Cardiff City considerations aside, 24 April was a day I had been looking forward to for a couple of weeks. It was the day I had been promised that I would finally get my fibre broadband service back – nearly five weeks after my house move on 23 March.
The problems had started on day one. There was no phone or broadband cable in the new house, so I’d arranged for a BT engineer to come and install them on the afternoon of my move. However, with the lines having to be installed at the back of the house, this had to be abandoned because the back gate could not be opened, so the engineer could not gain the necessary access.
Frequent application of liberal amounts of WD40 overcame this problem eventually, but it meant that the installation of the phone and broadband lines took about ten days, rather than the few hours I hoped it would. In the meantime I purchased a Mifi device which enabled me to browse on line, but was very expensive when it came to streaming and so, after watching the Sheffield United match live, I gave up on that as an option.
So, once the situation with BT had been sorted, I had a choice between the Mifi and an ADSL connection for my useless John Lewis Broadband router – again, browsing and keeping things like this blog up to date, albeit at reduced speeds from those I had in my old house, was possible via the router, but any attempts at streaming were eventually doomed to failure even on the very rare occasions when I had a decent picture for a while.
For reasons I never really got to the bottom of, it took another fortnight for an engineer to go to the closest green box to my new home and switch my connection from ADSL to fibre, but when my router Internet connection packed up completely at lunchtime on Monday, it did occur to me that the switch might be being made a day early.
The 24th dawned with me still having no Internet through my router, but when I contacted John Lewis Broadband and had it confirmed that I should now be getting a fibre broadband service, the “expertise” I had acquired in the countless calls I had made to them in the last month or so clicked in and I was able to make a few adjustments myself. This meant that, when I was finally put through to him, the customer service guy said I had already done what he was going to tell me to do and, from his checks, I now had a “very strong” fibre connection.
So, finally, I had a “proper” broadband service and to celebrate I decided to watch something on BBC IPlayer. For a minute or two, the stream worked perfectly, but then there was the occasional buffering which soon became continuous and eventually I had an “unable to continue” message. A check of the router soon revealed the problem – it had completely packed up with no lights going on and off, nothing to confirm it was even getting an electrical supply, nothing!
All of which means that I’m back to square one and the delay this time is down to me waiting for a new router to arrive – I await the new problem which will arise when it does with a morbid fascination!
Sorry for all of the above, but I thought I’d explain why this, like my piece on the Villa game, is different from the usual post match analysis you read on here – I’m writing this a few minutes after the final whistle has blown to end Cardiff City’s 3-1 defeat at Pride Park by Derby County based purely on what I heard from the Radio Wales commentary of the game.
In a way, it’s quite good that I’m doing this, because apart from some end of game analysis from Rob Phillips and Danny Gabbidon, I’ve not had the opinion I formed while listening to their commentary influenced by anything I’ve read and heard from other sources following our defeat.
You may think that, with your advantage of having actually watched what happened, what I say is rubbish and perhaps it is, but it will be what I feel now about our chances of finishing in the top two.
The first thing to say is that I always viewed the rearranged Derby game as something of a free hit for us. Defeat wouldn’t be disastrous, because, essentially, we were still in the position we found ourselves in after the Villa game – beat all of the series of sides we were due to face with little or nothing to play for and we’d go up in second position.
We managed to do that against Norwich and Forest and now we’re left with games at Hull and at home to Reading – win those and Fulham can’t overhaul us.
Our remaining games are of a type that we’ve tended to win all season, so, with that one point advantage we enjoy, there are still grounds for genuine optimism, but, having definitely been in the glass half full camp following our win at Norwich and Brentford’s late, late equaliser at Fulham, I think the odds are now against us after this latest setback.
For a start, I know the Championship is often reported as a league where anyone can beat anyone, but already relegated Sunderland winning or drawing at Fulham on Friday? I don’t think so. Also, with Barnsley losing their game in hand at Forest, it looks more likely that Birmingham will have nothing to play for when they entertain our rivals on the final day of the season – we should prepare as if Fulham are going to get six more points because, in all likelihood, that is precisely what is going to happen.
There is some good news in that the Barnsley result also makes a Reading relegation a lot less likely and they have a good opportunity to end their worries once and for all when they host Ipswich on Saturday.
So, with Hull now mathematically safe from the drop and Reading likely to be, we should be alright shouldn’t we? No, I’m not sure we will be.
I’ll come to why I think that shortly, but, first I’d like to make a few remarks about Neil Warnock’s selection – when I saw the names of Madine and Ward in the starting line up, I immediately thought “what’s he playing at?”.
However, I’ve asked exactly the same question on a few occasions upon hearing the team he’s picked and had to concede at the end of the match that our manager had got it right, again!
My impression is that he didn’t mess up in his selection either at Derby, because, with a 1-0 lead at the break after what seemed like a pretty comfortable first forty five minutes, the problem doesn’t appear to have been with the starting eleven – it seems to me that we didn’t lose because of Gary Madine and Jamie Ward.
Following Saturday’s match, I detected what was almost a sense of wonderment about how we seldom seemed to play well, yet, invariably, ended up with the three points. It was a view I shared – I’d say the only really good performance we’ve turned in this year came at Leeds and, even then, we were up against ten men for most of the game.
In my piece on the Forest game, I put this very welcome trait down to our steely determination and will to win – mentally, we were stronger than virtually every team we meet. However, does that really hold water, when we’ve imploded in two of our last five games?
Okay, you can say that the ridiculous two missed penalties after the ninety minute mark was down to an implosion from a couple of individuals rather than the whole team, but I maintain that we did not play well against Wolves and, unlike many others connected with City in one form or another, believe that the result was a fair representation of how things went that night. On the really big occasion, we didn’t perform and ended up losing in a way that automatic promotion teams do not do.
Now we have another implosion at Derby. I may only have the words of two people to go on, but I got the distinct impression that the three goals which our opponents scored to bury us in the second half were all down to individual errors. Yes, the possibility exists that Messrs Phillips and Gabbidon were wrong, but I suspect not – again, we did not cope in a high pressure situation.
Although we’re still in the same position as were before the game in many ways (win two matches and we’re up), the circumstances behind this setback have to pose questions – barring the sort of miracle which, frankly, I don’t believe in, the pressure is going to continue right up until a week Sunday, are City equipped to cope with that?
Why the hell did our manager take off Madine and replace him with — of all people — the ineffective Zohore. I accept that Madine was taken off after missing a pretty good chance worthy of what Zohore in his clumsiness often does. When in the distance past I played at centre forward, I would automatically incline my body by at least sixty or seventy degrees to the right for a hard low cross from the left and shoot with my left foot, and vice versa for similar crosses from the right. Our forwards seem not to recognise such a technique, but is exactly what Gunnarson did in scoring against Nottingham Forest. If a high cross came into the goal area I would also make every attempt to get my head to it, and bugger the consequences. Not for the first time Zohore last night received a cross at head height, and playing d as always he missed making contact with the ball. I’ve come to the conclusion that he must be either closing his eyes or deliberately pulling his head back like a tortoise when an opportunity arises. In fact, Cardiff were more or less not with good men and true but with ten and a quarter.
Perhaps I’m imagining things but I also feel that team morale deteriorated when Zohore came on, since the Cardiff players knew, at a time when they were effectively reduced to panic as they cleared the ball with up-in-the -air go-anywhere kicks that they knew would easily be returned at compound interest by Derby.
In contrast, Madine had been far more effective, guiding the many headers he won downwards for colleagues to run on to. Unfortunately, however, he was left increasingly isolated as the game progressed. There was no one able to profit from the opportunities he created. His performance also showed that you don’t always have to make contact with a high ball. As was exemplified by Paterson’s excellent goal, it is often just as expedient merely to jump and thereby put defenders under pressure (two defenders when Madine jumped. thereby giving Paterson his opportunity).
Now we have to look forward to the games against Hull and Reading. Surely Cardiff will not defend as idiotically as they did last night, and with the right selection our forwards might also perform well. We all know what has to be done. and we all live in hope.
I agree with your report but I feel there may be reasons behind those mistakes.
I know you disagree with me on that the fa are trying to keep us down but last night’s officials were shocking. Why???
Let’s take a look at the incidents. Paterson booked for a trip. One of their players let off with leaving his foot in to hurt Ralls, Lawrence not even penalised for an out of control tackle that hurt Hoillett. The commentators wondered at that. Blatant penalty ignored again.
We know, players and supporters alike, that we are not going to get away with anything yet derby could have broken Hoillett leg and got away with it.
There was one instance when Ward just followed the ball into touch as it came off a derby player. He could have easily cleared it but it was given to derby much to the amazement of ward. This happened few times so we were pegged back.
Pilks was shoved to the ground when breaking clear, nothing given.
All this must affect the player’s mindset. If we stick a foot in will he give them that penalty he wouldn’t give us. Or perhaps send a player off. I am positive he would have loved that.
It was Sunday league defending but was it due to fear of penalties or sending off causing weak tackling and poor decision making.
NW said after the game we are not getting the rub of the green and let’s hope we get some in the next 2 games.
I doubt we will, they don’t want us up. Welcome to Cardiff Neil Warnock. We don’t get one sided officials like you had at your other clubs.
Paul, more importantly, has Felix been found.
Well, the dust has settled overnight, and I can now see last night’s game more clearly.
Here are my observations, in no particular order of conviction…though all of the following are beliefs that are genuinely held by me. (But of course it is a given, that I may well be wrong…on some or all of my points.)
1. The result of the game was exactly as I predicted the day that Derby were able to get away with a piece of duplicity that should go down in the annals of the EFL as a dirty little piece of street cunning…especially as it involved a brazen lie, viz., that the decision was made in conjunction with the Derbyshire Police. And add to that, please remember that the match referee was not even consulted. Incredible…!! City were on a absolute roll back then, and Derby were reeling under the strain. We would have, more likely than not, have won.
2. Despite our blogmeister thinking him a pukka bloke, I regard Gary Rowett as an unpleasant piece of work. Another Steve Cotterill. Neither of these guys are kosher…although I will accept that Rowett has some of the tactical nous, that Cotterill lacks. And sorry, Mr Rowett, but voting for Neil Warnock as your manager of the year, does not cut it with me.
3. Clearly to blame for two of the goals (the first, partly, and the third totally), our captain again proved to me that he is not a quality centre back. I have been saying it for over four years on this blog.
4. You can easily see why Sol Bamba did not make the Championship Team of the Season. Far too erratic. And slow moving out with the offside trap for the second goal. (Incidentally, the real shock about that team of the year, was the exclusion of Kevin McDonald.)
5. Gary Madine is of course a journeyman, as we all knew, before he was signed. But in fairness, until his shocking miss, he had had his best game for City. Etheridge’s kicks were superb and finding his head. Hope Madine can play again at Hull, and start up front with Zohore in the place of Hoillet.
6. Will Neil play Grujic? The boy has clearly a talent, but I have to say that with the 20/20 hindsight that smartalecs like me can (often foolishly) exhibit, we drew the short straw in the Liverpool loan offers, and Hull got the true “star turn” in our fellow Welshman, Harry Wilson.
7. All the teams around the play offs are praying that we slip up…because none of them want to play Fulham. And who can blame them…?
8. If City do go up, have they got any players who can hack it in the EPL…? Doubtful. Probably only one…Callum Paterson. Although, that said, I think Etheridge capable of holding down a keeper’s spot, if he plays like he did for most of the game last night. The jury is out on Joe Ralls….he is a very good water carrier. And where woukd be be without beasts of burden…? But he is light years away from the Cante, Ramsey, Noble and Joe Allen type players in the EPL.
9. Pity Etheridge made that bizarre decision to not let that ball go out for a goal kick. Up until then, his performance had been exemplary…and I had been particularly pleased at how cleverly he had let a few balls go for goal kicks, that he otherwise could have contested with attackers in gathering.
10. Generally speaking, I am not a fan of goal celebrations. One or two down the years though, have sort of won a place in my heart. Mick Channon’s windmill, LuaLua’s series of fast backward somersaults, and Tim Cahill’s punching of the corner flag. But dances rarely cut it with anyone. SuperCal should cut out his silly dance as a goal celebration …though that said, it has some way to go to match Jessie Lingard’s flute playing dance, which is particularly execrable, and makes me want to see him served with an ASBO.
11. We got nothing from the officials last night. Not just the blatant handball. It was shameful really how every 50/50 decision went Derby’s way. Not just 50/50 either, but obvious Cardiff throw-ins were given to Derby, Paterson gets punished with a ridiculously early booking for a foolish nudge, while Lawrence gets away with an awful foul on Hoillet…which I seem to recall the ref saw as a throw in, and not even a free kick..!!!
But that has been the story of the season…i.e. referees giving us nothing. And why? (It is not a difficult question to answer, folks. You don’t have to be a Professor of Psychology to realise why.). The reason is that Neil’s reputation goes before him. The officials say to themselves “this guy is not going to intimidate me”…and then go out of their way to thus be seen to give us nowt.
12. Pilkington ..you exasperate me. You have sat in the dugout for 70 minutes and seen the ref give us the square root of nothing. So why could you not learn from that? So try staying on your feet, mate (as you clearly could have), the next time a defender puts his shoulder into you, especially given the anti Neil sentiment of the officials.
13. Here is a thought…Just maybe ( missing out on a pot of gold, apart) staying in the Championship may not be a total disaster. Can you imagine that City defence last night up against Salah, Firmino and Mane? They would be cut to blue and white ribbons.
14. Let’s face it, Fulham have the true manager of the season in that doleful looking Serb, and they have a team that will probably do as well as Wolves in the top flight…both missing out on Europe, but not by that much.
15. Were I the owner of Arsenal or Chelsea, I would employ Slaviša Jokanovi? as my manager…in a heartbeat. A top, top coach.
16. Is Bruno Manga Cardiff’s most overrated player? I have always thought so. He may not be as erratic as Bamba, but alas is even more casual. Like he has styled himself on Kolo Touré, (to whom he bears a strong physical resemblance) and developed all his worst traits.
17. Very impressed with the Derby fans having the quick witted nous to sing God Save The Queen in response to our fans choice to sing Land Of My Fathers. I am not a fan of singing the Welsh anthem outside of internationals, but I far prefer our fans singing that, than hear them singing (as we did) a coarse song telling Swansea jacks that they are b**tards…and that word being easily heard throughout the SKY nation…!! So much for the Welsh NATIONAL anthem, and the unity of the Welsh nation, eh? What chance of peace with Russia, when Cardiff fans are contemptuous of the Swansea club?! You cannot make it up.
Hoping Paul along with you and the proud MAYA brotherhood that you have spawned, that City fans are happy after 46 games. But do not be too downcast if we are not.
Be of good cheer.
Thanks again Paul for delivering the summary despite your broadband problems.
Having watched the game on tv, we imploded in the second half and yes all three goals were self inflicted. What disappoints me is that our manager changes our formation when confronted with a team playing a five man defence with wingbacks. He did it against Wolves and again last night. It completely negates Peterson’s strengths when he is deployed wide right with his main responsibility being to stop the wingback and Ward tasked with the same role on the left. We all know Paterson does his best work in the number ten role in support of the lone striker. Yes he scored a cracking goal on the rare occasion he came infield but the game passed him by in the second half similarly Ward to was ineffective. It would have been far better to play our normal system with Hoilett and NML attacking their wingbacks and Paterson supporting Madine.
Our midfield was totally overran in the second half, Grujic was the obvious substitution to make. The guy was a key component of our eight match winning run.
Yes we have been punching above our weight but in the big games why change a winning formation and bring in players like Wilchutt and Ward who are not battle hardened and not ready for such important, possibly season defining games.
I can’t see already relegated Sunderland, managed by a former Fulham player and manager who just happens to come from and played for Swansea, getting anything at Fulham either!
Hello Paul and everyone – the “cracks” to which you refer have really been there for some time, and had it not been for the excellent Etheridge, the division’s so called best defence would have lost that particular label long ago. Well it has gone now, and any more abject performances similar to last night’s final 30 minutes will surely mean another Championship season next year.
It must have been a hard game to listen to, but it really was a brute to watch. A goal to drool over before half time, anger at a non penalty decision ( you’ll never see a more blatant one ), Madine’s air kick, and we were still ahead with 25 minutes to go.
We were at the end of some duff refereeing decisions as others have reported, and we didn’t do well in the possession stakes, but then came NW’s substitutions who for once let him down. And didn’t they let him down. Any shape that we had before disappeared and a degree of panic set in.
Derby’s first goal resulted from a dreadful clearance by Gunnars with Etheridge waiting to pick up the ball, their second from Wildschutt playing silly b…..s yards from our goal, and their third by Morrison’s inability to clear when challenged by Jerome. All three goals avoidable. Disastrous and how Derby supporters enjoyed our embarrassment, but that must be nothing to how Fulham and their lot must feel.
I accept that we have bounced back before, but I fear if we do not get the team selection correct for Saturday visit to Yorkshire, then it’s Play Offs for us.
As I have stated countless times, Bruno is no right back – Peltier should return. As should Grujic for Gunnars. And I would also have a attacking and mobile mid-field of Ralls, Paterson, Bryson and Ward with Madine up front. No Hoillett, nor Zahore nor Mendez-Laing. Yes, no wingers!! That trio should be on the bench with Damour and Pilks.
We need mobility in mid-field and someone to support Madine and I believe the quartet mentioned could do just that. But hey, I have not got one of NW’s selection correct so far and I can’t believe I am going to do so now.
They say that you get what you deserve in life – and if somehow we reach the promised land, we will have done it the hard way. It is still in our hands.
Well well the doom soothsayers are hanging around and possibly they have some points which haven’t gone amiss in the last few weeks.
I regard to your troubles Paul it must have been really frustrating. I also hope the cats back. If not head towards you old house.
Back to last night, how on earth we lost the game I have no idea. Not only did we play well in the first half but we should have had a penalty which the ref had a clear view of the incident.
The first half we looked good and I never saw any point even when we offered them chances that they would score.
So half time came and I did not expect what happened after that. But before going on to the Sunday league defending there is a need to look at what happened in that first half Madine had his best half and I can understand him being used instead of zohore. Unfortunately he cannot score goals which really leaves us with two central strikers that can’t score.
Going back to January having had grabbham toted as a future player I was totally perplexed when we ended up with MAdine who didn’t have a good goal scoring record.
I felt that as the games progressed and we continued to win by a goal on most occasions usually scored by the midfield players that we were chancing our hand against most teams in the league. So back to the second half which before the usual goal or two from our ex player Jerome which have become a regular problem with ex Cardiff strikers.
And with hull the next game what’s the chances of it happening there.
All three goals were disastrous and could have been dealt with so differently.
The two substitutions dealt cardiff a real blow and I wonder if in hindsight the move was grujic and zohore. It would have allowed a 4-4-2 to put some pressure onto the derby defence as with the two wingers I cannot remember a decent cross coming in.
I don’t think grujic would have played around with the ball in the penalty area. I am sure the rain played a part in the two tackles that Morrison made and maybe that was karma for the derby fans.
But really we just need to look ahead and use the adage that every team can beat any team in this league. So I look no further than Friday where we have the mismatch of Fulham and Sunderland . Step back in time and we see that Sunderland have already beaten them at home and as you will know Sunderland are my second team. Nothing to play for really but pride and on their day Sunderland can turn it on, take derby for instance. Fulham are a tippy tippy team and I don’t mean that as a negative but playing that way against Sunderland may play into their hands and Chris colemans.
It is such a mismatch that maybe the Fulham players may have in their mindset just that thought.
But if we turn to Saturday needing that win then you only have to look at the hull record over the last few weeks to understand that one Sunday league defensive failure with Fraser Campbell in readiness then we could be in trouble. That said hull defence isn’t all that good neither are our forwards at present. The worry I have is that we have lost the gel of the team, there is very little coming from the wings and at least etheridge has soneone to aim for with Marine. I don’t believe zohore is fit enough and I cannot see Mendez Lang proving any difference than ward, who I thought had a reasonable game.
So I am going to stick out my neck here and call a draw at Fulham and hull with the last games against teams that will not be too bothered about a result deciding that we go up automatically. All this is typical Cardiff we never do it easy, but all you doom mongers don’t get negative we have done well and we have enough character to pull us over the line. If the worse comes to the worse I don’t fear any of the teams in the playoffs derby would never pull that result off again, villa we should have trounced just a lucky goal in a million stopped that happening and we have beaten Middlesbrough very easily on both occasions we played them.
It’s time for warnock to earn his reputation as the league manager of the year now, he has done well with limited resource , would we really have been here with another manager I doubt it, plus he brought the club together , I don’t think any other manager could have done that
Thanks Paul , I do feel so sorry for you internet plight ,the only plus I can offer a lot of the internet can be bloody awful or addictive with loons using it and appearing everywhere , as with 80% of television ,your not missing much .
However you are one who we need to be connected , as your reports and views are important and certainly brighten up my life and add to my footy knowledge .
As too last night I totally agree with your ” it seems to me that we didn’t lose because of Gary Madine and Jamie Ward. ” in fact I though they were excellent .
Had Madine scored ( and he should have ) and we were awarded that clear cut penalty we would have scored 3 .
We lost because of appalling defending by a number of individuals whose names were not Madine or Ward .
80% of the teams we play look better than us with he ball , we play to other strengths and we are a play off team at best ,we are where we are due to effort and its not over yet , we do recover well .
Look out Hull we heading to your town.
I awoke from a dream a few minutes ago. The “Cameron Jerome syndrome” had struck again.
At the KC this Saturday another ex City striker comes off the bench to break our hearts. Fraizer Campbell.
I dreamt I won the Lottery jackpot the night before. In reality, I won £2.70 instead (which given the ticket had cost me £2.50, meant I had won 20 pence, and not the £121 million some lucky git has trousered).
Let’s hope that my Fraizer Campbell dream is as wide of the mark.
Just a very quick reply this time because, although I’ve seen the, absolutely horrendous, goals we let in now, I’m not really in a position to react to many of the points raised. Therefore I’ll limit myself to saying that the hour or two when I had a working fibre broadband system enabled me to finally get the new printer I had bought working – Felix has still not been found and, obviously, the more time goes by, the less likely it becomes that he will be, but at least there are a few local shops with posters of him in their windows and I am able to tie them to lamp posts etc. now.
It has taken me two days to feel I can give any kind of balanced view and I will confine myself to just a few points:
1) your radio summarisers were right Paul in that the loss was down to individual mistakes by players who did not have the skill needed under pressure.
2) I agree with my old mate Anthony (AMO) in that Madine should have been kept on after his miss: firstly because he would have bust his gut to make up for it; secondly because he needs match time and that would help him (and us) in the final games -though I worry that NW will not pick him again; and thirdly because the way we were likely to play at the end was not going to be helped by Kenneth Zahore. [but my memory of AMO himself as a centre forward isn’t as clear as his!]
3) I don’t agree with the conspiracy theories re the referee/FA though he did miss the penalty.
Sorry you haven’t had news of Felix.
This is such a late contribution that I doubt that anyone will read it.
I have been so traumatised by the events at Derby that I have avoided reading anything about the game until this evening.I still can’t bring myself to watch my recording of the game ( I am able to take a much more objective view of incidents/blame/praise etc when watching a second time ) so I am not going to comment on the substitutions -we all know they didn’t work!
I love Barry’s optimism–Sunderland were the last team to beat Fulham so it would be a nice way for Fulham’s unbeaten run to end.
If Fulham win on Friday night it is important that we get at least a point at Hull.
If we are just one point behind going into our final game against Reading Fulham will have the pressure of knowing they must win at Birmingham to hold on to their lead.
Will they be able to cope with that pressure?
I suspect or at least Hope not!