Just over ten years ago, Cardiff City went to the Liberty Stadium having been beaten in the home game against the jacks with the following team,
Heston, McNaughton, Hudson, Keenan, Quinn, Whittingham, Olofinjana,Ramsey, Bellamy, Bothroyd, Chopra – Chris Burke came on as a sub as well.
This evening, City went to the Liberty having lost to Swansea in Cardiff in December with the following team,
Phillips, Morrison, Flint, Brown, Sang, Pack, Vaulks, Ralls, Bacuna, Moore, Wilson
Looking at those two tsides, I’m struck by the attacking talent in the 2011 side with five players there who I would say would walk into the current side, as would Seyi Olofinjana, while Chris Burke was a more effective winger than any of those in the current squad who have played there have been this season.
In saying that, Keiffer Moore has been judged the best player in the division at times over the past few months, Harry Wilson has been a tremendously effective player in this division at other clubs and there are four midfield players there who are all very experienced and, I would say, proven at this level.
Behind those midfields and attacks though you’ve got two defences that don’t strike you as very imposing and effective bearing in mind that Swansea went up in 2011 and they are well in the running to do that automatically this year.
Ten years ago, we had Israeli international Dekel Keenan making his debut and Paul Quinn, who never really established himself as a regular member of the team at left back.
For that defence to keep a clean sheet which enabled City to win thanks to a superb solitary goal by Bellamy in the eighty fifth minute with Ramsey and Bothroyd playing their part in its creation was a great feather in their collective cap.
However, I would say that, if anything, the achievement of a rearguard consisting of Sean Morrison, Aden Flint, Ciaron Brown, with wing backs Tom Sang and Joe Ralls was even more impressive as they kept their opponents out to clinch another single goal win.
Brown was making only his third start for the club, Sang his second in a position he is not used to playing and Ralls, one of those experienced central midfielders I mentioned earlier, had played a couple of matches at left back in 2012, but had never played as a wing back in his life as far as I’m aware
If the lovely winner in 2011 was a reflection of the type of team City were then, the winning goal and the manner of the performance tonight was typical 2021 – it wasn’t just that the goal was scored early where the Bellamy goal came late that made the two games like chalk and cheese despite the identical scoreline and the denying of the that first double.
City’s eighth minute winner tonight came from a Will Vaulks long throw which bounced about in front of the Swansea goal before Marlon Pack jabbed a shot towards goal which forced home keeper Freddie Woodman into the first serious save he has had to make in a South Wales derby in his fourth appearance in one. Woodman’s reflex block of Pack’s close range effort was a fine save, but the ball lobbed out to Flint who flung himself at it to head his first goal in fourteen months from about eight yards out.
It was hardly a thing of beauty, but it was a reward for a purposeful start which was completely at odds with the passive opening to the game between the teams in December – indeed, City remained passive throughout that lunchtime when I’m sure my blood pressure rose to dangerous levels because it’s a long time since I’ve been so annoyed during a City game as I was that day as Swansea won more comfortably than the 2-0 score line indicated.
With the confidence of their first goal in the fixture since 2013 behind them, City went on to enjoy a spell of superiority the like of which we’d not had in the fixture since that day when Steven Caulker’s header earned us a win in the first top flight meeting between the teams.
It wasn’t a superiority born of remorseless pressure on the Swansea goal, more that the home side were denied almost anything that offered them hope of a way back into the match.
Losing Conor Hourihane, who had forced Dillon Phillips into an early save from a free kick, to an injjry with less than twenty minutes played helped the City cause, but they were comfortable against a Swansea side that has, generally speaking, been getting results recently without playing well and here they were looking lethargic in the face of City’s intensity and organization here.
Leandro Bacuna’s well struck left footed effort from a fine Vaulks pass forced Woodman into another save, but was the last suggestion of a second City goal for some time as Swansea gradually worked their way into the game through a series of inventive corner routines which told the story that they didn’t fancy their chances of winning headers from conventional deliveries.
Swansea were gaining an attacking impetus as the half drew to a close, but it was City who came closest to scoring the game’s second goal as Woodman passed the ball straight to Moore some twenty five yards from goal. It was a horrendous error by the keeper who partially atoned for it with a legal challenge on the striker which left him with an awkward bouncing ball to steer into what looked like an empty net. Moore made light of the vagaries of the bouncing ball though and stroked it towards goal as I’m sure he thought he had doubled our lead, but the word “stroked” is the clue that he had not hit the ball hard enough to take home centre half Ryan Bennett out of the game and he was able to clear off the line – I think Sky summarizer Andy Hinchcliffe got it right when he said Moore probably though Bennett had been left a long way behind and it only needed an on target effort to make it 2-0.
At the time it felt like it could be a defining moment in the game and for the whole of the second half, it looked like it was going to be. Swansea were completely dominant in terms of possession and territory after the break as the half revealed some of the best things about this City side, while also providing a pointer as to why I feel we’re unlikely to have a second successive top six finish come May.
City had to repel wave after wave of Swansea attacks and there was something heroic about the way the patched up defence threw their bodies on the line to block shots by the home side – all three of the centre backs defended superbly at times, while the makeshift wing backs stuck to their tasks brilliantly..
However, at the end of a nerve shredding second forty five minutes, I’m still left wondering how City managed to win, because the fundamental passing weakness that raises its head far too often with us was there throughout the second forty five minutes. Despite having all four senior central midfielders in the starting line up as well as Sang who has shown already that, in terms of passing ability, he is one of the best we have at the club, we were totally unable to take the sting out of the game by having the sort of short periods of possession that can diffuse the opposition’s attack when they’re searching for an equaliser.
Harry Wilson forced another good save out of Woodman in our only serious intrusion into the Swansea half after half time. That might sound like me exaggerating if you haven’t seen the game, but I honestly cannot remember us spending any concerted time outside of our own half – it was all a bit Rorke’s Driftish with heroic defiance aplenty, but nine times out of ten, you’re not going to win games by inviting such intense pressure for forty five minutes.
“Inviting” is the right word as well because you got the distinct impression that it wasn’t so much that City players couldn’t find another blue shirt, it often looked like they didn’t want to. The contribution of Josh Murphy, who replaced Bacuna for the last half an hour or so, summed it up as the large majority of his contributions amounted to little more than boots downfield to no one in particular to grab his team a few seconds rest before the siege began again.
To be fair, after another selfless and extremely hard working effort, Moore was little more than a passenger in the last twenty minutes as another full game passed by with him kept on because our manager believes he has no one else who can perform his role, both in attack and defence, well enough, but, especially if Moore starts, say, two of the three matches for Wales in this break, you have to worry that the time is coming soon when his body will give out like it did in the first game with the jacks.
The pattern of play in the second half ensured Swansea dominated all of the stats except for two. According to the BBC, they had seventy five per cent possession and eleven corners to none, they also had twenty three goal attempts (their most in any game this season apparently) to our nine, but, besides the score line, perhaps the most telling stat was that while we were very efficient in terms of attempts on goal with five out of those nine forcing Woodman into action, another one being cleared off the line and the other one finding the net, In contrast, the only Swansea on target effort came very late on when Phillips turned away a well struck Morgan Whittaker effort from twenty yards.
Swansea were unlucky when they went for a conventional corner and possibly surprised themselves when the relatively diminutive Andre Ayew headed against the inside of the post – that apart though, their finishing was poor.
Sky’s Man of the Match award could have gone to Flint, but Andy Hinchcliffe opted to award it to Morrison and in his post match interview our captain admitted that City owed this win to the fans after being “nowhere near” in the three previous South Wales derbies.
It was a good day elsewhere for City with Barnsley and Middlesbrough losing and Reading drawing at home(Bournemouth were in FA Cup action) and so the gap to sixth place is down to four points as we go into the last international break of the season. When fixtures resume we face matches at fourth placed Brentford and sixth placed Reading and six more against teams in the bottom half of the table including the current bottom four – I reckon we need something like sixteen points to make the Play Offs.
There was a defeat at Leckwith today for the Under 18s as, despite another goal for James Crole, a team featuring more than the normal amount of sixteen year olds, and one or two younger than that, were beaten 2-1 by Hull.
Finally, the fiftieth anniversary of City’s 1-0 win over Real Madrid on 10 March 1971 passed on Wednesday, so here’s a further reminder of my book Real Madrid and all that which is a review of both that match and the 1970/71 season in which I’m afraid another home defeat by Watford played a major part! Real Madrid and all that can be ordered from;-
Good morning Paul – Excellent report as usual. There are many skills involved in successful football teams, and the art of defending being just one. Well we had that in abundance last night. Bodies on the line for sure and I take comfort from the fact that the majority of those who defended so heroically against the “enemy” will have a good few days rest to recover before we embark on our final eight games.
Sadly, I think someone who really does need some time off is our star striker who in the past two games has missed three splendid opportunities to add to his goal tally for the season. But he is not going to get it as no doubt his name will be one of the first on the Wales team sheet. And the reason why MM does not afford him a rest towards the end of games is the City’s lack of ability to retain the ball for any period of time, or their obsession with the long lump upfield for the poor fellow to chase or leap to win headers. There really is a need for a rethink in the way we move from defence to attack.
I like the look of Tom Sang, early days perhaps, but with him, Ng and Bagan we do have some promising youngsters in our ranks. And one day soon, a first team outing for a couple of the others who are receiving praises at 23 level would be good.
Great relief in this household as we held out for a win, but such disappointment some two and a half hours later as we capitulated in Paris at the death. A few hours of such highs and lows. Such is life.
Thanks for the comprehensive report, accurate, as usual.
An excellent and much needed result. It wasn’t pretty but after the recent games against the Jack Bastards it was acceptable.
I believe it has been stated on this blog before – we seem to be a much better side when our opponents have the ball than we are when in possession. This doesn’t make for entertaining supporters. Surely our game plan, if we have one, needs to be given an almighty tweak. What we need is a very successful off-season where we offload some dead wood and buy or, more likely get loans of some talented and preferably young players.
I agree with BJA and others that have said that Moore needs a rest or someone alongside who can do some of the running for him. Bacuna did his best but I’m finding Harry Wilson’s contribution disappointing, in fact I had difficulty finding Wilson at all in last night’s game. In fairness he did bring a good save out of Woodman in the second half. Would it be worth trying Watters or Harris alongside Moore?
Remarkable stats aren’t they Swansea with all that possession and all those shots and only one on target.
Think McCarthy should insist that Moore isn’t fit enough to take part in all the International games, it wouldn’t be far from the truth. He certainly could do with a break.
The incidents and technicalities of yesterday’s match have been, as always, comprehensively covered so I’d like to “daigress” as a former greatly missed and perceptive contributor might have said. Paul hits the nail on the head when his report says the Cardiff performance “was all a bit Roads Drifftish with heroic defence aplenty.”
Heroism usually implies selfless and outstanding bravery in the assistance or salvation of others, and is something to be revered. When we see or hear of an heroic act the normal reaction is to feel a sense of vicarious pride, especially if the bravery has a local connection.
In the Great War Robert Bye won the Victoria Cross ad there were official celebrations in Pontypridd (where he was born) and in the Cynon Valley (where he lived in Penrhiwceiber). Some so-called “hard men” kept challenging him to a fight but they were very much the exception.
When Tasker Watkins won the VC in the Second World War there were celebrations in Pontypridd (where he had gone to school, albeit very briefly) and he went on to become President of the Welsh RFU.
Yesterday we saw examples of remarkable bravery from the Cardiff City defenders. Even if it was not at a VC level it was nevertheless an example of men putting their bodies on the line for team mates to nullify Swansea’s attacking dominance. There will be no organised celebrations in Cardiff. of course, but we can all share some of the pride as we recall the players’ bravery. It would be invidious to mention individuals but all deserve our heartfelt congratulations for bravery above and beyond the norm.
Thank-you Paul once more for your report of proceedings at the Liberty Stadium yesterday. As you say Flint’s goal was, “hardly a thing of beauty,” but who really cares about such things when you go home with 3 pts in your back pocket. I suppose we could take the summing up a stage further and say to heck with the quality when what was done was of sufficient quantity to come out on top of the S Wales’ derby for a change. I think all City fans will forget about silk sheets for a rough hessian blanket this weekend.
City went 3421 and our opponents 3412. Bacuna and Wilson, playing behind Moore, mostly concerned themselves with preventing the Swans’ centre backs from coming into midfield; a job they did admirably, closing down the home team with a relish. Due to injury City, missing four full backs / wing backs (Ng, Osei-Tutu, Bagan & Bennett), had two central midfielders (Ralls & Sang) deputising at wing backs. Again, also missing was centre-back Nelson so 23 yr old Brown took his place. Of the five at the back only two (Morrison & Flint) were established Championship players in their normal positions. In such circumstances the result was immense. Because of that makeshift nature of our back five it goes someway to laud the rough over the smooth on this occasion.
Last evening I thought Flint was absolutely peerless. Along with Morrison & Brown, they threw themselves in front of everything. To cap off a five-star performance it was fitting that he scored the winner, a header from 8 yds, after the home defence failed to clear a left-wing Vaulks’ long throw. Whilst it would not be fair to single out individuals, for this essentially was a fine team performance, a line or two must be given to our newbie wing-backs. As readers to this blog will know I have admired Sang from Day One saying he has a bit of the Peter King about him. Though a central midfielder by trade, his ability is now starting to shine through in the highly specialised position of wing-back. It is sad to think that if Harris was still manager he might have been allowed to leave in the summer. Ralls, you know what you get from this 100% player every time, gave another wholehearted outing and kept Roberts, the dangerous Swansea wing-back, quiet during the game.
Our first half performance was composed and had Moore & Bacuna been more in control of their chances we could have gone in 2-0 or even 3-0 up at the interval, unbelievable as that would have seemed. The second half was as magnificent a rear-guard action I have seen since our 1-0 away victory in the Second Tier at soon to be promoted Nott’m Forest in April 1977. Clough’s team threw everything at us for the entirety of the game but we held firm. I think the Daily Express said it was, “like the Alamo.” Even though yesterday the home team went to a back-four for the final 15 mins and City went a little too deep for my liking, nevertheless we held on for a priceless 3 pts.
Referees? They can still amaze me. Following his introduction as a second half substitute, Ojo, making a diagonal run to the left in the opposition half to evade a Swansea marker was brought down. Surely a yellow card? No! Yet Brown, manning the fort as the game went into added time, did similar and Mr Tierney’s arm actioned that card. That said the official’s general control of the game was good.
So the home team’s 74% possession, 612 passes at an accuracy of 82% mustered ONE shot on target, and that in the third of five added minutes at the end of the game. In yesterday’s encounter the long ball count was not Cardiff City 153 and Swansea 24 as you’d be led to believe if your views were being shaped only by the media. The hosts played 74 long balls to City’s 79. Looking into the statistics a little more deeply it is interesting to see what lies beneath the gloss. Yes we have scored from 23 set pieces this season. Why not? Swansea have just 12; but have virtual parity with them for goals from open play (22 to 25) and scored more on the counter attack (5 to 2) with an average of 11.3 shots per game to 10.4.
So 2 weeks’ off for most of the squad and an opportunity to recharge mental, emotional & physical batteries before the final 8 games unfold. We can but hope that the lunacy of a friendly international being scheduled in the week break for two World Cup Qualifiers, this season of all seasons, does not cause damage to City’s belated Play-Off run-in. The only silver lining in this crazy scheduling is that travelling is minimal for the Welsh squad with two games at CCS and the third in Belgium.
To now be in with a shout of the end of season knock-out is indeed remarkable. It was a dispirited group that welcomed Mick McCarthy and Terry Connor at the end of January. Just 2 short months on City have amassed 29 pts from 14 games. As we have time to pause amid the hectic schedule that the 2020-21 season is, whilst no-one can doubt how much of the game of football is played in the mind, the summer transfer window is crucial to whether the Bluebird truly flies as we all want her to.
Home … 19 … 7 … 4 … 8 … 32-21 … +11 … 25
Away … 19 … 9 … 6 … 4 … 23-16 … +7 … 33
Total … 38 … 16 … 10 … 12 … 55-37 … +18 … 58
Thanks Paul and all.
A pleasure reading all of your excellent analyses and all spot on.
My enjoyment of our fantastic win was hampered – again by the Now tv day pass not working for me. Eventually gave up after 30 minutes and resorted to good old Rob Phillips and Radio Wales.
Came across as the huge defensive effort all have described. Paul’s Rorke s Drift analogy just about sums it up!
Watched extended highlights on YouTube courtesy of Swansea TV and that confirmed the backs to the wall performance. Also extremely biased in terms of possession and chances in Swans favour – but that looked like the reality. On a side note, I will never again moan about our commentary/ analysis team on City TV ever again – the Swansea lot were truly awful!
Agree our passing not good and Moore looking knackered, but cannot fault the team for effort and commitment.
Well done to big Mick for treating the fixture with the respect that many of his more recent predecessors have.
Well- deserved break now.
Just hope we can pick up where we left off – and that
Moore still has some legs in him when we return to action.
Just a very quick acknowledgement of and thank you for the replies this time – I’m afraid I’ve got to go out shortly, so it won’t be the usual type of reply today.