A second consecutive 1-1 away draw to leave supporters feeling frustrated. At Wycombe, my frustration stemmed from us being so much on top, but not being able to find the winning goal our overall performance merited.
However, this afternoon at Leyton Orient it was different. There have never been more statistics available for games even when they’re played in the EFL’s lower leagues, but one that is fairly common in other sports, but not in football, is unforced errors. For me, City made a lot more unforced errors today than they normally do – add this to careless periods in the first and last twenty minutes of the game and I’d say it all added up to our worst league performance since our defeat at Blackpool in early November.
The BBC’s stats confirm, to an extent, our sub par display. Against one of the few teams to win the possession battle against us this season, we were dominant this time to the tune of 61/39. However, all of this led to the home side having sixteen goal attempts to our eleven, five of Orient’s efforts were on target compared to our four and they had eighteen touches in the opposition penalty area to our sixteen.
Those figures are suggestive of a City team that were not as effective at making something of having the majority of possession as they normally are. We lacked our usual fluency and a big reason for this was a combination of misplaced passes and poor technique- as mentioned before, it all seemed to be somewhat careless.
Although it was a reduced programme of League One matches today, most of the sides at the top of the table had games scheduled. However, the cold, frosty and, in some places, snowy weather led to a number of postponements. Most relevant for us was that Bradford’s easy looking home game against Rotherham fell victim to the weather and, with Lincoln not playing, the opportunity was there for us to stretch six and eight points clear of the teams in second and third. As it is, we’re four and six points clear with Bradford in third having a game in hand on us, but we do still have the best goal difference in the division on our side as well.
All of the other three matches had a relevance to the fight for top six places. Luton continued their improved home form with a 2-1 win over a fading Stevenage, while I suppose the best outcome in the match between Stockport and Huddersfield would have been a draw, but a lone goal, scored in the ninety sixth minute gave the home team the points and, finally, Bolton’s poor spell continued with a 3-1 loss at Peterborough.
As always, there were plenty of changes in the City team which lined up
Trott, Ng, Fish, Osho, Bagan, Tanner, Wintle, Kellyman, Robertson, Willock and Salech
and they were forced back by a motivated and energetic Leyton Orient team. It’s only fair to point out that my criticisms of our performance also include an acknowledgment that our sub par showing was partly down to the home team not playing like a side that had lost three on the trot and found themselves only one place off the bottom four. Just as they had done at Cardiff City Stadium, Orient struck me as one of the better teams we’ve faced this season.
It was notable today that we played more long balls than normal and, despite the home team being on top in the opening stages, one of them created the best chance of the first ten minutes when Fish sent Salech clear of the last man, but home goalkeeper, Killian Cahill, who had a good game I thought, was very quickly off his line to block our top scorer’s attempted lob.
Apart from that though, City were shoddy early on and the goal they conceded on twelve minutes exemplified this. Trott played the ball short to one of our centrebacks like he has done hundreds of times this season without a problem, but, this time it didn’t look right as Fish’s ball back to him put him under pressure, the keeper then quickly found Osho who played a ball back to the goalkeeper with Orient striker Dom Ballard bearing down on him. Some have said that Fish and Osho did Trott no favours with their passes to him and there’s probably something to that, but Trott had enough time to put his foot through the ball twice and clear it on both occasions and he has to be held mostly responsible for what happened next as he attempted to beat Ballard and instead gave the striker the chance to tap in what must have been his easiest goal of the season.
In saying that, Trott was always going to cost us goals this season given the way he plays – I make it two now he’s been directly responsible for (the other one being at Burnley), but his form over the past five months or so still leaves him with plenty of credit in the bank so to speak as far as I’m concerned.
Indeed, Trott was making some amends for his mistake within a few more minutes as he pushed a close range header from the lively Alfie Lloyd over the bar – it was a good save, but Lloyd really shouldn’t have given him the chance to make it as poor defending left him unmarked about ten yards out.
Orient were really fancying their chances now and, clearly, if and when the game’s second goal arrived it would be them who scored it, except it didn’t work out that way as, in this season of fine City goals, Salech came up with a superb one to equalise!
There was little build up to the goal to speak of as City were under more pressure when Osho I think it was knocked the ball up to Salech stood ten yards inside his own half. It was a clearance meant to relieve pressure more than a ball played in the hope of being credited with an assist, but Salech went on to make something out of nothing.
It started with the sort of physical challenge that Salech invariably gets penalised for, but this time referee Scott Oldham indicated he was playing a City advantage as home defender Will Forrester fell to the floor. Salech then burst past the last defender and was faced with a forty yard run in on goal. The Dane had sufficient pace to stay clear of the chasing defenders and was then faced by Cahill as he entered the penalty area. Electing to take the ball around the keeper, Salech was left with not the easiest finish as the ball was in danger of getting away from him as he smacked a right foot shot high into the net from about fifteen yards – it may not be our goal of the season so far, but it was Salech’s best for us.
Shortly after the equaliser Kellyman picked up a groin injury which forced him off and the replacement of him with David Turnbull helped gave us a bit more control in the middle of the park which meant we finished the first half the stronger with Tanner establishing a superiority over his marker which saw him forcing Cahill into another save after he’d left home captain Theo Archibald floundering.
Tanner and Archibald were involved in one of the second half’s two main incidents as City extended their late first half superiority into the game’s third quarter. Tanner picked Archibald’s pocket to win possession level with the edge of Orient’s penalty area and then found himself being held on to by the home player for a good five seconds. This led to the inevitable pushing and shoving and as another Orient man came in to push Tanner towards Archibald, the home captain and the two players’ heads did make contact. This resulted in Archibald falling to the floor as if he’d been shot as he rolled about holding his head trying to indicate he been butted. It was all pretty pathetic on Alexander’s part, but there was always the chance the ref would be taken in by it and Tanner could have seen a red card. As it was, both players were cautioned and, although it was a little harsh on Tanner, it was probably the right decision on balance.
For all that City had doused Orient’s early fire and were now on top, they only had another run by Salech after being sent clear by Robertson which could be called an authentic chance. This time, having got past Cahill, Salech opted to square the ball to Robertson whose goal bound shot was blocked by former City player Tom James.
City were now looking the more likely winners, but the last twenty minutes were a disappointed as the careless habits from early in the game returned – this time none of BBM’s substitutions around hour the hour mark really worked and, in truth, Orient came closer to winning it late on as Trott had to make a couple of saves.
Off the pitch, it was announced that City were, once again, under a transfer embargo which prompted a response from the club and this e-mail message from the Supporters’ Trust.
For me, it’s now a question of wait and see – I suspect it will all be sorted out in the next few days as the club say it will be, but the whole thing does seem a bit typical of Vincent Tan’s Cardiff City to me.
In local football, Treherbert Boys and Girls club were able to beat the freeze, but will probably be wishing they hadn’t as they went down 2-0 to Cefn Cribwr to remain bottom of the Ardal League South West. In the Highadmit South Wales Alliance Championship Ton Pentre were thrashed 6-0 by Cardiff Cosmos, while Treorchy Boys and Girls club drew 3-3 at Splott FC in Division One East.
Trott can pull off diving saves straight out of the Gordon Banks/Neville Southall playbook. He is a great shot stopper.
But, that said…
Alas he irritatingly prances around his penalty area like he is the secret lovechild of Carlos Acosta and Darcey Bussell… I find his long balls are very sub-Alnwickesque, and his short passes are no improvement on Jak’s… a keeper who did not need ‘Cruyff turns’ in the box to make us swoon. Nathan got away with one at Port Vale (I think) at the start of the season, and I said then on these pages, that the fellow was too cocky by three quarters…
But the View from the Ninian and other observers seem to be more influenced by style than substance. And players like Trott lap this up, and it just encourages them… and it spreads. Dylan Lawlor is another fine player who is clearly influenced for the worse by the swooning from the terraces.
Play non-risk football, you eejits.
And as for Fish passing it back and then Oshi (oh, surprise, surprise!) doing likewise… I wonder where they got that nonsense from?… (purely rhetorical, we all know the answer to that one)…
And the man in question? OMG… has he some chutzpah? In his post match interview he has the brass neck to accuse his players of taking unnecessary risks…!! YCNMIU* That man clearly has no degree of self-awareness. Where does he think his team got that from?
*You Could Not Make It Up (even if you tried!)
I am delighted that my three tips to get promotion at the start of the season are now in the playoff places… Bolton, Stockport and – dark horses Bradford – decided on, only when I considered my respect for both Graham Alexander and their amazing support base… though I shamefully ignored both Huddersfield and Luton… both now looking ominously like they will be there or thereabouts at the death.
Jak has gone and got an 18 month contact with The Terriers… and will have a hard job to replace Lee Nicholls… one of the better keepers. But I’d love him to be playing in the return against us… and play a stormer… and give our arrogant boss his just deserts.
Oh and as for my not tipping Lincoln at the start of the season… I reckon their manager is the Manager of the Season… he has an annual wage bill of £5.12m against our £13m+… making The Imps the 17th against our 2nd in the Payment League of Div 1.
TTFN,
Dai.
PS
Watching a wonderful game from Dens Park with the Dees pushing the Jam Tarts all the way at half-time. Exciting football like the game God invented… and the last leader of Scottish Tories at Westminster has just made a howler decision as a linesman in the game.
DW
Paul, compadre,
I have just seen the most phenomenal save in the last 20 seconds of injury time. I promise you that 43 year old Craig Gordon has just pulled off a save that even Nathan would not have managed.
But the star of the game for me was the soon to be 22 year old Cameron Congreve on loan from the Swans to The Dark Blues. He was unplayable at times.
DW
That’s 6 games in a row by my reckoning we’ve been only one boo-boo away from draw or defeat. Before yesterday, we could think we just weren’t getting the score lines our superior play deserved. After yesterday, Bradford next Saturday could make or break our season. It’s become such a struggle. Wigan sat deep, Orient attacked us more – it made no difference.
Obsessives, Dai, try to fit everything into the corner they’ve backed themselves into. Wasn’t it just that too many of our players yesterday were simply off their game. Why? Fixture congestion is broadly the same for all teams, so not that. It seems to be our young starlets that are flagging most – not the inspiration they were, sadly. Salech (young for a striker at nearly 24) is the honourable exception; Tanner (24) has started back strongly. But more experienced players didn’t exactly pick up loads of slack yesterday, did they? Willock, so much better of late, suddenly had a mare. Why? Didn’t look as though he could be arsed, to me. Has he got wind that he may be expendable this January? Just a thought.
Another thought is that inconsistency is just a consequence of the chopping and changing BB-M favours, the upside of which being all-squad involvement. He’s no eejit. We’re playing beyond our level. They’re not Premiership players, though. BB-M is getting a lot out of them. Dips and blips inevitable. Trott is not the problem.
When, however, will BB-M learn that Kpakio is not a full back? I suppose he must show defensive ability in practice, but I can’t say I’ve seen much sign of it. He seems to be best bursting forward from deep, but how can we play him as a wingback if he can’t be trusted to defend? He’s very young (only 18). I can understand how much our manager wants to bring him on, but he’s a liability for now.
Osho was better than Fish, suddenly.
Chambers, last match, and Salech, this, just increase the sense of unease that we can’t keep relying on near-worldies. I thought the nail-biting days were spared us this season. Apparently not.
Having said all that, I think we’ll ‘turn up’ at Bradford and win. Make or break will be make! …. What team BB-M starts with will be anyone’s guess.
You are so right Chris about Kpakio. I too reckon that he is no full back. But our problem is that Craig Bellamy seems to have high regard for him in that very position.
I cannot help but think of Peter Rodrigues… who will be 82 in ten days. True, he was 19 when he made his City debut, but gee, from day 1 that boy could tackle and was so defensively aware of danger and would not ‘back himself into a corner’* playing silly buggers instead of playing the ball upfield or safety first into Row Z.
And Rodrigues could fly down the wing and cross the ball every bit as well as a Jimmy Armfield…
And as regards to Kpakio’s apparent tender age of 18: what is it that I am failing to get here? Don Murray was 17 years and 4 months when he made his City debut, and was a regular at 18… Don incidentally, God Bless him, will be 80 in 6 days. The late great Graham Moore was also a regular at 18.
And here’s the thing… in the last half century, outstanding young footballers have become more commonplace, not less.
*allow me a joke no doubt at my own expense…!!
DW
For me the most important point in the game was our continuing failure to shoot and score goals – and that was made even more important by the stupidity of our coming away with 1 point instead of 3 because of our obsessive habit of passing across and across and back leading to our opponents simply tapping in their point-scoring goal.
B B-M needs to get this habit stopped – possession should be only about building goal-scoring chances and that must mean getting into the opposing team’s half of the field. Again there is a lesson which should be learned!
Oh Graham boyo… you are Sweet Reason personified there… especially with those last three lines.
But here’s the problem. Whereas Pep seems to be finally realising he’s been suffering from a very real malaise which has scarred his otherwise delicious genius, his disciples have had a much heavier dose of this ‘pass-pass-NO SHOT-pass-pass-TAKE CRAZY RISKS-pass-pass’ philosophy… and have thus got a far more severe strain of the disease… and may be almost inoperable. There I refer to the likes of Russell Martin, Julen Lopetegui, and Graham Potter.
And Ruben Selles, Gary O’Neil, Ange Postecoglou, (and the Hull owner would add the name of the highly intelligent and personable Liam Rosenior)… are managers who all come dangerously close to becoming ‘basket cases’ in this desire to flirt with defensive danger.
Vincent Kompany had a disastrous dose of Pepitis in his one season in the EPL at Turf Moor… but by moving to Munich he has much better players at his disposal, less likely to make cock-ups.
BBM, please take note. And don’t make crazy post-match comments that your team took ‘unnecessary risks’. (Gee, I still marvel at that degree of a lack of self-awareness.)
But I reckon this is the best analogy regarding the problem in trying to wean ‘true believers’ off their Pep obsession: it can be found in the life of that great literary stylist, but very unpleasant man, Evelyn Waugh.
In adult life he converted to another denomination of Christianity… and ‘twas said of him and many other such converts, that such folk are far more zealous and unshakeable in their beliefs than any fellow worshippers who were born into that faith.
So goes it with Pepitis.
Before signing off… while I remember, I must salute Graham for his always correctly writing BBM as ‘BB-M’. Alas I follow the herd in dropping the dash… but I will never follow them in their mass swallowing of what I call a ‘kamikaze football’ philosophy.
TTFN,
Dai.
Paul, thanks again for your report. I agree with your comment that City were shoddy early on. For me there were other parts of the game, where City’s doziness hamstrung their efforts. It was as if they inhabited that half-world between sleep and wakefulness where they knew what to do but were a little slow in accomplishing it.
Orient went from a four-man defence to three cenrebacks and two wingbacks for the game against our usual 4231. That said, following City’s equalising goal (33 mins) the visitors controlled the game up to about the 70th minute and really should have made more of this period of play.
City’s goal was a thing of beauty; some ten seconds that strengthened my faith in centre-forward play over the new fad of the withdrawn number nine. It had everything; a throwback to days when players didn’t go to ground everytime they lost the ball or felt a contact. From the clearance, Salech’s composure to shield the ball and then strength to bustle his way free from two opposing defenders on the halfway line birthed the opening. For such a big bloke the striker’s speed was clear as he ran away from chasing defenders before clarity of thought caused him to move to his right around the keeper, subsequently firing the ball into the top right corner of the net. Salech’s alertness constructed and finished that goal of beauty. Thankfully City’s doziness did not extend to Salech.
Some 22 mins later the higher things gave way to football’s baser instincts. Archibald (Orient’s left wing back), near the corner flag, pulled Tanner’s shirt for what seemed an age. The City player simply stood upright in front of the defender who then theatrically threw himself to the turf, seeking to disprove Newton’s Third Law of Motion. Ollie Tanner is thankfully no Yosser and neither is Theo Archibald a Rock Marciano [ https://youtu.be/CnRcXCx69cg?si=6-lwc807OvpE0p5l ].
What a ludicrous interlude in proceedings but thankfully the referee saw through it. But why when a player commits two offences worthy of a caution (i) pulling a shirt and then (ii) ungentlemanly conduct by throwing himself to the ground, seeking to get a player sent off is only one yellow given? I would give the ref full marks though for not being conned by Tanner’s supposed, ‘head-butt.’ However the ref really should have produced two yellows for Archibald’s two offences.
Just when you thought the game could not get more surreal, it did. On 70 mins Orient’s Ballard, who was off the field for his 1/2 minute post injury time-out, was waved back on to the pitch to promptly take possession of the ball, unopposed, in open play just a couple of yards in from where he was standing on the touch-line. Even the Orient commentary team said that, “the Cardiff bench would be fuming,” if it resulted in a goal. Sanity was restored. It didn’t.
To conclude I take the liberty and reprise a frequently heard chant from the 60’s for former manager, Jimmy Scoular. With small ammendments, perhaps it would be fitting to sing it again at City games, certainly should we ever play Leyton Orient:
“His name is, ‘Yosser,’ Tanner*
He’s a winger for the blues
He scored a beaut against the Jacks
We never ever lose
He’ll take us the Premier League
That’s where we belong
And when you see the boys in blue You know you can’t go wrong.
La la la la etc.”
* An allegedly fictitious character of note.
City were just enough awake to get a point but will have to be fully awake next Saturday at Bradford.
PS: Post resent as original [10:40am] went missing.
Dai, if Kpakio takes another 12 months to find his feet, he’ll be way ahead of Ruben Colwill for example. The big issue for me will be if and when his mistakes start costing us too many points. (Same would apply to Trott – much, much more in credit though). So long as we’re still top of the league I suppose BB-M’s policy has long legs. I certainly hope I was wrong yesterday.
Writing Kpakio off because he’s not as precocious as legends of the game were is a bit harsh. ‘Use every man after his desert, and who should ‘scape whipping?’
I might add that when it comes to a lack of self-awareness, we are all pretty guilty of that too. Ain’t that the truth?
Paul, thanks again for your report. I agree with your comment that City were shoddy early on. For me there were other parts of the game, where City’s doziness hamstrung their efforts. It was as if they inhabited that half-world between sleep and wakefulness where they knew what to do but were a little slow in accomplishing it.
Orient went from a four-man defence to three centre-backs and two wing-backs for the game against our usual 4231. That said, following City’s equalising goal (33 mins) the visitors controlled the game up to about the 70th minute and really should have made more of this period of play.
City’s goal was a thing of beauty; some ten seconds that strengthened my faith in centre-forward play over the new fad of the withdrawn number nine. It had everything; a throwback to days when players didn’t go to ground everytime they lost the ball or felt a contact. From the clearance, Salech’s composure to shield the ball and then strength to bustle his way free from two opposing defenders on the halfway line birthed the opening. For such a big bloke the striker’s speed was clear as he ran away from chasing defenders before clarity of thought caused him to move to his right around the keeper, subsequently firing the ball into the top right corner of the net. Salech’s alertness constructed and finished that goal of beauty. Thankfully City’s doziness did not extend to Salech.
Some 22 mins later the higher things gave way to football’s baser instincts. Archibald (Orient’s left wing back), near the corner flag, pulled Tanner’s shirt for what seemed an age. The City player simply stood upright in front of the defender who then theatrically threw himself to the turf, seeking to disprove Newton’s Third Law of Motion. Ollie Tanner is thankfully no Yosser Hughes [ https://youtu.be/7lhzuH924bM?si=3da_-y-fH_cL4erf ] and neither is Theo Archibald a Rock Marciano [ https://youtu.be/CnRcXCx69cg?si=6-lwc807OvpE0p5l ].
What a ludicrous interlude in proceedings but thankfully the referee saw through it. But why when a player commits two offences worthy of a caution (i) pulling a shirt and then (ii) ungentlemanly conduct by throwing himself to the ground, seeking to get a player sent off is only one yellow given? I would give the ref full marks though for not being conned by Tanner’s supposed, ‘head-butt.’ However the ref really should have produced two yellows for Archibald’s two offences.
Just when you thought the game could not get more surreal, it did. On 70 mins Orient’s Ballard, who was off the field for his 1/2 minute post injury time-out, was waved back on to the pitch to promptly take possession of the ball, unopposed, in open play just a couple of yards in from where he was standing on the touch-line. Even the Orient commentary team said that, “the Cardiff bench would be fuming,” if it resulted in a goal. Sanity was restored. It didn’t.
To conclude I take the liberty and reprise a frequently heard chant from the 60’s for former manager, Jimmy Scoular. With small ammendments, perhaps it would be fitting to sing it again at City games, certainly should we ever play Leyton Orient:
“His name is, ‘Yosser,’ Tanner*
He’s a winger for the blues
He scored a beaut against the Jacks
We never ever lose
He’ll take us the Premier League
That’s where we belong
And when you see the boys in blue You know you can’t go wrong.
La la la la etc.”
* An allegedly fictitious character of note.
City were just enough awake to get a point but will have to be fully awake next Saturday at Bradford.
PPS: Paul, I don’t know what the problem has been but this is my third attempt to send a reply to your post. Could you let me know if the problem my end? Many thanks.
Chris compadre,
You are a good man and a sweet writer. And you also are a very effective polemicist.
And with that last sentence in mind, let me say that I have broad shoulders and am impervious to any insult more sophisticated than brute physical assault. And I know you thrive in let’s say, ‘vigorous debate’… and that in itself is not a criticism but is something to be welcomed, as there is plenty of time for a peaceful life in the cemetery.
So with that said, you have succeeded Chris in getting me to take issue with you here. Not for the first time in MAYA history, you have misrepresented what I have said.
Who is ‘writing Kpakio off’? Not me. In fact, benighted soul that I am, I stupidly thought I was AGREEING with you in your contention that he is very promising going forward… (and if you will allow me to put it in jersey numbers of my – and indeed even of your – youth)… concurring that his natural position was not #2, but a Danny Blanchflower #4 or a Derek Tapscott 8.
I contend he does not have a single atom of a TRUE DEFENDER in him… but going forward, it is a different story.
Not unlike our club captain being in the wrong position, though of course Calum does indeed have a strong defender mentality… and against innocuous attacks, Calum performs the part as to the manor born. But up against really big strong fast attackers, Calum struggles. However, that said, he has all the qualities needed to be a Terry Venables type #4.
Right, ‘nuff said. These things are better out than in. I can go to bed now and watch some football vlogging.
My kindest to you Chris, compadre. Oh and for the record, I think that boy wonder Rubin Colwill at the age he is now (24 in 3 months), is almost becoming a case of ‘footballing arrested development’…!!
TTFN,
Dai.
Thanks for coming back, Dai. In conclusion then, we both appreciate the lad’s forward momentum, but find his defending nerve-wracking to say the least. To insult and assault is never my intention; I just enjoy a friendly debate.
Any comment, favourable or otherwise, from you about my writing is much appreciated.
Sleep well!
Thanks all for the replies and it’s especially good to hear from Royale once again. I’m a bit short of time this morning and so I won’t be able to answer as many of your points as I normally try to and I apologise in advance to Dai if it seems I’m having a go at him because I offer a contrasting viewpoint to him on two matters. I’ll start with Steve though and say I heard it said on the City phone in podcast that isn’t a phone in last night by someone who had posted their opinion that we should play with a false number nine on Saturday at Bradford. I’m not sure I’ve ever read anything about City that I disagreed with more – how on earth can you consider leaving Salech out of a very important game after he scored that goal? I’m going to be posting a link to a podcast further down this message and, although I wasn’t paying full attention to what was being said, I’m pretty sure they said Salech was the best centre forward in League One by some distance.
On to Ronan Kpakio and Dai’s mention of Peter Rodrigues who was the first City player who I used to look forward to watching. I must have been about eight or nine at the time and, although I loved it when I saw him score after he was injured and pushed forward to play up front in those pre substitute days in a game against Rotherham, the main reason he was my favourite was his sliding tackles. A good sliding tackle was an essential part of a full back’s armoury back in those days and Rodrigues was an expert at it with his very good disciplinary record a testimony to his ability. Slide tackling was seen as a skill in those days and was refereed as such, but times have changed and the attitude today among officials is that if a player has both of his feet off the ground when tackling then he’s likely to be in trouble. This is probably the main reason that we don’t see as many slide tackles as we once did, but I’d argue that another one is that modern coaching emphasises the need for a defending player to stay on their feet and rely more on things like anticipation – it’s almost as if tackling is seen as a last resort and a bit of an admission by the defender that they’re in some sort of trouble.
Therefore, I’d say comparing Ronan Kpakio with Peter Rodrigues is a bit like comparing oranges and lemons – I’m convinced that Rodrigues would have a much worse disciplinary record today if he was playing and employing the same sort of tackling techniques as he did in the 60s and 70s (that may not be fair, but it’s a question of differing interpretations).
As for Kpakio, I think it should be said that he was playing on the left on Saturday which, as with Perry Ng, automatically restricts their effectiveness when in possession somewhat.
I’m more complimentary of Kpkaio the full back than most City fans are. As Royale says, he’s still got plenty of time to learn the parts of defending in the senior game which, understandably, he’s not fully used to and while he is prone to making defensive mistakes, his excellent recovery speed helps make them not as serious as they could be. My main criticism of him is that he almost always looks to try and play a pass to a team mate even in awkward positions – it’s not a bad fault to have, but, even for the most assured of defenders, there are times when the ball has to go into row Z!
My second disagreement with Dai is over the second biggest wage bill claim he often makes. I’ve read an article which places us second to Luton in terms of League One wage budgets for 25/26 and, to be fair, if you asked me to name the two clubs in the division with the biggest wages I’d almost certainly put us second to Luton. However, I must point out that we’re currently under an embargo for not filing our 24/25 accounts by the 31 December deadline, so I struggle to understand how anybody can make accurate claims as to what any club’s wage budget is for 25/26 until their accounts for the relevant season are available for public inspection and, in this case, that won’t be for almost a year, longer if we get promoted.
Notwithstanding this, let’s accept that Dai and the others I’ve seen making the claim are right, City do have the second biggest wage budget. Dai uses this as the main reason why we are where we are in the league, yet also tells us of the teams he predicted to be automatic promotion contenders (kudos to him for picking Bradford who I would have had in somewhere like fourteenth). The absence of City from his promotion favourites at the start of the season despite what was always going to be one of the biggest wage budgets in the division surely points to us doing better than Dai expected us to do this season and so, despite his criticisms of our playing style and our manager, doesn’t it mean that both are instrumental in getting us to a higher placing currently than he expected us to be in?
For my part, BBM has been criticised by some for trying to get Rochdale to play in a way their players were not capable of attaining because they weren’t quite good enough – I have sympathy with that viewpoint if what we’re seeing at City is similar to what he was trying to do with Rochdale because I think it’s a very hard way of playing the game for lower league players and it’s a credit to ours that they’re making a good job of it so far. However, I found Saturday’s game concerning because we passed the ball as poorly as we have done in months and we’re not going to be able to play what the song calls the Murphy way if we keep on passing like that. Nevertheless, it’s interesting to see possibly the most respected pair of EFL football podcasters out there almost taking it for granted that City will be Champions in their half season League One predictions
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f2N94uRMqUU
Yes, they’re very stats based, too much so according to many, but I’d argue they know their stuff and their verdict is that we’ll be fine as long as we keep on doing what we did in the first half of the campaign.
Paul compadre,
To use the great phrase of Cardiff and the Valleys: Can’t fault you there.*. Your reasoning, I mean. Except to say that Peter Rodrigues was a heck of an intelligent footballer… which is why Leicester City eventually pounced for a big money transfer and he soon became a favourite at Filbert Street… indeed appearing in the 1969 Cup Final. And such was his outstanding tactical sense, fine distribution and speed going forward down the wing, that he was to be given the captaincy of Southampton and at 32, was presented with the FA Cup after their memorable 1976 Final win against Man United.
His intelligence was the thing that struck me… and trust me Paul, were he starting all over at Kpakio’s age, he’d be far too bright to indulge in sliding tackles… as indeed would the likes of Norman Hunter and Ron ‘Chopper’ Harris not think for one moment that they could get away with their truly scandalous fouling tendencies. (Peter I hasten to add was a scrupulously fair player.)
I am in a good mood this morning due to starting the day with Pieface and his band of brothers travelling to ‘The Mem’ for the competition that our BBM thought was beneath him. What a hugely life-enhancing vlog this is. It has now replaced Maureen Callahan’s THE NERVE as my #1 ‘go to’ podcast.
So much fascinates me about these modern Canterbury Tales with this Janner Chaucer and his Band of Brothers.
There are no women on their bus, but The Wife of Bath is represented by the highly photogenic raven-haired beauty who always makes sure she is in shot over his right shoulder. She watches his camera more than the game. Although both her and her husband are not minibus members, they are always just behind Pieface both home and away. She sometimes joins in the chants, but never does when there are coarse words involved, like ‘w..k.r’. She is a delight, and does wonders for my fantasies: the prim and proper girl who ‘only swears when it slips out’.
The genius of this vlog is that it has me joining in the chant of ‘AARRR/Guy/Oll, AARRR/Guy/Oll’. It is genius in that I have no Plymouth links whatsoever… other than my uncle Reg (Timpany) killed on active service in the War had married a Devonport girl and is thus listed on the incredibly impressive War Memorial on Plymouth Hoe.
But back to those football chants…
I so love the wit of those chants… calling their opponents ‘Northern ba..a..s’. Lovely stuff. I mean to say ‘Bristol’… NORTHERN…? (Although of course it is ‘northern’ to Plymothians. And interesting to think that one fan comments that this Bristol trip is only a two hour journey… in contrast to some epic treks. So it is indeed their local derby.)
A reason for no women on the bus is that the 14 men carry bottles into which they urinate on long trips… ah I could go on and on about this fabulous vlog. I genuinely hope that the Joe Ralls inspired team get to Wembley and win a competition that our Brian Barry-Murphy arrogantly thought beneath him and played a lot of kids against a Chelsea team which saw Garnacho and Neto as scorers.
https://youtu.be/4j_EbRSu5Q8?si=hrs_jCB7vKIsuIVY
* About 7 years ago one Xmas Day, we were invited for dinner by a local couple here in Grimsby. After finishing a splendid lunch, I said to our hostess… ‘I just can’t fault you’.
Her eyes flared with momentary anger like she was playing the role of Carmen at the ROH… She responded with ‘I should hope NOT…’ but instantly calmed down when I explained that I was talking in South Wales Valleys vernacular… and that I had actually paid her the ultimate compliment…!!
TTFN,
Dai
Thanks Dai, there are two club games Peter Rodrigues played in post City that I have strong memories of now. The first was, amazingly, fifty five years ago to the month now as he came to Ninian Park having recently signed for Sheffield Wednesday after losing his place in the Leicester team to the emerging future England international Steve Whitworth. Wednesday were newly relegated from the First Division and were having problems coping at the lower level as they faced City a lot closer to the bottom of the table than the top. They wore an all orange kit which, like our mauve and yellow one a couple of seasons later, was considered a bit “racy” for the time and got thumped 4-0 in a match which, if it is remembered for anything these days, it’s probably Alan Warboys scoring his first two City goals against the club we’d bought him from about a fortnight earlier. However, I recall the match as much for what the 17 year old Nigel Rees did to Peter Rodrigues in what was his debut in senior football – the teenager gave Rodrigues such a chasing he was substituted to save him from further punishment. Rodrigues was only twenty six at the time, but he looked like a veteran whose career was in decline that afternoon, his move to a struggling Wednesday team from First Division Leicester had to be seen as a downward step and against Rees he looked like someone who would struggle in the lower reaches of the old second division.
What Rodrigues did not look that afternoon was someone who over five years later would be a winning captain in a Cup Final where Manchester United were the runners up! This is the second match of the two I mentioned earlier. Having been given a free transfer by a relegated Sheffield Wednesday at the end of the 1974/75 season, it was a shock to see Rodrigues turn up at Southampton for the start of the following season, but it was something of a typical Laurie McMenemy signing as he specialised in getting more out of older players whose best days were thought to be behind them. Rodrigues not only established himself in the Saints team, but then was made captain and was pitted against the precocious young left winger Gordon Hill at Wembley. This time there was no Nigel Rees like embarrassment for the veteran Rodrigues, instead, it was Hill who was withdrawn as the realisation grew that the game wasn’t going to be the United walkover many predicted it would be. From memory, Rodrigues was immaculate that day and, having looked him up on Wikipedia, I was a little surprised when I was reminded that it was not the passing of time which led to his disappearance from the Southampton side and subsequent retirement not too long after that Cup Final, but injury.
As for the Plymouth vlog, this doesn’t reflect well on me, but, being brutally honest, I’m not enjoying them as much as I did because Argyle’s form has picked up somewhat recently and I always find those sort of things about supporters of other clubs much more watchable when they’re losing as it tells you more about the people involved. That’s why the best of the wave of fly on the wall documentaries we’ve had recently on things like Netflix and Amazon Prime for me is definitely the one about Sunderland which concentrated on the team’s relegation to and subsequent failure to get out of League One.- the Sunderland fans who featured in the series were very impressive in the way they dealt with their club’s failures and I’m pleased for them that things have turned out so well for the club in the past two seasons, but a documentary on Sunderland’s 25/26 season wouldn’t interest me that much. It’s to Pieface and his mates’ credit that I still watch every episode, they dealt with defeat so well really and I think it’s fair to say that they’ve managed to push the football into the background to some extent and so it’s almost as much about a group of likeable personalities who, come what may, are having a very enjoyable time – although I cannot, and never will, share Pieface’s enthusiasm for Grand Prix racing!
Excellent points made there Paul… on both Rodrigues and Pieface.
Re the latter… I too am mystified by his love of F1 (forever discredited by that shameful stitch-up some 5 years or so ago which saw Lewis Hamilton lose his title at the death… as Graham Taylor once said in a different context… ‘do I not like the colour orange!’ )… although that said, Pieface’s love of the game of darts mystifies me a whole lot more… and as someone who about 12 years ago walked through the Hall in the Ally Pally where the darts is held, I should say that I yield to nobody in my admiration for the atmosphere that the Word Darts Championship manages to incur… though I attribute it more to alcohol and illicit substances, than I do ‘the arrows’. (By the way, the view over London from ThevTerrace is simply nonpareil. Everyone should make visiting Alexandra Palace a bucket-list item… just for the view I mean… and to walk around the place… emphatically NOT for the darts or the snooker…
Even try the new roof walk… though trust me, methinks it will add nothing to the stunning view from The Terrace… apart that is, from the risk of dying from a heart attack.
https://tinyurl.com/3edtx292
And Paul, you make a profound point re being identifying with the sad rather than the euphorically happy. For my part I love bittersweet songs much more than bubblegum pop.
You also on that theme cite identifying more with fans in their moments of sadness, than in their triumph. Me too. I think that is why I cannot relate to ‘glory hunter’ fans who don’t support their local club, but instead bear allegiance to the likes of mega-successful Liverpool, Arsenal, Chelsea, Man City… and yes – coming back from a blip – United too.
The problem with even temporary success, is that it can lead to boorish arrogance. I was somewhat surprised to very recently see Pieface close his vlog by making highly disparaging remarks about a lesser team (in terms of history, I mean). Along the lines of ‘what is the POINT of that club?’ Was it Burton Albion he referred to? I cannot remember just now. That is the effect of what I genuinely think of as my (still undiagnosed) dementia… now alas picking up pace. My short term memory is completely SHOT.
Proof if you needed it, was my total confusion in one of my posts above re BBM’s contempt for the Vertu Trophy coming back to bite him. The rival manager who got his number (so-to-speak) was not of course Chelsea’s Enzo Maresca, but Wimbledon’s Johnnie Jackson whose team thrashed City 5-1 at Cardiff.
And why did Jackson succeed so triumphantly? That’s easy: he refused to have contempt for the Vertu Trophy which I’d remind our BBM attracted a Wembley Final crowd of 85,021 only the year before Covid hit us, and indeed Birmingham City sold over 43,000 tickets, for last season’s final.
Jackson fielded what was essentially the fullest strength team at his disposal, whilst BBM went with an almost exclusively teenage Cardiff side… including 15 and 16 year olds. A ridiculous mismatch saw Wimbledon’s striker Aron Sasu score four times.
When City recently played Chelsea in the ITV nationally televised game, it was of course in the Carabao Cup. This time BBM did not make the same mistake but put out a strong team… and the team did very well, until the late goals by Garnacho and Neto.
If we had played that team against Wimbledon, we’d have likely won… particularly seeing as we beat them on their home patch at the start of this season.
I would have loved a Cardiff v Argyle final at Wembley. It could well have come to pass, had one man’s hubris not stood in its way.
DW.