counter attack goal from winger Bakary Sako ensured Wolves remained in contention for promotion with a 0-1 win over the bluebirds. City dominated early on but fell behind to a lightning counter attack after they gave the ball away on the halfway line. The bluebirds fought valiantly for the remainder of the first half but went in at the break a goal down, much to the delight of the 2000 travelling Wolves fans.
In the second half, Peter Whittingham's reckless two yellow cards meant that city played the remaining 30 minutes with 10 men. However, this did not sway them a late flurry of attack produced two goal line clearances but the ball would not go in. Controversial owner Vincent Tan marched round the pitch before the game, and was surprisingly welcomed warmly by the bluebirds faithful. He didn't make it round to my stand.
Russell Slade
The defeat was not anyone's fault, I don't think. In the first 20 minutes we looked a very good side that were perfectly capable of getting something out of Wolves. I had nothing negative to say about our tactics for once. Paul Troloppe seems to have an effect on Slade, and there is a noticeable difference in what the players want to do with the ball at times. We got the ball to the wide areas well and at times our play was nice to watch. I didn't really have a bad thing to say about Slade during the match.
His post-match comments were as intriguing and at times infuriating as ever. He said he was "pleased" with how the game went. Now don't get me wrong, I was not disappointed with the performance, but in my opinion you can never really be pleased after you have lost a game.
My verdict
In my eyes, over the last few weeks city have improved week on week. Today was another decent performance. There was less "hoof-ball" on show (which I put down to Troloppe and Slade), which is something that most of the city faithful have wanted for a few months now. We also retained the ball quite well in the first half. However, until we got desperate in the last 15 minutes we didn't create any clear cut chances that troubled the Wolves keeper. It was shots from outside the box if that at times.
The difference between Wolves and city at them moment is that they had one chance in the first half and they scored. Also, when they had a sustained period of pressure early in the second half, they created chances and looked threatening. Without being disrespectful to Wolves, they did not play well and at times looked an average side. I doubt they will go up and I really thought that we could have got something from them.
Something I always demand from a city team is that they fight till the end, and we certainly did that. It seemed that adversity spurred us on and in the last 10 minutes we certainly looked like scoring. My man of the match was centre back Bruno Ecuele Manga. He had the right balance of solid and composed. If I'm being honest he's too good for us and eally should be playing at a higher level.
The next game
Up next for city is a tricky trip to fellow strugglers Rotherham. Our opponents picked up a vital 2-1 win over Millwall on Saturday, but it was marred by crowd trouble from the travelling fans. They're managed by Steve Evans who who's Rotherham side beat Slades Leyton Orient in the play-off final last season to get to the championship.
The bluebirds will have 400 loyal fans backing them in Yorkshire, and I think we will claim a point in a 1-1 draw.
What happened
A 26th minute counter attack goal from winger Bakary Sako ensured Wolves remained in contention for promotion with a 0-1 win over the bluebirds. City dominated early on but fell behind to a lightning counter attack after they gave the ball away on the halfway line. The bluebirds fought valiantly for the remainder of the first half but went in at the break a goal down, much to the delight of the 2000 travelling Wolves fans.
In the second half, Peter Whittingham's reckless two yellow cards meant that city played the remaining 30 minutes with 10 men. However, this did not sway them a late flurry of attack produced two goal line clearances but the ball would not go in. Controversial owner Vincent Tan marched round the pitch before the game, and was surprisingly welcomed warmly by the bluebirds faithful. He didn't make it round to my stand.
Russell Slade
The defeat was not anyone's fault, I don't think. In the first 20 minutes we looked a very good side that were perfectly capable of getting something out of Wolves. I had nothing negative to say about our tactics for once. Paul Troloppe seems to have an effect on Slade, and there is a noticeable difference in what the players want to do with the ball at times. We got the ball to the wide areas well and at times our play was nice to watch. I didn't really have a bad thing to say about Slade during the match.
His post-match comments were as intriguing and at times infuriating as ever. He said he was "pleased" with how the game went. Now don't get me wrong, I was not disappointed with the performance, but in my opinion you can never really be pleased after you have lost a game.
My verdict
In my eyes, over the last few weeks city have improved week on week. Today was another decent performance. There was less "hoof-ball" on show (which I put down to Troloppe and Slade), which is something that most of the city faithful have wanted for a few months now. We also retained the ball quite well in the first half. However, until we got desperate in the last 15 minutes we didn't create any clear cut chances that troubled the Wolves keeper. It was shots from outside the box if that at times.
The difference between Wolves and city at them moment is that they had one chance in the first half and they scored. Also, when they had a sustained period of pressure early in the second half, they created chances and looked threatening. Without being disrespectful to Wolves, they did not play well and at times looked an average side. I doubt they will go up and I really thought that we could have got something from them.
Something I always demand from a city team is that they fight till the end, and we certainly did that. It seemed that adversity spurred us on and in the last 10 minutes we certainly looked like scoring. My man of the match was centre back Bruno Ecuele Manga. He had the right balance of solid and composed. If I'm being honest he's too good for us and eally should be playing at a higher level.
The next game
Up next for city is a tricky trip to fellow strugglers Rotherham. Our opponents picked up a vital 2-1 win over Millwall on Saturday, but it was marred by crowd trouble from the travelling fans. They're managed by Steve Evans who who's Rotherham side beat Slades Leyton Orient in the play-off final last season to get to the championship.
The bluebirds will have 400 loyal fans backing them in Yorkshire, and I think we will claim a point in a 1-1 draw.
Wednesday, 25 February 2015
Grit Gets The Points
Cardiff City's win over fellow strugglers Wigan last night might just be the biggest of the season. A huge sense of relief chorused over me when I saw the 'FT' sign pop up next to our name on Sky Sports News. Aaron Gunnarsson scored the only goal of the game to give city a vital win at the DW Stadium. In my earlier blog, I said I wanted us to dominate a poor Wigan side. We did not do that, but again we worked hard defensively for points, which is a very encouraging sign. You have to graft in the championship, and you also have to ride to ride your luck. We did both last night.
Twice Wigan put the ball ion pour net and it was wrongly ruled out for offside. Again, sometimes our tactics were negative, with City only having 40% possession against a Wigan side that are renowned for being a team that struggles to hold on to the ball. Of course I want us to play more positive and attacking football, but when you are at Wigan on a cold Tuesday night, you just need to get the job done in any way possible.
I think this win clears us of relegation, which I'm extremely relieved about. One or two people are saying that we have a decent chance of making the play-offs after this win. I would have to disagree with this. Yes, it's possible, but I have seen every team that occupy the top 6 places this season, and they all looked far better than us.
Any win is a good win, but let's not get carried away. In no way did we dominate Wigan, who I think are destined for relegation this season. In my heart I would say that it was a fully deserved win and that we dominated Wigan, bit we didn't. In fact, it's hard to recall a time when from the first whistle to the last we've outplayed a team. That's the next step that we need to strive to take.
Most people and sites are reporting that the 350 Cardiff City fans who made the long journey to Lancashire clapped ex city boss Malky Mackay and sung his name throughout the first half, which was good to hear. I'm only a kid, so I'm not really sure what to make of all the controversy surrounding Mackay and our owner Vincent Tan, bit I will never forget some of the memories that Malky helped bring to me during his 3 seasons at the club.
Something that I'm starting to realise about our new striker Eoin Doyle is that he is sacrificing goals for the good of the team. He works hard, creates plenty of chances and when he does have a shot on goal he is denied by a wonderful save. I'm sure that once luck is on his side the goals will flow. His partnership with fellow striker Kenwyne Jones is flourishing and at times they have shown real signs of understanding.
Our next opponents are Wolves at home on Saturday. It will be a very tough game, and when the two sides met earlier in the season a desperately unlucky Mark Hudson (now at Huddersfield) gave Wolves the win with a last minute own goal. Our vistors have play-off aspirations and danger men like Bakary Sako need to be kept tightly under wraps.
Regardless of the result last night and whatever the score is on Saturday, I'm still convinced that Russell Slade is not the right man to lead this club forward. However, I'll back him until his last day in charge and I'll be at Cardiff City Stadium to cheer on the boys to another win. Hopefully, anyway...
Twice Wigan put the ball ion pour net and it was wrongly ruled out for offside. Again, sometimes our tactics were negative, with City only having 40% possession against a Wigan side that are renowned for being a team that struggles to hold on to the ball. Of course I want us to play more positive and attacking football, but when you are at Wigan on a cold Tuesday night, you just need to get the job done in any way possible.
I think this win clears us of relegation, which I'm extremely relieved about. One or two people are saying that we have a decent chance of making the play-offs after this win. I would have to disagree with this. Yes, it's possible, but I have seen every team that occupy the top 6 places this season, and they all looked far better than us.
Any win is a good win, but let's not get carried away. In no way did we dominate Wigan, who I think are destined for relegation this season. In my heart I would say that it was a fully deserved win and that we dominated Wigan, bit we didn't. In fact, it's hard to recall a time when from the first whistle to the last we've outplayed a team. That's the next step that we need to strive to take.
Most people and sites are reporting that the 350 Cardiff City fans who made the long journey to Lancashire clapped ex city boss Malky Mackay and sung his name throughout the first half, which was good to hear. I'm only a kid, so I'm not really sure what to make of all the controversy surrounding Mackay and our owner Vincent Tan, bit I will never forget some of the memories that Malky helped bring to me during his 3 seasons at the club.
Something that I'm starting to realise about our new striker Eoin Doyle is that he is sacrificing goals for the good of the team. He works hard, creates plenty of chances and when he does have a shot on goal he is denied by a wonderful save. I'm sure that once luck is on his side the goals will flow. His partnership with fellow striker Kenwyne Jones is flourishing and at times they have shown real signs of understanding.
Our next opponents are Wolves at home on Saturday. It will be a very tough game, and when the two sides met earlier in the season a desperately unlucky Mark Hudson (now at Huddersfield) gave Wolves the win with a last minute own goal. Our vistors have play-off aspirations and danger men like Bakary Sako need to be kept tightly under wraps.
Regardless of the result last night and whatever the score is on Saturday, I'm still convinced that Russell Slade is not the right man to lead this club forward. However, I'll back him until his last day in charge and I'll be at Cardiff City Stadium to cheer on the boys to another win. Hopefully, anyway...
Monday, 23 February 2015
Hotting Up
After another absorbing but controversial weekend of premier league action, the stakes are increasing and the league is hotting up. Whether you support Leicester or Chelsea, every side needs to up their game in order to reach the required goals. This stage of the season is crucial. Teams scrap for precious points as players play for their futures and managers try to convince owners that they are the right man for the job.
I will start with the top. Chelsea currently occupy top spot on merit. The blues have played some dazzling football and have rarely looked like slipping off top spot. They did have rare bad day on Saturday though with a 1-1 draw with Burnley not what Jose Mourinho would have expected from his star-studded side. I believe that they will win the title. Players like Eden Hazard and Diego Costa have stole the headlines, but defensive enforcer Nemanja Matic has been a revelation this year.
Close behind them in second are Manchester City, the holders of the premier league. This season has been a mixed bag for City, with a few uncharacteristic performances this year. However, they are by no means out of the title race, and with quality like Sergio Aguero, Vincent Kompany and David Silva, can harm any team in the world on their day.
The top 4 race is also an intriguing battle. It looks like Southampton, Manchester United, Liverpool and Tottenham look the most likely sides to claim the crucial spot. I think Liverpool will claim it. They are just starting to gain momentum and their 0-2 win at Southampton yesterday sent out a message to the rest of the league saying they mean business. United are a team that still haven't settled down under Louis Van Gaal. Players like Robin Van Persie and Falcao are mis-firing and the way they are playing, I can't see them holding down a top 4 place.
The relegation battle is also really starting to hot up. Every team from 20th placed Leicester to 12th placed Everton are still needing points to ensure safety. Leicester, Burnley and Hull all picked up crucial points on the weekend that could have a major influence on the final standings.
I was especially impressed with Leicester in their 2-2 draw at Everton on Sunday, where they could have taken all 3. They showed promise in every area with Matty James having another solid performance in midfield. David Nugent also made a difference when he came on. He deservedly got his goal and worked hard for the cause. If they can carry on that level of performance then there is no reason why they can't stay in the division.
A team I have been impressed with throughout the season is Burnley. They struggled at the start of the season, but after a fantastic win over Southampton, they have produced some cracking performances. Danny Ings has been a reliable source of goals and keeper Tom Heaton has been outstanding. Manager Sean Dyche has done brilliantly on a very low budget. I genuinely think that they will stay in the league.
Obviously I haven't had time to cram every team into this blog, but many other teams have a lot to play for. The premier league is likely to throw up many more surprises and brilliant matches before the end of the season, and I can't wait to see the action unfold.
I will start with the top. Chelsea currently occupy top spot on merit. The blues have played some dazzling football and have rarely looked like slipping off top spot. They did have rare bad day on Saturday though with a 1-1 draw with Burnley not what Jose Mourinho would have expected from his star-studded side. I believe that they will win the title. Players like Eden Hazard and Diego Costa have stole the headlines, but defensive enforcer Nemanja Matic has been a revelation this year.
Close behind them in second are Manchester City, the holders of the premier league. This season has been a mixed bag for City, with a few uncharacteristic performances this year. However, they are by no means out of the title race, and with quality like Sergio Aguero, Vincent Kompany and David Silva, can harm any team in the world on their day.
The top 4 race is also an intriguing battle. It looks like Southampton, Manchester United, Liverpool and Tottenham look the most likely sides to claim the crucial spot. I think Liverpool will claim it. They are just starting to gain momentum and their 0-2 win at Southampton yesterday sent out a message to the rest of the league saying they mean business. United are a team that still haven't settled down under Louis Van Gaal. Players like Robin Van Persie and Falcao are mis-firing and the way they are playing, I can't see them holding down a top 4 place.
The relegation battle is also really starting to hot up. Every team from 20th placed Leicester to 12th placed Everton are still needing points to ensure safety. Leicester, Burnley and Hull all picked up crucial points on the weekend that could have a major influence on the final standings.
I was especially impressed with Leicester in their 2-2 draw at Everton on Sunday, where they could have taken all 3. They showed promise in every area with Matty James having another solid performance in midfield. David Nugent also made a difference when he came on. He deservedly got his goal and worked hard for the cause. If they can carry on that level of performance then there is no reason why they can't stay in the division.
A team I have been impressed with throughout the season is Burnley. They struggled at the start of the season, but after a fantastic win over Southampton, they have produced some cracking performances. Danny Ings has been a reliable source of goals and keeper Tom Heaton has been outstanding. Manager Sean Dyche has done brilliantly on a very low budget. I genuinely think that they will stay in the league.
Obviously I haven't had time to cram every team into this blog, but many other teams have a lot to play for. The premier league is likely to throw up many more surprises and brilliant matches before the end of the season, and I can't wait to see the action unfold.
Sunday, 22 February 2015
Slowly But Surely
For Cardiff City, any point is a decent one at the moment. We need to fight for every point we can get at this point in time, and the 450 hardy souls who travelled to Huddersfield saw a glimmer of the fighting spirit we need to steer us out of trouble.
You can't help but be underwhelmed with our lack of attacking intent recently, and that didn't change on Saturday, but the main thing is that we got something out of the game. It was never going to be easy. Many pundits said that city were going to have to scrap for the points, and at times the bluebirds did that.
There are still a few dreamers who think the play-off are not out of reach. For them, this is surely two points dropped. But for people like me who are far more concerned about survival this season, it is a fairly good point. We went to a tough place to go and grafted for the point. It wasn't pretty, but it was effective.
However, the stats don't lie, and they're not pretty. We have become accustomed to being dominated in terms of possession, and today was no different. It went 61-39 in Huddersfield's favour. It's something that we are seeing to often under Russell Slade. We have the players to go out and dominate teams, but we're to scared that we'll lose. We need to be brave and see if we can control a game.
The draw also means that we have only won once in 13 attempts. That's not acceptable for a team that were dubbed "the best squad the best squad the championship has ever seen." In fact, it's relegation form. That needs to change quickly.
A win could come at Wigan on Tuesday, and I believe if we took 3 points at the DW Stadium, it would almost guarantee safety. However, that won't be an easy game. I was watching Wigan Warriors (rugby league team) play last night at the DW stadium, and let's just say the pitch was not in the best condition. In fact, it was nothing sort of atrocious. It will be difficult to play any type of passing football, but then again, I hardly think we will be using that tactic on Tuesday!
Wigan are in huge relegation trouble and very low on confidence. They looked very poor in a 0-3 home loss to Charlton on Friday, and I would be very disappointed if we failed to take 3 points on Tuesday. They are managed by ex bluebird boss Malky Mackay. Forget all the controversy over his texts to Iain Moody, I will forever be thankful to him for what he did for the club.
I would swap Craig Noone for exciting prospect Kadeem Harris on Tuesday night. Noone has been abject this season, and looks like he desperately needs a rest. Other than that, I would name an unchanged side for the Wigan game. I think we will stop the rot here and claim a 0-2 win.
I don't think we will go down this season, but I'm adamant that Russell Slade has to go at the end of the season, wherever we finish. The football is poor and we are not picking up enough wins. Let's hope both of those things can change on Tuesday.
You can't help but be underwhelmed with our lack of attacking intent recently, and that didn't change on Saturday, but the main thing is that we got something out of the game. It was never going to be easy. Many pundits said that city were going to have to scrap for the points, and at times the bluebirds did that.
There are still a few dreamers who think the play-off are not out of reach. For them, this is surely two points dropped. But for people like me who are far more concerned about survival this season, it is a fairly good point. We went to a tough place to go and grafted for the point. It wasn't pretty, but it was effective.
However, the stats don't lie, and they're not pretty. We have become accustomed to being dominated in terms of possession, and today was no different. It went 61-39 in Huddersfield's favour. It's something that we are seeing to often under Russell Slade. We have the players to go out and dominate teams, but we're to scared that we'll lose. We need to be brave and see if we can control a game.
The draw also means that we have only won once in 13 attempts. That's not acceptable for a team that were dubbed "the best squad the best squad the championship has ever seen." In fact, it's relegation form. That needs to change quickly.
A win could come at Wigan on Tuesday, and I believe if we took 3 points at the DW Stadium, it would almost guarantee safety. However, that won't be an easy game. I was watching Wigan Warriors (rugby league team) play last night at the DW stadium, and let's just say the pitch was not in the best condition. In fact, it was nothing sort of atrocious. It will be difficult to play any type of passing football, but then again, I hardly think we will be using that tactic on Tuesday!
Wigan are in huge relegation trouble and very low on confidence. They looked very poor in a 0-3 home loss to Charlton on Friday, and I would be very disappointed if we failed to take 3 points on Tuesday. They are managed by ex bluebird boss Malky Mackay. Forget all the controversy over his texts to Iain Moody, I will forever be thankful to him for what he did for the club.
I would swap Craig Noone for exciting prospect Kadeem Harris on Tuesday night. Noone has been abject this season, and looks like he desperately needs a rest. Other than that, I would name an unchanged side for the Wigan game. I think we will stop the rot here and claim a 0-2 win.
I don't think we will go down this season, but I'm adamant that Russell Slade has to go at the end of the season, wherever we finish. The football is poor and we are not picking up enough wins. Let's hope both of those things can change on Tuesday.
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