City improvement stretches to half a season.

5 Responses to City improvement stretches to half a season.

1. Dai Woosnam says:

   August 30, 2015 at 11:58 am

   As usual Paul, many thanks for a comprehensive report.
   I want to say four things…not necessarily in any order of priority.

   1. You mention the late miscontrol of Joe Mason and how it mirrored his howler in the final seconds against Wolves. You are more sanguine about him than I am. To me, he is another Adam Le Fondre…will always get some goals, but always miss far more chances than he converts. And he is a shade slower than ALF.
   One might add that his miss yesterday could have been ever so costly, as Forest went straight down the other end, and the fantastic Antonio nearly put an equaliser on a plate for (I think…Mills). You may recall how I waxed lyrical over Antonio literally playing like a Superman in the last 15 minutes at CCS last season.
   Gosh, how I wish he could play in the hole behind Kenwyne! Looks like an EPL team will buy him by Tuesday, alas.

   2. Your mention of hoofball.
   Well, to me the most thrilling goal yesterday was Antonio’s. LOVED it. And how did it come?
   It came from a kick from the goalkeeper that was flicked on aerially, the Red Sea parted (or rather, the BLUE Sea!) – because Morrison was standing the wrong side of Antonio, presumably trying to play him offside – and the great Antonio finished with aplomb.
   It so reminded me of Toshack flicking it on to Keegan.

   3. I heard Alan Pardew interviewed on the radio recently. He was asked why with two good keepers – Julian Speroni and Wayne Hennessy – he had now just bought Alex McCarthy from QPR.
   I could not believe my ears when he replied “Not least for the length of his goal kicks.”
   Manna from heaven for me.

   4. Your mention of the debacle at the end of 2008-9 season, when City needed only two points from the last twelve to make the play-offs…and failed. (Shamefully losing one of those games 6-0 to a Preston side who thus replaced them in the final four on goal difference!)
   It reminds me why I so disliked the personality of Dave Jones.
   Some time after the shambolic denouement to that season, he was asked his views on the fans and South Wales media.
   He said words to the effect that there was no pleasing some people in South Wales…adding, that Cardiff City “miss the play offs by one point, and people think it’s a disaster”.
   Talk about CHUTZPAH…?
   That man should be in the Palace of Westminster.
   Such “brass neck” almost beggars belief.

   Kindest,
   Dai.
2. The other Bob Wilson says:

   August 30, 2015 at 5:10 pm

   Thanks Dai – to answer your points in the order you posted them;-
   1. I’ve got more faith in Mason than you. Those two misses were unusual for him because he is usually a good finisher, but, maybe those who said in a messageboard discussion about him today that he isn’t as good when he has time to think are right – he wouldn’t be the first striker to suffer with that if it’s true.
   As for Antonio, I still think he’s a bit of a rough diamond, but there’s an awful lot of potential there – wonder if he’s got Welsh grandparents!
   2. I’ve said to you a few times they’ve I’ve no problems with long passes from back to front as long as they are passes not hoofs forward – believe me, we were playing hoofball either side of Christmas!
   3. Can’t agree with you about what Pardew said. I can remember that centre half from a cultured West Ham side Tommy Taylor explaining that he dropped Peter Shilton when he was Leyton Orient manager because he wasn’t as good as the youngster who replaced him with the ball at his feet – I couldn’t believe what I reading! Anyway, I’ve always thought of Hennessey as a very good kicker of the ball, but, bringing it back to City, Ben Wilson, the lad who played for us against AFC Wimbledon is the best kicker of the ball I’ve seen at the club, but I’ll still take David Marshall in front of him thank you!
   4. Agree with you about those Dave Jones comments – there are many on the messageboards who look back to his time now with nostalgia, saying that it was the last time City played attractive football.
3. Anthony O'Brien says:

   August 30, 2015 at 10:04 pm

   One of the great Liverpool managers, possibly even Shankley himself, would tell his players not to be afraid of using “an ale-house ball” – aka “Hoofball”. With someone like Toshack to win it and Keegan to run beyond him and create a space between centre-half and fullback, it was a more than useful weapon. We should not discount it unless it is used as Cardiff used it last year. And also, it depends on the players involved.
   Talking of players, well done to Tom Adeyemi at Leeds. Why didn’t Cardiff utilise his obvious talents? Will he be coming back for next season?
   And well done, too, to Swansea who have a centreforward well capable of winning or holding up the high ball and someone sprinting forward with speed and aggression into the spaces which opened up.
   And equally well done to the above contributors to this excellent site – you’re playing a blinder, as always.
4. The other Bob Wilson says:

   August 31, 2015 at 7:30 am

   I agree about “ale house” football Anthony. Like you I’m not entirely certain which Liverpool manager used the term (it sounds like the sort of thing Bob Paisley may have said), but it was definitely Shankly who was in charge when the Toshack/Keegan partnership had possibly their best ever night when Liverpool beat Borussia Mönchengladbach 3-0 in the First Leg of the 72/73 UEFA Cup Final. Liverpool might not have played hoofball that night, but there was an awful lot of what’s become known as route one football involved as the German defence failed completely to cope with Toshack in the air – from memory he didn’t score in Liverpool’s 3-0 win, but he laid two of the goals on for Keegan.
   I also agree about Adeyemi who just seemed to be a, often forgotten, squad member at Cardiff right from day one, even though he had abilities in some areas that last year’s team completely lacked.
   I must say I enjoyed Swansea’s win over a Manchester United team who seem set to try to bore their way to the title this season – if he doesn’t know already, Van Gaal will soon learn that just winning is not enough at that club.
5. Anthony O'Brien says:

   August 31, 2015 at 9:17 pm

   I see that Cardiff have just signed Idriss Saadi. I hope he’s half as good as he looks on YouTube. If he is then he’s just what Cardiff need – fast, strong runner, able to go forward at speed, and with an eye for goal.

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