If all football matches were cases of “goodies v baddies”, then much of the post match reaction to yesterday’s top of the table clash at Molineux, where Cardiff City stretched their club record winning run to start a season to four matches at the expense of an expensively assembled Wolves team that had won their previous three games, appeared to indicate that the baddies had won.
After all, in a clash between the team with the second lowest number of yellow cards in last season’s Championship and the one with the most cautions of any side in that league in 16/17, it was the side who, we were told, used all of the tricks in the book and played “anti football” of the sort their “dinosauric” manager has advocated all of his career that prevailed.
Wolves fans expressed their frustration at referee Scott Duncan for what they saw as his lax handling of Cardiff’s cynical, roughouse tactics with this lucid comment
“Lets get things straight ! Cardiff are NOT a good footballing team. The referee was a complete tool and, come next May, Wolves will be at least ten points clear of cardiff. Warnock is a dinosauric manager and the only good thing about today is that Santos will now understand that we won’t always be allowed to play how we do. If an opposition player gets into the ear of the official from the first minute, we have to lower ourselves to sunday league level and do the same. Fein injury, allow a keeper to take three minutes to resume play and shake hands with opposition players, on the field of play, ten minutes before the end of a game. I also state that certain players didn’t play well ( Doherty, Enobakare, Saiss ) but the be all and end all is that cardiff have one way of playing and, imho, it’s the only way they’ll ever know how to play. Please spare me the “we weren’t at it” , “they eserved it” bole axe.”
taken from the reaction section to a newspaper piece summing up what was, obviously, a miscarriage of footballing justice!
Even Wolves boss Nuno Santo joined in. This is the newspaper piece I referred to earlier and it can be seen that, although there was some criticism of his team and how they adapted to the challenge their opponents had set, the inference was clear – basically, his team lost because the referee was rubbish and, to mix my sports, the opposition’s approach was just “not cricket”!
The thing is, you know exactly what you are going to get from a “Warnock side” don’t you. On the messageboard I use, links have been posted on the last two Fridays to Villa and Wolves sites where supporters have talked about what their side was going to be facing in their next match – lots of high balls whacked forward and, seeing as they were facing a Welsh team, a physical approach that owed more to rugby than football.
Now, I would be a hypocrite here if I did not point out that, up until the 2010/11 season, my attitude towards an upcoming Cardiff game against a Neil Warnock managed team would have been pretty similar – you only have to read this piece from 2009/10 to see that!
However, I have no problem whatsoever admitting that I was proved wrong within eighteen months of making those comments as Warnock’s QPR team won the Championship by playing a more attractive brand of football than I thought was possible from a Warnock side – inspired by Adel Tarrabt (who Warnock gave full licence to), Rangers came to Cardiff City Stadium in late April 2011 and played a full part in one of best matches seen in our new ground so far.
Therefore, my feelings had mellowed somewhat towards Mr Warnock by the time he was appointed our manager last autumn and I thought he was the right man for the managerial challenge Cardiff City represented at that time. Nevertheless, I’d be lying if I said that there wasn’t a sense of foreboding about the sort of football I’d be seeing from my team over the coming months – especially when you consider that they were deep in a relegation scrap at the time.
Speaking as someone who always prefers to see my team get the ball down and play “good football”, I admit that my fears have been realised to a degree – we are very direct, barely ever build from the back with our goalkeeper playing the ball short to a defender or deep midfield player, religiously use the long throw in certain areas of the pitch and our possession percentage always seems to be in the thirty/forty range (I was expecting it to be a lot lower yesterday than the thirty six per cent shown on the BBC’s stats).
The thing is though, I soon found that I was coming out of matches played by Neil Warnock’s City side feeling I had been entertained. I can think of home matches against Sheffield Wednesday and Barnsley while we were still in real trouble where I felt like that and while the match with promoted Brighton might have been short on thrills, there was still much to admire in our performance – a month or two later, we played Fulham in what I would say was the best match I’ve seen us involved in for about four years and the thing which links all four of these games is that we won none of them, so it was hardly a case of the result being everything as far as I was concerned.
Neil Warnock said after yesterday’s match that Junior Hoilett was playing as well for him now as he has ever done. Here he shows his willingness to take on the defensive side of his responsibilities, but, once again, he shone when it comes to doing what he is best at – this time, he provided the assist for Joe Ralls’ goal.*
The ten months or so in which Neil Warnock has been in charge have seen me begin to question my belief of what “good football” really is. For example, is good football continuously passing the ball back and forth in your defence and deep midfield against opponents perfectly happy and willing to let you do that in certain areas of the pitch?
Just over a week ago, Villa messageboards were telling all and sundry just what they could expect to see from Cardiff when their team visited there for their next game. In the event, City’s “cloggers” ran Villa ragged with their pace, power and skill as they played effective, no frills, attacking football – there was also not one Cardiff player booked.
This brings me back to the subject of discipline. Earlier when I was talking about “goodies v baddies” and the perceptions of Wolves fans both before and after yesterday’s match, I mentioned that the side with the second lowest number of bookings in last season’s Championship were facing the one that picked up most yellow cards, but a look at the disciplinary table for last season reveals something you may not have expected – yes, the second best disciplined side in the league last season when it comes to yellow cards was playing away yesterday, while the worst behaved were in front of their home crowd!
It’s also worth noting that, despite all of the post match fury from the home camp, there were thirteen free kicks given against either side for fouls.
It’s only fair to say that not all Wolves fans were as one eyed as the one I quoted above. Although they were in a minority, there were quite a few messageboard posts saying we deserved the win that were complimentary to our team, some of the players within it and there was even the odd one that had a good word to say about our manager!
As an example of what I mean, I think the analysis in this video piece is a very fair one. Yes, there are criticisms of what they felt was an over physical approach on our part, but there’s also a recognition that you can hardly expect teams that face Wolves to stand off their continental stars and just let them play (as may have been the case to some extent in Wolves’ first three games). City may have sailed close to the wind at times in the first half and four bookings is a lot by their standards, but, as acknowledged in that video, the outcome of the game was not just down to one team intimidating the other.
Stats can lie at times of course, but when they show that an away side went to a rival with a one hundred per cent record beforehand and won the goal attempts battle seventeen to twelve, the on target attempts one five to three and had four corners to their opponents two, as the BBC’s do, then it must say something about the attitude and approach of the visitors.
Neil Warnock stated in his post match remarks that the the plan had been to attack Wolves from the start and the general agreement that we were on top for the first twenty minutes or so, tends to back him up – City have had a very useful blend of attacking pace and power throughout 2017 and have added to the effective Zohore/Harris/Hoilett trio of late 16/17 during the summer (more on the latest new arrival later).
If you add the man who has to be the division’s leading match winner at the moment to that attacking mix, then it should be plain common sense to see that attack is the best form of defence and a typical Yorkshireman like Warnock will tell you (more than once I’d guess!), people from that county do not tend to be short of plain common sense!
Although my pre match pessimism meant I didn’t see it happening, it could have been scripted that Nathaniel Mendez-Laing would return to the club he started at to score the winning goal couldn’t it. I tend to agree with the Wolves fan in the video when he says home keeper John Ruddy could have made a better job of trying to keep out the winger’s shot from the edge of the penalty area following good set up play by the again impressive Kenneth Zohore, but when a player is in the form of his life, such things tend to happen to him – anyway, our free transfer signing from Rochdale more than proved his worth yesterday with a selfless showing which saw him having to undertake wing back duties at times.
The question was also raised as to whether Ruddy should have saved our opening goal by Joe Ralls, but I think he was powerless to keep that one out because of the quality of a shot confidently rolled beyond him by a player who now has the reward of a goal in a very important game to put alongside his fine displays so far this season.
At the opposite of the pitch, I thought Neil Etheridge might have been able to push out the long range shot which eventually led to Wolves’ equaliser more towards the corner flag, but, if he was to blame for the goal to some extent, then it’s the first blemish of what has been an impressive introduction by him up to now and his overall contribution still has to be significantly in the plus column.
Turning to transfer matters, I’ll say first that the club soon strongly denied the line from yesterday’s Daily Telegraph that a bid of £10 million plus Tomer Hemed from Brighton had been accepted by Cardiff. There are still stories out there saying that the south coast club (who have no points and no goals scored from their first two Premier League matches) have put in a bid for our number one striker, but you can draw your own conclusion from the fact that Zohore played the full ninety minutes at Wolves.
In the light of the midweek stories about Fulham having met the release clause valuation in Joe Bennett’s contract, there were claims that Preston had turned down a £2 million bid for their left back Greg Cunningham (who it turns out, now faces a lengthy spell on the injury list with a knee problem picked up at Derby last Tuesday) and Fleetwood knocked back an approach from us for their left sided defender Amari’i Bell. However, Bennett (who, just as against Sheffield United, was missing yesterday with a minor injury of his own) tweeted on Friday that he would be staying at Cardiff and our manager confirmed shortly afterwards that this was despite the London club offering him better terms than he was on here.
So, it seems we won’t now by signing a left back before 1 September. However, the speculation I alluded to in my Sheffield United reaction piece regarding Wigan striker Omar Bogle turned out to be on the mark as we completed his signing, on a three year contract, for a fee believed to be around £700,000. Bogle was an unused sub yesterday and, apparently, joins Bennett and Sean Morrison in rejecting offers of more pay from other clubs – it’s said that Queens Park Rangers were in touch with him on the night before he signed for us, but he told them he’d already made up his mind and would be joining Cardiff.
Put those three examples with Bruno Manga signing a new deal on a reduced wage and you begin to see that there is probably something to the claim that is often made in the media that Neil Warnock gets players to want to play for him. Certainly, while it’s always so much easier to make claims like this when a team is winning of course, this side (and last season’s) seems to have a spirit and unity to them that has been hard to detect in a City team since our Premier League season started to fall apart.
Qualities like this count for so much in the Championship, it’s a league where, far more than in the division above, spending power is not the be all and end all. If it were, we would not have made a record breaking start and be top of the table with victories over rich, highly fancied West Midlands teams on successive Saturday’s behind us – if other clubs, and their supporters, don’t realise and accept that we are a bit more than a “typical Warnock side” and prepare accordingly, it may take them a lot longer than they think to catch and overtake us.
As a Wolves fan at the game yesterday, I think you make some good, valid points. Cardiff did play some good football, were the most dominant team and created by far the best chances. I think you deserved to win. The feeling that ‘Warnock did a job on us’ is a hard one to shake off, however. We’ve seen games play out in this way so many times with so many of his teams over the years. His plan was certainly to attack from the start and you did that, going close on a number of occasions in the first half. We rode our luck. Credit where it’s due. But part of the plan was surely also to be in the ear of the referee and to disrupt the flow of the game through any means as frequently as possible. In part, I agree, Cardiff shouldn’t just sit back and allow Wolves to play our (newfound) natural passing game and, of course, we need to learn how to cope with a team that employs Warnock-style tactics – but I think you can be better than that. I think you have the ability to take on teams without resorting to the underhand tactics so evidently on display yesterday.
Thanks for the article Paul.
I’ve been following the city since the early 80’s and have had way too many disappointments to get over excited yet. I live in Denmark these days and generally only get to see a few games in person and the rest on Sky but this season can watch all live thanks to the new iPlayer service. Fantastic for us ex-pats.
What’s given me greatest hope so far is the way we are playing, more than the results. If Wolves or anybody else thinks Cardiff are a “hoof it up the field” kind of one trick pony, then keep thinking it as their game preparation will be way off.
We may have been in their faces, more than aggressive in my view yesterday but welcome to British football to the £50m+ stars of Wolves, etc.
The one touch football and speed we are also showing along with our wingers turning people inside out is great to watch.
Hope Zohore’s head doesn’t drop as he hasn’t scored for a whole week because his contributions in general are top class.
The keepers distribution is the main area to work on I would say but I guess nobody’s perfect.
Can’t wait for the next game.
You kicked us off the park you dirty bastards aided and abetted by the officials, yes you played some good football, but if you are happy with dirty tactics then it shows your level of football skills, there again being the third biggest club Wales I guess that’s the level you have to aim for.
As for your manager, this is a guy who once called on his players to break a players legs (Steve Bull v Nott’s county) and deliberately got one of his own players sent off having already had two sent off v West Bromwich Albion just to get the match abandoned has his team were losing, add to this he would rather manage a team of hackers than look after his own ill wife, you are well suited – scum with scum.
Thanks Paul I didn’t expect anything but the sore loser comments ,it’s football whichever way you choose to play it and there is evidence that direct approach delivers even at the higher levels ask Jose and his gigantic squad .
Wanderers didn’t get the game and I would suggest were wrongly set up and got there tactics wrong as it appears they knew what game we would bring.
I chuckle at the thought continental way is the best , well beyond the tricky tacky mind numbing approach which they had to develop our physical game they brought to the game the appalling driving and diving that has now riddled our game .
So (winky ) wandrers can shut the duck up, man up and apply yourselves correctly on a game to game basis if you want to stay in touch with us.
Another positive over the last 4 games has been Zohore becoming provider than goal scorer soughts of keeps him out of the headlines, the club’s perusing him should realise he won’t bang loads in or win the ball well in the air.
The long ball discussion, is not tge right terminology , we don’t have that big man to head ball from a lumped up ball , like the crazy gang , my feeling its better described as a direct route via the channels , yes the defence are told to wack ig away if not sure rather than walking it out, that’s fine for me , as we don’t have that elegant ball carrier to apply that skill.
In my day its was called “playing to your strengths ” so tough on the Winky ( i’d like to swear ) Wanderers I say , for not working it out .
Thanks for another great write-up Paul. I must say that as soon as I read in the week the Hull manager describing Wolves as ‘the best team in the Championship’ my optimism levels for yesterday’s match increased dramatically. Such accolades seem invariably to precede a sudden bringing down to earth so it would be nice if Mr Slutsky could say something equally complimentary about the QPR team who beat them yesterday.
Of course come May, Slutsky could be proved to be right and Wolves are the best in the league but for now I totally agree that the longer opposing teams just see us as a team of ‘Warnock’s clobbers’ the better. The cohesion in the squad and pace and organisation in the team is something we could only have dreamt of for most of the last four years and early days as it may be, I do think a top six place could be within reach this season.
The only ‘niggle’ I suppose is the worry that we don’t manage to keep hold of Zohore who is clearly so important to us. I can’t help but think that the signing of Bogle has been made with Warnock having at least one eye on the possibility that an ‘unrefusable’ offer may come in from a Premier League Club. What that figure should be I suppose we’ll all have a different view of but a hypothetical straight swap with say Chris Wood or Andre Gray who both moved for £15 million this summer would I think diminish our team. Anyway let’s hope we can get to September 1st with our first-team squad intact.
Always enjoy the blogs, is there a way to subscribe?
As for this season at least there is a buzz around the place again. It is a ‘cliche’ but Warnock gets Cardiff and the fans, Malky did too.
Agree 100% re what is good football. For me it is about effort then quality and style come second. We pay decent money and over recent times we have watched players not care but you know under Warnock that if a player is slacking they will get a right bollocking. He gets teams playing. Read the comments this week from Roy Keane and how Jack Charlton got the most from the Irish players. Hell of a difference between a bunch of players and a team, Warnock has a team now playing for Cardiff. Could you imagine the buzz and banter in training? Happy days!!
KJV Matthew 17.4
Paul – You have been burning the midnight oil again, and your current blog is once more of the very highest quality. Clearly our hosts of yesterday were upset at seeing their “golden” boys lose for the first time this season, and their supporters equally so at what they perceived were our supposed “dirty” tactics. But hang on a minute, as you rightly point out, statistics reveal that the number of fouls were the same for both sides – so we have another example of the one-eyed supporter, re-inforced by comments from a similarly visioned foreign manager. But I have the feeling that had the roles been reversed, then we too may have been seeking some form of adverse remarks about our opposition in trying to explain a defeat when expecting victory. ( I spent much of late Friday reading remarks on a Wolves blog on just how large a win they were going to have against us).
I listened to the match on Radio Wales, and if there was one incident that perhaps could have affected our win was the coming together of Damour and Saiss, which resulted in only a yellow for our Frenchman when the punishment may well have been greater. But decisions such as that probably happen in every game, and teams just have to accept a referee’s verdict. The commentary was clearly biased in our favour, but once again statistics show that we had more attempts on goal and on target, even if we do not have the greater share of possession.
And if that is to be the way NW wishes to approach matches having appraised the opposition, pressure opponents midfield and attack with pace out of defence, then that is fine by me provided our defenders keep shape and sharp.
I was delighted with his team selection. Damour is proving to be another find and will perform a completely different task to Tomlin, who sadly has something else to ponder in the coming weeks. I hope that my new hero will have a rest this week before he tears into the hooped lot from West London.
Finally, how good is to to realise that there have now been three players, Manga, Morrison and Bennett who have realised that we maybe “into something good”
( reference – Herman’s Hermits”) and wished to remain. Just hope that other bright lights will be resisted by our Ken.
Well what sour grapes by Wolves you were beat and thats the end of the story,all i can say is better luck next time.
It is always interesting to read the comments of opposition fans.
Timmiswolf has obviously tried to be fair in his analysis.I was not at the game but Tim might be interested to know that the Welsh commentary team, who were watching the game through blue rather than gold hued glasses, thought that the underhand tactics were coming from the head-holding, protesting, Wolves players who were trying to get someone sent off.
As for John Davies-perhaps better known as Jack-I’m not too sure he was at the game or is even a Wolves supporter.Does he know that there are other boards more suited to ill-informed semi-literate comments?
Hi Paul,good piece as usual,it does make me chuckle when other supporters and managers have a moan when the result goes against them,and resort to that old chestnut about strong arm tactics used against them.It got me thinking about sides who over the years who have had reputations of these tactics e.g Leeds,Stoke ect.but surely it’s about 11 verses 11 and any team plays too its strengths,I’m sure Mr Venger loves playing Stoke.As had been said mabey we are more direct now but hasn’t Warnock it’s more than that, he loves wingers taking on their fullback,forwards taking shots at goal from all angles in short excitement,and let’s be honest we have not been short changed at the moment,long may it continue.
Finally if there is a better winger than Mendez-Laing at the moment we’ll he must be some player.
Two things I’d like to mention. (1) I hope that all readers have cracked my coded message above celebrating where Cardiff are in the table. (2) *I think I owe Zohore an apology. Until recently I had a feeling that he had reached a plateau in his development, and I said so on this very site. From my point of view he lacked upper body strength and, because of his high centre of gravity, he used to be pushed off the ball too frequently and ended up on the ground. I’ve only just seen the extended highlights of the game against Wolves, and I’m glad to admit that his hold-up play is now infinitely better than it used to be. In terms of upper body strength he is manifestly stronger physically than formerly – which, incidentally, is why top sprinters can run with such power and speed).
The other area of complaint I had about him concerned his habit of ducking under the high ball when he had a defender at his back. The problem is still there to some extent, but even so I was pleased to see him challenging for — and even winning on several occasions — the infamous high ball. All we now need is to see him start scoring goals again, perhaps even shooting hard with his weaker foot when necessary (as Hoilett is now doing).
At the moment the future looks bright — and long may it continue.
Another belter Paul but who the hell is john Davies. First I have always enjoyed the visit to wolves ground where as a supporter of the away side I always have a good view of the game.
The one thing I hadn’t seen before is the sore loser syndrome which seems to stem from the manager and his cronies and to the number of sore losers that cannnot see the wood for the trees.
Make no mistake this was another excellent performance by Cardiff and having played the real championship way, I hope wolves management wake up to the reality of this league very quickly and stop being such poor losers.
I walked back to the railway station after the game with a number of wolves supporters and none of them begrudged the victory, in fact they were at pains to point out that had they lost 4-0 it would have been a fair result.
They didn’t see the incident with damour but felt that the team were simply out thought and out played and that they must learn from that as they thought they had the basis of a good team but not a good manager.
All of them didn’t have nice words to say about warnock but wished they had a manager who could get the same effort as he had.
So back to the game, and maybe my concentration is more on ralls over the last few weeks but he has really come on this season. The midfield were brilliant in nullifying the cream of the wolves team. What I couldn’t see was a team that were dirty and got the result by foul means. I do agree the referee wasn’t brilliant but that went for both teams . What I saw was a team who wanted it more than the other team and set out from the start to win the game away from home.
It really makes my blood boil when these are used as excuses for a defeat and isn’t really the thoughts of the supporters from both sides, just sour grapes.
Warnock knows how to play this league and I am sure having done his homework he set the team out to play the way that would win the game. The wolves manager said he knew how he would play Cardiff and came unstuck and his way out was to label us bully boys.
What he now needs to do is really look at what is going to happen week in week out from now, as I am sure the other championship teams will know how to nullify wolves and unless he wises up his team, which includes some good players, won’t find the games any easier as the season goes on.
Having said all this I love the way we turn up for each game and at last I can say I am entertained at every game now. I haven’t said that since the Dave jones era but it really is an enjoyment to watch our team now. From warnocks first game against Bristol city the ghost of slade began to fade and now we really see what a good manager can produce with players that want to play for him.
I say this following joe Bennett wanting to stay and I am sure that no matter what bid comes in I cannot see zahore leaving us this season because ken wants to play for warnock and Cardiff as did manga and Morrison. When was the last time you felt that Cardiff wouldn’t sell their best players or that players would turn down better money deals to stay here.
Having said all that it’s time for the past to be the past and get behind tan now. He could quite easily have dropped Cardiff and moved on. He hasn’t and l believe he has seen the errors made and is putting them right every time. I can see the return of a fragmented club and that was down to appointing warnock. I do believe that within the next 12 months we will be one of the most integrated management and supporters in the premiership. Whoops glass half full yet again
Too much to do and not enough time to give all of messages here the attention they deserve, so I’ll concentrate on just a few of the points raised while also thanking anyone I don’t acknowledge for their contribution.
Russell, I agree about “a direct route via the channels”.
Richard, an interesting point regarding Andre Gray and Chris Wood – I reckon Gray has got something and would be tempted by a him for Zohore swap, but, based on what I’ve seen of him, he wouldn’t have been as effective in the ways Ken was on Saturday, he’s more of a finisher. As for Wood, no thanks – despite all of those goals last season.
John, I looked into the possibility of a subscription list when someone raised the subject last season, but, essentially, I decided it wasn’t worth it because there wasn’t the demand for one – you’re only the second person to raise the subject in the eight years the blog has been running, but if this message generated more replies from people who wanted one, I would revisit the subject.
BJA, I’ve seen Peter Noone in a few BBC 4 music documentaries down the years and he doesn’t look much different from what he did in the sixties – he must have been about five when he was singing “I’m into something good”!
Clive, Mendez-Laing has to be a cert for August Championship Player of the Month doesn’t he?
Anthony O’B, I had to look up what your coded message meant – having now seen that, I think it’s pretty appropriate. Good points about Zohore – I’d say Saturday was his most impressive match for us in terms of hold up play.
Barry, picking a City Man of the Match has become a lot harder these days but I’d give it to Ralls against Wolves – if awards for most improved player were being handed out now, I think he’d be my selection.
Anthony E, welcome to MAYA for what, I believe, is your first contribution on here – I agree with you about performances being more impressive than results at the moment.
Finally, as I always say, it’s good to hear from opposing supporters on here – we’ve certainly got the two extreme ends of the spectrum in the Feedback section this time!
John Davies, cracking banter, but I’m afraid it’s wasted on here. It’s my proud boast that since 2009 when this site started up I have not needed to edit or delete one single reply to what I’ve written unless it’s been requested by the person responsible for it. Better than that, there have only been two messages that I’ve ever contemplated editing/deleting. One of them was a few years back and, if memory serves me right, was also from a Wolves fan and now there’s yours – if you haven’t got anything worthwhile to say, then there’s no point posting on here, sadly, that eight year record I’m so happy with will have to go if you come back with something similar.
Tinniswood, thank you for a generous and well reasoned reply. I’ll concede that Lee Peltier’s series of “accidental” collisions with Jota struck me as more than just coincidence – I don’t think we were too bothered about how we stopped that particular Wolves player and I accept that a stronger ref would have clamped down on what was going between those two players. Also, as I acknowledged, there have been things that have happened in our manager’s career that are very hard, if not impossible, to defend (John Davies’ allegation, that I’ve read elsewhere, that he told one of his Notts County players to break Steve Bull’s leg for one). Nevertheless, what struck me from the first whistle (and in the build up to the game) on Saturday was that so many in the home crowd were going to treat Cardiff as if they were a bunch of clogging, long ball merchants no matter what was actually happening on the pitch. Honestly, apart from the Peltier/Jota dual that I’ve already mentioned, I didn’t see anything that marked the game out as being anything more than your typical rough and tumble Championship football and, as for the incident where Damour is supposed to have elbowed Saiss in the neck, what a lot of fuss about nothing
https://mobile.twitter.com/Wolves_Babble/status/899233907731820544/video/1
Thanks again, Paul, for giving us the opportunity to express our feelings.
The fact that opposing fans are complaining about the referee and our style of play suggests we are getting something right. To the Wolves manager – “welcome to the Championship”.
I’ve seen nothing of the game (except that Damour ‘incident”) so it’s difficult to comment on the performance but from what I’ve read and the number of shots we managed we seemed to have alright.
I, like Paul, would have settled for a scruffy 0-0 but that tactic doesn’t seem to be part of Warnock’s thinking, who am I to argue?
Well I still haven’t got my feet back on the ground, it will surely happen.
What will Warnock’s thinking be for Tuesday’s cup game? Lots of changes or will he field a strong side, and a win, to keep the momentum going?
Paul – The bleating of the “sheep in wolves clothing” started me wondering if there is a website where all fouls and cards are revealed as a season progresses. Such a site exists and for you and your devoted followers, if they do not know already, it is “Footstats”.
Following our most recent encounter, these stats reveal the following:
Fouls. Yellows Reds.
Cardiff ( to date ) 48 6 0
Wolves ( to date ) 46 7 0
Not a lot in that is there!! Overall, we are about mid-table for all offences.But we had better be careful when QPR come to town, their stats being:
QPR ( to date ) 59 8 0
I’m back to bed now!!!!
Thanks a lot for finding that very good website BJA – I’ve just bookmarked it. Looks like those fouls totals prove the Wolves fans right, whereas the bookings figure must just be a statistical blip!
Colin, I think it’s almost certain that there’ll be a lot of changes tonight – the Development team played yesterday (they lost 3-0 to Sheffield United) and Coxe, John, O’Keefe, Kennedy, Meite and Harris, all of whom you might have expected to play, were missing.