When it became clear that I would be moving house last month, I was told by a few people that the biggest problem I would have when it came to having things back to “normal” once I was in my new home was getting my broadband working properly again.
I didn’t believe them – after all, there are so many, apparently, more important things that needed to be ironed out before you can start to feel settled, but they were right and I suppose it’s a commentary on how reliant we have become on something that barely existed a quarter of a century ago – it’s been almost three weeks since I moved now and I’ve been told that I’m still up to a fortnight away from getting the fibre broadband service I was used to.
For now, I’m soldiering on with a Mifi which means I can browse and do all of the financial stuff I need to do online, but, streaming is too expensive a pastime currently, given how quickly it eats up the data I purchase under my pay as you go arrangement.
I did splash out to watch the Sheffield United match, but I’ve seen barely any televised football since I moved and so, with nearly all of you who get to read this having seen a lot more of last night’s 1-0 loss by Cardiff City to fourth placed Aston Villa than I have, this is just going to be a short piece which will be more about looking at what’s to come, than our latest setback, which has taken us out of the automatic promotion positions for the first time in a few months.
I listened to the match on the radio and one comment which stuck in my mind came from Jason Perry in the dying seconds when he said, despite doing very little between the two penalty boxes, City had more of the chances on the night. Nathaniel Mendez-Laing hit the post quite early on in the game, but, apart from that, just as he did at Cardiff City Stadium back in August, Villa keeper Sam Johnstone impressed with some fine saves – although the impression given was that he shouldn’t really have been given the chance to show his shot stopping ability with some of them.
The inference of that comment by City’s ex centreback was that our midfield of Gunnarsson, Grujic and Paterson didn’t fire and, having watched the other two games, it seems to me that this has been the main problem in the trio of matches we’ve just played against genuine promotion contenders which has seen us only take the one, undeserved, point at Sheffield United.
I’ve made my feelings clear about the quality, or lack of quality, of our passing on a few occasions this season, and, although I get the impression it was more of the same last night, it would be unfair of me to go off on one again on this subject when I haven’t seen any of the action at all.
So, I’ll finish on the game which enabled Fulham to slip past us with a hard fought 1-0 home win against relegation troubled Reading, by saying that, if it were needed, there was more proof of the validity of the adage that what goes around, comes around when Jack Grealish scored what was, apparently, a superb winning goal in the eighty fifth minute.
Grealish, one of the Championship’s more naturally talented divers, was booed and barracked unmercifully at Cardiff City Stadium last season during his side’s 1-0 defeat and there was evidence that he let it get to him, so it must have been sweet revenge for him to volley in that winner. I still think he is the sort of player that gets you relegated from the Premier League though, but, by scoring that goal, I suppose Grealish has, just about, kept Villa’s hopes of going up automatically alive – can’t see it happening mind.
For me, it’s still either Fulham or us to accompany Wolves up automatically and if you look at it in terms of form and momentum, the Londoners, with their twenty game unbeaten run, are holding the aces at the moment.
However, after weeks of being told that we had the toughest run in of any of the automatic promotion contenders, I’d say things have changed and Fulham are the ones with the trickier looking fixtures now. If City were to win at Norwich on Saturday, then Fulham would entertain Brentford at tea time back in third place for a local derby against opponents who have won their last four matches without conceding a goal to keep their Play Off hopes, which had looked dead and buried when we won at Griffin Park last month, alive.
Brentford have been dangerous customers all season and, currently, I’d say that description can, perhaps, be applied to Millwall more than any other side in our division. A trip to the New Den has been a test for everyone in the Championship ever since August, but, at the moment, it is probably as tough an assignment as it has been all season.
Those are the two games most likely to cause Fulham to slip up. Sunderland at home could be tricky if the Wearsiders still have a chance of staying up, but their inability to win at home (they let a lead slip to draw 1-1 with Norwich last night) makes me think they’ll be down by the time they go to Craven Cottage. Something similar applies to the final game of the regular season at Birmingham – the Midlands team are likely to be safe by then, but it will be an awkward task for Fulham if they go there needing a win while the home side could still go down.
City’s game in hand is at Derby following the controversial postponement last month. It should be a real grudge match and could easily be a situation which will find Neil Warnock and his team in their element, but, even if we got nothing from that game, I’d still say our other four fixtures offer us the chance to sneak back into second if Fulham stop winning.
Norwich, Forest and Hull are all teams who are capable of beating us on their day, but the first named are the epitome of a mid table side with nothing to play for and it would take a catastrophic run of results, and a very good finish from twenty second placed Barnsley, to draw the other two into late relegation difficulties.
Reading, who we entertain on the final day of the season, are in a more precarious position, but have ground out a couple of wins in Paul Clement’s first four matches in charge and Sunderland and Ipswich at home and Sheffield Wednesday away before they face us should give them the opportunity to come here with relegation fears a thing of the past.
I’ve always said give me sides with no worries at either end of the table to finish the season with if my side is involved in a fight at the top or bottom of a league and we could be facing four of those in our last five matches, while it’s conceivable that all four of Fulham’s remaining matches will be “Cup Finals”. As long as the physical and psychological damage caused by our late heartbreak against Wolves and Villa hasn’t caused too much harm, this is far from over for a City team who are at least guaranteed a place in the Play Offs after last night’s results.
Good morning.
Having watched last night’s game I can only blame city players for the defeat. I believe it was Morrison who conceded the free kick which lead to the goal. As he did Friday. To compound that, when the free kick was swung in to the box there wasn’t a city player within 10 yards of Grealish. That is shocking defending.
That could have been a 0-0 as Friday could have been 1-1. Small margins that could cost us.
What is of a greater concern is how those errors have affected the mental state of the players.
I tend to disagree that teams who are safe are easier to play against. I say this because while they may not be 100% committed they are able to play without fear, hence play their own game regardless of the consequences. Will city be able to do that on the back of these 2 defeats and the knowledge that losing Will cost us that 2nd spot.
This has been our problem all season, points dropped whether missed penalties, sloppy goals or poor refs. I agree all teams can count missed opportunities but we have far too many.
Having said all that I am still hopeful if not confident of getting 2nd spot. Perhaps it’s time for a settled team and not the odd change every game.
Paul, thanks as ever.
Sorry about your broadband, but you can take comfort from the fact that it IS coming, honest. Not like the sense of despair I felt, living in Caerphilly when in 1982, C4first hit our screens.
Do you think I could see what was almost universally regarded as the best British TV news at 7pm…? No chance. I had to watch the vastly inferior Newyddion instead.
And when I complained to Ron Davies, I was told to move house to the other side of Caerphilly Mountain to Thornhill or Rhiwbina…to pick up the West Country transmitter.
So in the end I moved to Lincolnshire to be assured of C4 reception (and then of course it eventually went up on digital…so I could now get it on The Moon. But I ain’t moving there…!!)
So be relieved that you need not move back to Fairwater for your broadband. It is coming, Paul boyo.
Now a few thoughts on a splendid game last night, where Cardiff deserved at least a draw.
Neil…don’t worry about man-marking the gifted Snodgrass and letting him draw your left back out of position and constantly leave a gaping hole in your left flank.
It was clear to me that the man to keep a watch on, was always going to be Grealish. And that is not being wise after the event. For 24 hours before the game, I wrote the following in a personal email to our MAYA brother, AMO, the Bard of Pwllgwaun. (Anthony Mor O’Brien, to new readers.)
It was an email largely about other matters, but I restricted my comments on the pending Villa game to these two sentences..
‘…
I will lock myself away with curtains drawn to watch the Villa game, where Grealish I fear will cause us heartache. Not necessarily only drawing from his considerable footballing skills… but from his thespian ones also…!!
…’
In fairness to the hugely talented Grealish, he was not quite his usual irritating self, for he was not wearing his diving suit last night. But that said, although he avoided his most blatant cheating, it did not stop him making the most of any incident where he was even slightly touched.
As for the goal: as the SKY commentary team opined, only Grealish of the 22 on the pitch could have scored it.
But leaving him unmarked in that position?
Criminal negligence. Particularly as there were two City players level with him standing together about 12 and 13 yards to his left, seemingly blissfully unaware of his threat.
All that said, it was a City performance with lots to commend it. The polar opposite to the recent uninspired visit to Bramall Lane. It was a crying shame though that Neil will not play 4-4-2…because neither Zohore nor Madine can successfully play the solitary man up front…against good teams, that is.
And one other thing: I understand why Gunnarsson is the guy used for long throws. It is to make use of Paterson’s aerial ability. But the fact is, that Gunnar’s long throw has lost a “certain something” since it terrorised England in Euro 2016, and I firmly believe that SuperCal’s is the better…in both trajectory terms and length. Mind you, what I would give for a Rory Delap Mk ll…
So there we are then…those goalposts at the Holte End, proved an assist to their boy Grealish, and yet served only to RESIST our man Mendez-Laing.
And our desperately poor run at Villa Park continues. An astonishing nearly SIXTY FOUR YEARS since we last won there. I still recall as a little kid in December 1954 reading the report in The Football Echo when we won 2-0…with two goals from Trevor Ford.
Now there was a man who really COULD play solo number 9. Something that is way Beyond Our Ken** (boom boom…!!)
Indeed, the title of his autobiography was – if my memory serves me correct – I LEAD THE ATTACK.
*Who are the three most irritating divers on the scene today…?
I will give you my three in reverse order, à la, Miss World.
In third position, the said boy Jack Grealish.
In second position, the equally talented but even more irritating, Dele Alli.
And now a drum roll for the clear winner..not just this year, but any year in history…going back to when the Roman Centurions, bored out of their minds patrolling Hadrian’s Wall, decided to kick an inflated pigs bladder about.
And so, in first position, I give you that obnoxious little s—-, the man who brings perpetual shame to Manchester United…
…Ander Herrera.
**A joke that only works with our older brethren.
Can sympathise with your broadband problems Paul, my tablet packed in last week, was lost without it, the internet is an addiction.
The last few games have been very frustrating and has highlighted what we all feared, a bang average midfield. We are missing Ralls as much as we missed our captain over Xmas. I don’t think Warnock has helped by picking Gunna for 3 matches over 8 days when he clearly isn’t match fit. Add to that Paterson picking up knocks in most matches and it is not surprising we are struggling. I thought Damour played well at Brentford and he has the energy that appears to be missing but yet again was not in the match day squad.
If we are going to make a fist of it, Gunna has to be rested and if Ralls is unavailable both Damour and Bryson have to be considered for the remaining fixtures.
Brentford and Millwall next for Fulham, win both of those and they deserve to be promoted.
Hi Paul Reading your reports last couple of months and found them pretty much as things are happening, I have followed the City for about 50 years or so and I have got to say ,in my opinion we have not got a good playmaker like we had a few years back. The only thing we are doing now is lumping the ball up front and hoping that someone can get on the end of it. Even our wide men don’t get to the bye line an get some good crosses in maybe occasionally? If they fizzed in a few crosses in going away from opposing goalkeepers our players may have a chance of getting on the end of them. Rant over!! Keep up your well balanced reports.
Like you Paul, I didn’t see the game but the result and apparent performance was no surprise although Sky’s highlights gave the impression that we were a tad unfortunate to lose. I do get the feeling that Warnock is perhaps thinking we’ve got one point out of the three he was hoping for in this last trio of games as I’m not really convinced we set ourselves up with the aim of winning any of those games. A different mind-set is surely needed in our remaining games if we to have any chance of reclaiming and keeping that second spot. Draws will merely consolidate the play off spot we already have.
Broadband is a major problem in lots of places down here in Cornwall but, luckily, OK now in Bude where I am based – but I do remember when it was not as good so sympathies are duly extended to you Paul.
I watched the game on tv with 6 year old grandson who was “persuaded” that this would be a much better watch than Liverpool/Man City – no bribes, honest! My thoughts are easily summarised:
1. Notwithstanding an excellent performance by their keeper we just did not get “the bounce of the ball” with some of the chances we had close-in.
2. We have so many excellent journey-men footballers but do lack just one player like Grealish.
3. The timing of their goal was a real killer. The “character” of our team was eulogised by the commentators but we did not quite have enough time to demonstrate it.
4. My grandson asked me why my team didn’t pass the ball to each other. I did try to explain that we have a different footballing philosophy to other sides that he watches more frequently! (Spurs are his favourite),
5. Given that we do, indeed, have a different way of playing compared to others in the top six it is imperative that we win a lot of the second-balls. I thought we were distinctly second-best at that last night – lack of sharpness in anticipation?
6. We can still do this!
Other comments: The Ghost of Harry Kirtley is right about the title of the autobiography of my first hero – centre forward Trevor Ford: “I Lead the Attack” was a neat play on words by the ghost writer as much of the book was an attack on the minimum wage system of the time – and Trevor suffered suspension for revealing that he had received “under the counter payments. Finally, one of my friends is a Lincoln City fan and was at Wembley last week. He has been singing the praises of their managers for quite some time and I am coming round to the idea that they would indeed be worth a punt after the NW era is over.
Thanks, Paul. Despite not being able to watch the game some interesting thoughts.
In my opinion City’s dip in form has coincided with your move up the valleys. How many points have we won since your move to Treherbert, how many goals have we scored? Get your arse back to Cardiff immediately.
As far as the game is concerned it was the same old “lack of composure” that you referred to in your previous essay. Our Kenneth twice and Paterson had chances that should have been put away. Didn’t think Menzies-Laing did much wrong with his chance but it shows how fine margins can be so important, if the shot had hit the inside of the most and gone in (as it did with Grealish’s worldie -SPIT) who knows how the game would have developed. Talking of that little shit (Grealish that is) wouldn’t you love your daughter/grandaughter to become involved with him – NOT.
I don’t know about losing momentum but we seem to have lost the knack of scoring and I’m afraid we are becoming the side that we have been portrayed as by opposing managers and fans. The relentless long throws and the bypassing of our mid-field, we seem to be playing with seven defenders who just lump it forward hopefully. I think we are better than that.
I have to ask what was the purpose of spending six million (allegedly) on Madine? I appreciate he hasn’t had much game time but again why did we spend that sort of money on a player who has been given very little chance of showing us if he was worth it.
With Wolves and Fulham assuming their rightful (in my opinion) positions as the top two we seem destined to have to go through the torture of the Play-Offs and I’m afraid that our fate will be sealed when we lose to Derby at Wembley (if we get there).
Paul, is the problem with your broadband down to BT? If it is I wish you the best of luck. If ever there was a case for re-nationaliaztion they are it. There should be a public enquiry into the way the company is run. I once spent two hours on a mobile phone trying to get a problem resolved and after being switched from office to office all over Britain I finally got through to ‘she who must be obeyed’ who promised to sort the problem out (which she did) and refund me twenty pounds for the cost of my mobile phone calls. Oh! the reason I had to use a mobile was the fact that they hadn’t connected up my land-line.
Good luck, to all fellow MAYANs.
Blooobirds!
I’ve been reluctant recently to join my MAYA brethren because I’ve been so dismayed by our performances in the three televised matches that I worried that I would appear to lack the requisite passion for our beloved club – or, as Raymond Chandler once put it, I’d have been “about as welcome as a tarantula on an angel cake”.
Anyway, much of what I feel has been said by my fellows – not least, Mike H’s grandson – so, here I go.
Not only do we very rarely string together four or five passes, even moves of two or three are about as common as hen’s teeth.
Lame-brained defensive clearances are lollipopped straight back to the opposition – or, worse, directly into touch…for such a ‘tenacious’ team, we hardly ever win the second ball.
Even the wonderful Mendez-Laing was frequently found pursuing square passes from the inside-right channel towards the touchline, before he could take a left-hand turn onto his proper, jet-heeled, course.
Incidentally, why is the kind of haul-down foul of which he was a victim not an automatic red-card offence? It’s so patently an anti-football move, and could, can you believe it, be discouraged. One of the more dispiriting aspects about that event, was how stoically M-L took the foul.
Anyway, on this coming Saturday, I’ll have the chance to see the Boys first-hand at Carrow Road – unfortunately having to sit on my hands should we triumph, surrounded, as I will be, by my new – and perfectly friendly – Canary pals.
In passing – a recommendation…”Football Cliches” by Adrian Hurrey. A recent birthday gift, and absolutely, effing hilarious. Not to be read in a quiet public place.
Morning everyone, although the game which spawned your responses was a gloomy affair from a City point of view, I must say they are among the most entertaining I’ve seen on here! Very busy today (I’m off the Cardiff in a minute, but hope to have time to take in the Development team match with Colchester at Leckwith) as seems to be the norm these days, so I’ll limit myself to a few brief remarks.
1. As someone who can be a bit like a stuck record about our lack of passing ability, I have to say that Mike’s six year old grandson nailed it didn’t he! That said, I was told on a City messageboard after the Wolves game that this is a consequence of the way we play and that the player in possession is not giving the passing options that you get with other teams because so many of our players are making forward runs – maybe there’s some truth in this, but the number of times that a “safe” pass meant to be to a colleague no great distance away goes astray argues otherwise (as do the stats which have consistently had us at or near to the bottom of the league for passing). I’ve been saying for about three quarters of the season that a side which passes the ball as poorly as we do cannot go up automatically, but was coming around to thinking I was wrong, now I’m going to stick to my guns.
2. Richard, I agree about the way we went into our last three matches with a mindset which said we were more concerned with not losing – the selection and tactics used against Wolves was a lot more conservative than you’d expect from Neil Warnock in a home game.
3. Much was made, by me among others, about how much we missed Morrison when he was injured over Christmas, well I think Jeff is right about Joe Ralls – he’s not great at anything, but he can perform all of the central midfielder duties to pretty good standard – he’s the best all rounder we have and, in a midfield as ordinary as ours, he’s a big miss.
4. Colin, we beat Burton in our first game after my move otherwise I’d be thinking you might have a point and if anyone had a spare £150 grand or so lying around I would consider selling up and moving back! As for my Broadband, BT have been fine actually and the problem have nearly all been with my Internet provider – if anyone is thinking of switching theirs in the future, my first advice would be to avoid John Lewis!
How big is the John Lewis in Treherbert, anyway we win at Norwich, Brentford draw with Fulham , City beat Forest, Fulham lose at Millwall.
Paul’s move is no longer a factor in City’s demise.
City played against two very good sides with inspired keeper performances and most clubs would have lost against them , Fulham didn’t have to play them .
Any other season we would have been up nearly witb this years effort , Fulhams run is the big factor .
Paul and everyone – My much later response this week to the events at Villa Park was because I wanted to watch the Wolves/Derby match on Wednesday night to assess the performances of both of these teams in view of the fact that we were somewhat unlucky ( if you count missing two penalties as unlucky ) against Wolves and our encounter with Derby is within a fortnight.
Wolves were so much better, Neves exceptional, and Derby very ordinary and a team if we are in the mood and organised, very beatable.
And so, if the truth were told, should have been Villa. Fine goal by Grealish, and even finer goalkeeping by Johnstone. But reading fellow bloggers comments, a number of fellow bloggers mentioned, or implied, our habit of “lumping” the ball from defence with no real outlook in mind, and your remarks on yesterday’s U 23 performance stated our “hit and hope” clearances from defence. Surely, surely our coaching staff are able to organise better than that.
In my remarks about the Wolves match a few days ago on this most splendid of sites, I was taken to task in the most gentle of ways by our Lincolnshire exile about my use of the phrase “lump”. He felt that we had not played in that fashion. Sad old man that I am, I clicked on to my City “I follow” account to check. I had intended to watch the whole game again, but after 45 minutes, couldn’t take any more. There were, in my opinion 19 occasions in that period, just over one in every two minutes when Messrs Etheridge, Peltier, Morrison and Bennett “launched” (note the use of a different word) the ball forward, and on ten occasions no City player received the ball.
This strategy is the same when we kick off. Ball passed back to the left, long kick to Zahore in the outside right position – ball lost. If we are to achieve promotion, we need to vary our approach and keep the ball somewhat longer than we do at present, or be more accurate with our long ball game, or if I may say, our “lumps”.