An untypical Cardiff City win.

7 Responses to An untypical Cardiff City win.

1. Anthony O'Brien says:

   September 27, 2015 at 4:58 pm

   There were some good signs with the Cardiff performance yesterday but for long periods there was a distinct lack of a cutting edge – as sharp as a doughnut, and not even a stale one at that! I thought Mason had his best game yet, but his lack of speed and running strength was still apparent (albeit less apparent than usual). Neither is there real evidence of a partnership between himself and Kenwyne Jones. Curiously, in the pre-match warm up, which ends with the forwards hitting shots at goal, I noticed that both these players tend to scuff the ball rather than hitting it cleanly (a defect also seen in the unfortunate Cornelius some time ago). I believe that Idriss Saadi, wearing green boots and a tracksuit bottom, was also present in the ritualistic shots at goal. Whoever it was, his timing and ball-contact were first rate. Years gone by an experienced scout told me that you can tell a player’s potential within a few minutes just by looking at the way he hits the ball. If this is the case, and if it was really Saadi, I hope to see him in action ASAP.
   I’m also surprised that the shots at goal are almost invariably with the players’ stronger foot. Surely, practice with the weaker foot would be useful – unless too many of them would be embarrassed by having to shoot “stiff legged” in front of a watching crowd. (Pilkington is exonerated from this – and his selfless and intelligent running was another pleasing feature of yesterday’s game.)
   The most irritating or disappointing aspect of Cardiff’s game yesterday was the continued obsession with hitting long crosses into the area for Kenwyn Jones to head – which he failed to do time after time. I sometimes think he keeps his place in the team not for leading his line as most traditional centre forwards would do, but for his defensive qualities. In his role of marking space at the front of the Cardiff penalty box for corners and free kicks and attacking the ball to head clear, he is outstandingly good – in respect of his threat to the opponent’s goal, less so.
   On yesterday’s display, by the way, Digacoi is manifestly of Premiership standard – the best player on the field, even if not everyone recognises it. His ability to break up opposition attacks and to inspire Cardiff going forward is something that’s been long needed.
2. Dai Woosnam says:

   September 27, 2015 at 10:18 pm

   Gosh…the best of TWO worlds.
   A typically all-encompassing report from Paul, followed by a thoughtful and well-written comment from “AMO” O’Brien.
   Just a word from me re Kenwyne’s apparent inability to win headers.
   I have said before in these pages that KJ is – aerially speaking – no Wyn Davies, Ron Davies, or even a John Toshack…let alone a John Charles. He – unlike them – is of limited ability with his back to goal.
   But where he is good – I almost said “Rudy Gestede class” but found it too painful to say, so managed to breathe the words back in, just in time – is coming on to a cross just in front of him. Remember that goal he scored for Bournemouth from a cross from the left wing? (Was it a corner? I seem to recall it was.)
   Will sign off now.
   Been concentrating on the rugby this weekend, but did manage to note the third Boro goal today at The Riverside.
   Leeds are down 0-2, and there is their keeper rolling the ball out…with disastrous results.
   And some claim Rosler is a good manager!
   When we die, we will actually wake up and realise this life has been a bizarre dream.
   Kindest,
   Dai.
3. Graham says:

   September 27, 2015 at 11:59 pm

   Anthony O’Brien right again – Jones and Mason are simply NOT a goal-scoring front two and never will be .. the best thing Jones did was stop a Charlton goal with his goal-line header from one of their corners – what a delight to see him actually aim his head at the ball and send it where he wanted it to go .. hope Morrison spotted that and thought ‘hmm – I’ll try doing that’ he and Mason should both have got hat-tricks .. all very well Mason running around a lot BUT strikers should strike and he just doesn’t .. hope Anthony is right about Saadi but we really miss having someone up front who shoots – like No.10s of earlier seasons or Nos. 39 or 44 ..
4. The other Bob Wilson says:

   September 28, 2015 at 6:58 am

   Thanks for the replies. Anthony, the closest thing I’ve seen to a proper striking partnership at City in the last year or two was the one between Joe Mason and Eoin Doyle at the back end of last season – I’ve not seen anything so far to suggest that Kenwyne Jones can form a truly effective partnership with any of the other strikers we have at the club at the moment. Leading on from that, I agree completely about how we overdo the high ball looking for Kenwyne stuff – we certainly did that against Hull and there was a lot of it in the second half on Saturday. In recent home matches it’s struck me that we play a more varied game in the first half when we, almost always, attack the Family Stand end and when we are playing towards the end where I’m sat in the second half, it becomes fairly one dimensional stuff, is this because Kenwyne’s mobility and stamina levels decrease significantly as the game goes on?
   I’m going to defend Joe Mason a little now, by saying, firstly, that the style of play mentioned above is not one designed to bring the best out in him and second to point out that he has four goals in his first nine matches this season. I doubt it if he can keep up that rate of scoring up throughout a whole campaign, but we’d have a twenty goals a season man on our hands if he did – I believe fifteen is a reasonable target for him if he stays fit and it’s been some time since anyone has managed that for us.
   I can’t really comment on the player with the green boots because I didn’t see the warm up session on Saturday, but it’s hard to think who else it could be but Saadi – here’s a photo of him when he signed for us if that helps.
   http://www.cardiffcity-mad.co.uk/news/tmnw/new_signing_idriss_saadi_watches_under_21s_continue_their_fine_run_869748/index.shtml
5. Anthony O'Brien says:

   September 28, 2015 at 5:10 pm

   Yeah – it’s me again! Sorry if I’m hogging too much space, but there’s a couple of things (orba few) I’d like to mention.
   (1) What a pleasure and a privilege it is to be a devotee of this site – genuinely a league of gentlemen, with opinions treated with respect and consideration. (Only one contributor in recent times went beyond the pale, and he was very smartly smacked down by Paul – aka The Other Bob Wilson, whose reports, by the way, are always balanced, incisive, and informative, as we can all appreciate).
   (2) I was interested to read Paul’s report on Jason Perry talking about Fabio being more at home in an attacking sense on the right. I’ve always considered Fabio to be a right back because of his his body shape, tackling, and running, when on the left. But I have to say that his recent performances as a left back have been a revelation. He’s obviously put in a great deal of work with someone on the coaching staff and is now almost equally effective in either full back position. In fact, he can cross on the run with either foot, which few professionals seem able to do. For his improvement and for the honest way he continued to play out of position without obvious complaint,he he he deserves considerable praise. In addition, his leap for the high ball reminds me in some respects of Steve Gammon.
   (3) Talking of leaping for the high ball, the percipient Dai Woosnam mentions (among others) Wyn Davies. He played at centre-forward for teams such as Bolton and Newcastle, both famous for their centre-forwards over the years. Indeed, it wsa The Mighty Wyn” as he was called, who produced the greatest display of aerial dominance by a centre forward I’ve ever seen It was in the international at Ninian Park against, I think, USSR in October 1965. He was unplayable, seeming to hang in the air (something to which John Toshack aspired) and to head every ball accurately to a team-mate, terrifying defenders in the process.
   (4) I fully accept Paul’s defence of Joe Mason. Teams have always needed a “snapper-up of unconsidered trifles” – the fox in the box, to put it another way – as great goalscorers like Jimmy Greaves, Gary Lineker, etc would agree. In the modern game, however, and given the way in which Cardiff play, someone who can hassle defenders with strength and speed, as well as to score goals, is usually required – and that’s just not Joe Mason’s way. However, with his intelligent running and sharp turns in the goal area, he might well score twenty goals a season – if only he had someone like Wyn Davies alongside him to provide accurate head-downs. Dream on, you say!
6. The other Bob Wilson says:

   September 29, 2015 at 10:13 am

   Don’t worry about “hogging too much space” Anthony – I’m sure I’m not the only one who welcomes any contribution you make.
   Regarding Fabio, I thought he got into more attacking positions playing down the right on Saturday then he usually does on the left. In fact, it was noticeable how much time both full backs spent in our attacking thirds of the field and, if the standard of crossing from them both wasn’t always of the best, at least Malone had an assist in Mason’s goal and, with him having already scored this season, we already have one more goal from that position then we managed all through last season with the possibility that there are a few more to come.
   I can recall a Wales v Scotland match in 1969 I think it was when we fielded a front three of Ron and Wyn Davies and a young John Toshack. Tosh scored what I’m fairly sure was his first international goal that afternoon with a fine shot from the edge of the penalty area and our three towering strikers caused the Scots plenty of problems as we scored three times. Unfortunately, with Gary Sprake having one of those games which made him such an un-Leeds United like player, the ball hit the back of our net five times! Looking back, I probably under estimated Wyn Davies a bit because, firstly, I was a little too young to have seen him in his pomp and also because I though he suffered in comparison with Ron Davies who, for me, is the best target man type centre forward I’ve seen in a Wales shirt.
7. Dai Woosnam says:

   October 1, 2015 at 5:56 am

   Paul,
   AMO makes a great point about Wyn Davies aerial ability. Fabulous. Almost John Charles quality.
   But there was one aspect of his game that I have never seen equalled.
   I refer to his ability with back to goal, to control a ball on his chest. He could control any ball coming his way and stun it stone dead, like his chest had a giant magnet inside it.
   Yes, in recent years Mark Hughes, Didier Drogba, etc., have been fairly effective in that area, but did not really come even CLOSE to Wyn’s astonishing chest muscles.
   I know it is not politically correct to say it, but the modern player who comes closest to Wyn in looks and playing style in recent years was a chap hailing from the same part of the world…Ched Evans.
   I could say a lot about Ched – both for and against – but I won’t. Suffice to say that the way the Football Elite have turned their back on him, is unspeakably sad.
   And we are supposed to be a Christian nation.
   Kindest,
   Dai.
   PS. Just saw Joe Hart’s superb long goal kick in Germany be brilliantly controlled by Aguero…alas he missed the golden chance that resulted. But gosh, that got me off my seat!

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