Steve Morison singled out Cardiff City’s final third players after last week’s loss to Blackburn, saying that he told them that he would have to look to replace them if they did not start doing the business. Our manager stated he was happy with his teams play away from that area, but I did think “really?” when I heard that.
Blackburn may not have had chance after chance last week (in fact, I can’t think of any besides their goal at the moment), but our ever obliging defence made sure that the promotion chasers only needed the one as a midfield runner got the wrong side of our players in the middle of the park and took advantage a centreback who ran away from him to place a shot beyond a keeper who others have blamed, but I don’t see it myself.
So, despite conceding such a sloppy goal, our manager was happy with his defenders last week it seems, I wonder if he will be after this lunchtime’s 3-2 loss at Bristol City? I’m not usually a great one for using terms that have arisen in recent years because, invariably, there’s something that has been in use for decades, or even hundreds of years, which conveys the requisite message already. However, I’m really not sure if that applies to the term “elephant in the room”, so it’s going to have to do this time. I like the commentator who did the game on the club website today (think his name’s John Donovan), but when he was mentioning our naivety in other areas of the pitch (with justification some of the time), I did rather thank he was ignoring the elephant in the room somewhat – we’ve not been able to defend to even an average Championship standard all season and, too often, it has been well below that level.
Not every goal we concede can be put down to our bad defending, but most of them can. All season long, Sean Morrison, Aden Flint and Curtis Nelson, three central defenders who have proved themselves to be more than adequate at this level in the past, have been found wanting when it comes to fairly basic defending – the only other player to be used at centreback, Mark McGuinness has hardly been error free either, but he has time on his side and has been the best of a bad bunch.
Well, Morrison can’t be blamed for what went wrong today because he spent the whole game on the substitutes bench, but, I’m afraid that, to varying degrees, the other three have to carry the can – this was as bad as it’s been all season for City with the first two goals in particular being unbelievably poor from a defensive point of view.
One of the things you learn when you’re a kid is not to relax after you’ve just scored. Well, after getting the goal that our slight superiority in the first thirty minutes perhaps deserved, we did just that, which, when you think of how we defended this season, is criminal.
Flint cleared one off the line and there was a fine second half block by him which may well have prevented a goal, so he wasn’t a complete disaster for him today, but get a fairly quick forward with a chance to run at him and he’s all at sea. Within thirty seconds of the restart following our goal, Andreas Weimann got beyond Flint way too easily and was in on goal, Flint managed to stall the home players momentum somewhat by seemingly fouling him and as the ball almost came to rest on the edge of the penalty with Weimann now on the ground, it seemed that the immediate danger had passed, but, no, a panic stricken Nelson came sliding in from nowhere and delivered what was a beautifully weighted pass to Chris Martin. Fair play to him, the veteran striker took his goal well as he guided his shot beyond Alex Smithies, but I still can’t figure out what possessed Nelson to do what he did.
Just as they had done in the first half, City began on the front foot after the break, but, anyone who has watched us for any amount of time in recent years will know that periods of superiority for us don’t equate to many chances created in open play. No, it’s dead ball situations we get by on, but, this time, they came to nothing and, despite the direction of the game being mostly towards the home goal, it was Bristol who had the more threatening moments before they went ahead courtesy of more farcical defending.
This time our three centrebacks were completely undone by a simple one two. To be fair to Nelson, he did nothing wrong as the left sided centreback, but what Flint and especially McGuinness were doing as they came over to join him I cannot begin to guess. It would be an exaggeration to say you could throw a blanket over our back three as the exchange of passes which completely opened us up took place, but not much of one.
That three defenders could be so easily outmaneuvered and outthought by a couple of attackers would be embarrassing at minor league levels, but in the second tier of domestic league system it’s unforgivable – Martin thus routinely helped himself to his second, no doubt wishing he could play against us every week.
After going behind, City lost their way and did very little to suggest they could find a way back into things. Morison replaced loan signing from Man City Tommy Doyle (who, understandably given his lack of game time this season faded after suggesting in the first half that he could supply some much needed creativity) with Ryan Wintle, bizarrely dropped for a well below par Marlon Pack who, somehow, managed to stay on for the ninety minutes, Max Watters for James Collins and in a switch to a back four, Isaak Davies for McGuinness.
All this change in formation did really though was offer Antoine Semenyo in particular the space to cause us all sorts of problems and it was increasingly likely that the next goal would come from the red shirts rather than the blue. It duly arrived when Semenyo got the better of an isolated Cody Drameh, who had a tough second half, and fed Weimann, who had come back from an offside position and he shot past Smithies for his third goal of the season against us.
For a while after that, it seemed like we could be on for a beating to match the 5-1 at Blackburn in September, but, to my great surprise, the four minutes of added time turned out to be very nervy for the home team as a result of a header by Watters which, although well placed, should really have been saved by home keeper, Max O’Leary.
Watters’ first goal for City in his first game back following a pretty successful loan spell at MK Dons added to the earlier James Collins header from a quality Doyle cross after Bristol midfielder Hah-Noah Massengo carelessly conceded possession deep inside his own half. Apart from than that, City only threatened from set pieces – McGuinness hit the outside of a post after the home defence had failed to deal with a Pack long throw, there was another headed effort from the same player that O’Leary saved easily and the keeper had little difficulty with a disappointing Joe Ralls free kick from a promising position some twenty odd yards out in added time.
3-2 flattered City though as their very disappointing results and performances this season in derby games continued. I thought we looked like a relegation side today and I’m now more concerned than ever that we’ll go down despite the four sides below us having lost today – Steve Morison says we could sign one or possibly two players in the final week of the transfer window, I just hope at least one of them is a centreback.
Elsewhere, City’s under 18s played out a goalless draw at Watford, while AFC Porth were beaten 4-0 by Penydarren BGC last night in the Ardal Leagues South West and Treherbert Boys and Girls Club beat Nelson Cavaliers 3-0 in the Highadmit South Wales Alliance League 2.
One other thing before I finish. It’s a good news story of a sort, although the problem should never have arisen in the first place – I’m not a lover of McDonalds the company or their food, but well done to them for recognising the error of their ways in this case.
Good afternoon Paul and everyone – It was about this time yesterday (12.50)when I was starting to become concerned at our team hoofing the ball forward in the hope that it will lead to something positive. Fat chance. We recruit a midfielder, although a youngster, but who has some pedigree and yet do not want to use this undoubted talent. Sure, he provided the cross for Collins diving header, but the defence in the main did not know how to utilise his abilities and so once again this wretched season felt it appropriate to by-pass the mid-field. So hoof ball became more prevalent with the usual result of handing the ball back to the opposition. Farcical.
As you correctly state, the so called defence were once again found out, being pulled all over the place, and the wonder was that we only conceded three goals. Well, it will come as no surprise to anyone that unless we are able to sort out their deficiencies, the next three months will be disastrous. The manager indicates that we are not looking for a defender, and to some extent I understand his view for he has brought in a right back, but yesterday, disappointingly so, this young man had no help from those around him as gaps were prevalent which indicated a complete lack of defensive cohesion. And it’s Forest next!!
The two ex Bristol City players had poor games and as for Harris, the only positive contribution he made to proceedings was in collecting the ball quickly towards the end of the game to enable the opposition to take throw ins. As those who read my remarks will be aware, he is not worthy of a place in even our poor team. But still Morison picks him. Any thing to do with the fact that he has come through our ranks?
This week is supposed to be a busy week in the transfer market. I’ll try not to get too excited.
Until Morison realizes he can’t play his favored 3-5-2 with this group of players we are in trouble.
1) No combination of our central defenders provides for a mobile enough defense. Only Nelson is mobile enough. It’s why we concede through the middle so easily and if the opponents pull one central defender wide, they are inevitably beaten 1v 1.
2) We have no quality wing backs to play in this system. In fact we don’t have any quality full-backs either.
3) We have no creativity in midfield.
4) We have no pace out wide except for Isak Davies.
5) Colwill is way overrated and the idea he was to be a savior was ridiculous hype.
Our only hope is to go back to a back four where full-backs stay home and cover center-backs. We need 1/2 holding midfielders (depending on the game) protecting the back four. A combination of Keifer/Collins and Watters/Harris up top. That leaves 2/3 attacking midfielders/wingers.
It’s not ideal, but we must stop conceding cheap goals and this is the only way with this group. The Steve Morison experiment is clearly over. It’s time to battle for every point now.
Thanks for your replies both. Ivor, I’ve been saying that I don’t think a switch to four at the back will make much difference when our central defenders have been playing so poorly, but I’m coming around to thinking that the current situation cannot go on. The obvious problem for me though with a back four where the full backs are far more concerned with staying back and covering for our mistaken ridden central defence is where is the attacking threat out wide going to come from? Unless the plan is to bring in a winger this week, I agree that Isaak Davies, who I think is more of a central striker than a winger, seems the only candidate at the moment although Keiron Evans would be a possibility too. You say that we have no creativity in midfield and there you have the reason why Colwill should at least be on the bench for us – when Doyle, understandably, faded in the second half, we did not have a like for like replacement, but, over the first half of the season, Colwill was the closest thing to a Wilson, Tomlin etc we had. I’m not making any claims about Colwill being a “saviour”, but we’re desperately short of players of his kind and we need to have at least two of them in our eighteen, not the one we had on Saturday.
BJA, I’ve called for more of a passing approach for years, so I’m definitely in favour of what Steve Morison is trying to do in terms of style of play, but even I have to acknowledge that there is an argument to say that we should have held fire on change until this summer. I say that because it’s patently clear that we have at least four out of the six centrebacks (I’m not convinced about McGuinness and Denham has not played enough to know at that level to know for sure either) that have played first team football and two of the four central midfielders who’ve been the bedrock of our side in that area for the last three seasons are not good enough passers of the ball to handle the change of approach our manager is seeking. We relied on a young player (Giles) to be our main provider in the first half of the season and it seems that Doyle has that mantle now – I don’t envy him that task, because as too many of our more technical and talented players have found in recent years, those who form the “spine” of our team tend to be not good enough passers of the ball to provide our one or two creators with enough to work with.
2 wins in 9 games at start of 2020-21 season saw Neil Harris switch us to a 4-4-2 to get the most out of this squad. We doubled down on playing a front 2 by signing Max Watters whose skillset shrines brighter in front partnership.
We played consistently with a back 4 until 58 minutes into Mick’s first game on the 27th of January 2021 and have been a 5-3-2 (3-5-2) team since. We doubled down on playing without wingers by not replacing senior wingers leaving at end of their loan deals and allowing Murphy and Whyte option of finding playing time elsewhere too.
We’ve had just under a year of the same formation at youth level and first team level with all signings and youth promotion geared towards that. We’ve had just 11 league games of trying to play a more progressive style and for most of that without our star striker.
i) changing style in middle of the season is notoriously difficult but it’s what we’ve tried 4 times under last 3 managers, ii) the biggest change is now being undertaken by the manager with the least experience and in most difficult of circumstances, iii) Morison has only had 11 league games to make the changes we’ve been crying out for years and iv) it’s incredibly frustrating that some online fans are already questioning their support for him.
It’s easy to point out mistakes that have been made with hindsight, and while there wasn’t any other option than sacking him at the time, it’s a real shame that the plan to transition with Harris couldn’t work because his ideas of how to move club in right direction while best utilising players who were here was probably the best effort at the job needed post-Warnock so far. Morison (or another) could have then taken over this summer to play more attractive football.
Thanks DJ, I was a definite three centrebacks advocate even though our efforts to use the system under Warnock and Harris were hardly successful culminating in the 6-1 loss at QPR on the first day of the new decade. You have to say that, the first couple of months of McCarthy’s time apart, Cardiff City have appeared to be a club not suited to three centrebacks and wing backs in recent years. 3-5-2/3-4-3 etc. is not a new way of playing – back in 98/99 Frank Burrows played it throughout a promotion season with Mark Delaney showing what a truly effective wing back could give a team and at the start of the following season he experimented with the talented Jason Fowler in a sweeper type role (he got sent off in his first game!) with the intention of improving our play out from the back.
So, not only has three centrebacks been around for a long time, the desire and intention that it can lead to a better style of football has as well. You watch it being played by our under 18s and under 23s and, while there have been glitches along the way, it has, by and large, produced a succession of younger defenders who are comfortable on the ball at that level along with a few wing backs who can make a better fist of the attacking side of the wing back role than most of those picked in the role at first team level.
Sticking with centrebacks only this season, the problems are twofold in my opinion. Firstly, you have the ever present one with the current crop of senior central defenders that they just not good enough on the ball as a unit and individually to provide the sort of benefits the system can deliver if your defenders are skilled and brave enough. However, a back three of, say, Flint, Morrison and Nelson would offer a trio of defenders who have generally been pretty good at keeping the ball out of the net at this level until this season when they have looked like a busted flush to me with McGuinness not doing enough to cover up for the drop in standards from the other three.
So, I feel it’s only natural that there will be calls for a change of defensive approach when the only one used this season has provided the disastrous and disgraceful stat of one clean sheet all season as the campaign approaches the six month mark – I’m far from convinced a switch to a back four would produce an improvement because we’ve just been so poor at the art of defending so far, but the switch to such an approach from the under 23s on Tuesday suggests it night be being contemplated.
As for Steve Morison, I must admit he’s losing my support primarily because his media briefings are increasingly becoming a problem in my view.