Although the mood had undoubtedly been lifted following Cardiff City’s big wins over Luton and Huddersfield in the past week, it had been noted by some City fans that, out of the five sides we’d beaten up to now, only Nathan Jones’ Hatters were in the top half of the table going into this weekend’s fixtures.
Much had been made of the run of six matches we faced following the Huddersfield victory where five of the sides we were due to play were in the top third of the league – clearly, we were facing our most testing sequence of fixtures of the season so far, but our record against sides near the top hardly inspired confidence.
We’d played four teams who it could be said were well in the hunt for a top six place at this early stage of the campaign at home – I didn’t see the Reading match, but the general view of both media and supporters from what I can gather was that their 2-1 win was a deserved one. Therefore, I think I’m right when I say we played a lot better in the 1-1 draw with Bournemouth even though I had the visitors down as the better of two good looking sides in what I’d say was the most entertaining match we’ve been involved in so far. A few days later, I thought we just about deserved to beat a Middlesbrough team that, from what I can remember, scored from their only worthwhile effort on goal and then there was the 1-0 loss to a Bristol City side that scored at the start and then defended well after that, but we should have got a point out at least from the match because, in the first half in particular, we had plenty of chances to score.
So, in general, our performances when we’ve faced the better sides have been pretty good, but our results haven’t and that was a worrying combination when you consider that, before today, we’d not faced anyone of much consequence away from home as far as the top of the table is concerned.
Blackburn in ninth going into this weekend were the only side we’ve played on their own pitch who were in the top half of the table and to go there after they’d recently won matches by 5-0 and 4-0 and get a goalless draw after being reduced to ten men for a significant portion of the match was a noteworthy achievement, but the upcoming trio of away games against Watford, Stoke and Norwich could all be said to represent stiffer tasks.
All three of the relegated teams from last season have lost significant players from their Premier League squads, but, in my view, the much shorter than normal gap between one season ending and the other beginning has meant that Bournemouth, Watford and Norwich have all been able to go into 20/21 with stronger squads than they would have been able to under normal circumstances – so, in a division where relegated sides often find it hard to adjust, we’ve had the unusual sight this season of them occupying the top three positions on occasions.
Winning our previous couple of matches so well gave us something positive to go into today’s match against Watford at Vicarage Road with, but, in truth, we faced a huge task when you consider that the only points they’d dropped at home all season were thanks to a goal late in added time by Wales international Chris Mepham which enabled Bournemouth to escape with a 1-1 draw.
That apart, the other six visitors to Vicarage Road had left with nothing – indeed, the last three of them had conceded ten between them as Preston were trounced 4-1 and Coventry and Stoke were beaten 3-2. Throw in the fact there would also be around two thousand home supporters getting their first chance of seeing their side play in the flesh in nine months and it’s almost certainly fair to say that, if this match had been played straight after our miserable showing at Coventry we would have been rated as rank outsiders.
Seven unanswered goals in two matches would be a tonic for any team though and the increasing impressiveness of our record when scoring first (a 100% winning record with a goals record of thirteen scored and none conceded in five matches) gave hope that we could be in business if we were able to go 1-0 up.
To be honest, the best I could see us doing was getting something like a 1-1 draw if we did manage to get that first goal, but the phrase “oh ye of little faith” springs to mind tonight because we went ahead and managed to keep our record of not conceding intact to record a 1-0 win which I daresay will have got a few sides taking note of Cardiff for maybe the first time this season.
I won’t go into too much detail about the match, because it was another away match that I was only able to listen to and so I’m sure there are plenty of you with a better idea of what happened than I have. However, I must say that I was able to listen to much of the first half with an increasing sense of calm because it sounded like we got stronger as the forty five minutes went on and, actually, when we did score a couple of minutes before the break, it felt like a goal had been coming.
Certainly, it didn’t sound like a game where the sum total of our attacking play worthy of a place on Sky’s brief highlights package was our goal and a header past the post from Sean Morrison from a corner, but that’s all that was shown on it!
Of course, in circumstances like this, the second half was always going to make for more nervy listening or watching and Watford duly stepped things up after the break as you knew they would do. The BBC stats though show that, apparently, both sides only had one on target effort despite thirteen goal attempts from Watford and ten from us, which tends to suggest that good chances were at a premium at either end of the pitch.
That’s the impression given by the highlights package – a combination of outstanding defending by Morrison and vigilant goalkeeping by Alex Smithies denied Domingos Quina and Pedro should have probably done better with a headed chance that City’s keeper was able to save comfortably. Apart from that, home sub Stipe Perica had an eventful ten minutes or so on the field as he was booked for diving in the penalty area and then missed what may well have been Watford’s best chance when he nodded over from inside the six yard box right at the death.
The truth was that Watford had no one who could match City’s in form Keiffer Moore when it came to finishing as he made it five goals in five games when the ball dropped to him around the penalty spot after a corner had only been partially dealt with – Moore’s first time finish was hardly spectacular, but it was impressive in its execution from a striker who is it seems appreciating having a mobile, hard working and clever Mark Harris up alongside him.
It’s clearly been the best week of the season so far for the senior side, but the feelgood factor has extended below that.There was a practice game played between what I suppose were City and Newport County’s reserve sides in midweek as Dillon Phillips, Greg Cunningham, Sol Bamba, Robert Glatzel and Josh Murphy all got some game time. The last named missed the target with a second half penalty while the game was still scoreless, but he found the net later on to seal a 3-0 win following a couple of Keiron Evans efforts.
Last night I watched the Under 18s secure what was easily their most impressive result of the season so far as they went to Category One Academy side Derby County and beat them 3-2 in an exciting, switchback contest in the Third Round of the FA Youth Cup.
Centreback Taylor Jones nodded City in front in four minutes with a near post effort from a Caleb Hughes corner and they were looking comfortable midway through the first half when Cian Ashford set up James Crole with an opportunity from the corner of the penalty area that was both calm and precise in its execution.
Derby grew into the game after that though and their pressure was rewarded in added time before the break. When the home side levelled just before the hour mark, it seemed like the game was theirs to win, but some great saves from Jamie Cogman kept them out as we threatened to score ourselves on the break.
It was 2-2 after ninety minutes and City began to get on top somewhat in extra time as Crole scored a second fine goal as he held off challenges to win the game for his side just as the first period was ending. City were able to protect their lead after that and now enter the draw for Round Four which will be played sometime in the New Year I believe.
Last weekend I mentioned that a friendly match between Blaenrhondda FC and Ton Pentre, the two local sides I’ve supported since moving up here ended goalless. Well the what could be viewed as the second leg was played on Wednesday at Ynys Park, Ton Pentre with a single goal winning it for the home side – as far as I’m aware, neither side have been given a date yet for when league fixtures can resume for them, but best of luck to both of them when they do.
Given the, hopefully, unique circumstances of this Christmas, it seems to me that we may see a much increased number of gift tokens/cards given as presents. Therefore if you’re a City supporting receiver of such a gift why not take a look at my new book “Real Madrid and all that” when cashing in your present? In fact, if you’re buying for a City supporter or are one yourself, you could do a lot worse than buying a book which has received excellent reviews (with one exception!) – here are details of what the book is about, what formats it can be bought in and where it can be bought, you can also read its mixed reviews!
Once again, can I finish by making a request for support from readers by them becoming my Patrons through Patreon. Full details of this scheme and the reasons why I decided to introduce it can be found here, but I should say that the feedback I have got in the past couple of years has indicated a reluctance from some to use Patreon as they prefer to opt for a direct payment to me. If you are interested in becoming a patron and would prefer to make a direct contribution, please contact me at paul.evans8153@hotmail.com or in the Feedback section of the blog and I will send you my bank/PayPal details.
Hi Paul – can I start off by having a rant or two please?
Not at Cardiff City firstly or its fans, but BBC Radio Wales!
As I had to visit a relative in hospital 12 miles away yesterday afternoon, I’d planned to catch some of the commentary on my FM car radio (its too old to have a DAB radio unfortunately).
When I tuned in I discovered that commentary for our game (and also for Swansea’s game) was restricted to DAB transmitters only!
Listeners to Radio Wales on FM in the South-East and South-West of Wales had to listen to two hours of build-up to a Rugby game kicking-off at 5pm, between Wales and Italy, to decide who was going to occupy the last and last but one positions in the league.
I really despair at who at Radio Wales is making these decisions.
I thought we’d somewhat moved on from the days when Rugby absolutely ruled the Radio Wales airwaves, and football would get the equivalent of football coverage crumbs!
Sadly Radio Wales seems to be moving backwards in this respect!
So I mainly had to rely on text updates from a friend who was watching it live (not while I was driving of course). I managed to get home in time to listen to the last few minutes on my DAB radio to hear that Watford should have equalised with a header at the death. Strangely, neither that chance nor a couple of other good Watford 2nd half chances that my friend had mentioned, featured on the Quest highlights on Saturday night.
My second rant is at the fickle nature of football fans. After our dismal defeat to Coventry, Social Media was giving plenty of space to ‘fans’ who said it was time for Neil Harris to leave, he was out of his depth, get Craig Bellamy or Eddie Howe in and a completely new set of players, (apparently no financial sense either) etc.
Conveniently ignoring that the same Neil Harris had taken us to the playoffs last season with an excellent run of results.
I partly blame social media for publicising this sort of stuff, but also myself for reading it.
It’s not just our fans though. Social Media also publicised claims by Luton fans that manager Nathan Jones had ‘lost the plot’ after their defeat to us, which he admitted was the worst performance he’d seen by his team, only for the same fans to be purring again after defeating Norwich in midweek, in a performance Nathan Jones described as the best he’d seen from his team.
Going into yesterdays game, Watford were unbeaten in seven games, and were undefeated at home this season.
After losing to us, social media again gave publicity to that element of fans saying it’s time for the manager to go, and he’s out of his depth!
One thing I’ve decided from all of this is that fans who use ‘out of their depth’ when describing a manager are………………..(indescribable)!
Now instead of a rant, a request. Having seen some fans return to stadia in parts of England yesterday, can the Welsh Government give us a roadmap of when that might happen in Wales? I’ve heard that the current view is that it’s not planned to happen before March in Wales.
I realise the emphasis must be on saving lives and protecting the NHS (which I’ve recently seen at first hand, what an incredible job the NHS staff are doing), but I’d ask them to look at what’s happened in England to see what lessons can be learnt about allowing it to happen in Wales earlier than March.
Finally I’ll mention the football – three excellent performances (I saw the first two), where not only are we looking threatening in attack, but our defensive shape is looking good too. I’d also suggest that we’ve had a bit of luck in each of those games (Luton keeper playing on 2nd half despite not appearing to be fit, Huddersfield defensive howler for crucial 2nd goal against run of play, and Watford missing some good chances).
However that makes a pleasant change from those runs of games when nothing seems to go for us!
The next three games will be tough – Stoke away will be hard against another in-form team who have previously under-performed, then the South Wales derby, which hopefully will be on Radio Wales FM as well as DAB transmitters in South Wales, followed by Norwich away.
I think 5 points from those three games would be an excellent return. Not sure if I dare dream for more.
Well today was the best match of the season but let’s not get carried away especially with stoke Swansea Norwich and Brentford on the horizon.
There is no doubt that Watford were nullified by so very good performances by a number of players. I don’t want to single anyone out as it was a good team performance.
My half empty glass started to fill as what I can describe as an excellent performance which shows they can do it when they want. They now need to perform at least another 4 times in the coming weeks and then I will forgive the atrocious performances prior to Luton.
The team have showed they have it in them but that must be the delivery from now on. This is the nearest I have been to feeling we have a chance of the play offs but after those 4 games I will know a lot better
Thanks again, Paul. Another positive report of another positive performance.
I have to admit I thought it was time for a change of manager before the last three games. We were playing poorly in most games with very little in the way of a Plan A alone Plan B. So what has changed? Surely it’s not just down to the inclusion of Mark Harris?
Not having seen any of the games I am not in any position to judge but from what I read in your reports and from comments on our favourite forum, we appear to be playing a much higher tempo style of football. Our possession stats are back down to a figure in the thirties, which we seem more comfortable with?? (less sideways and backward passes?). I’ve seen numerous comments blaming Marlon Pack for this fault. Does a lot of the blame lie there? Certainly he hasn’t started in the last three wins.
I must say the turnaround in form and results has taken me by surprise. Long may it continue.
Again, thank-you Paul, for your well written report. It’s much better the following day reading of a win than a dismal performance.
After waiting for what has seemed like ages for any consistency this season, true to form like red London buses, after a long wait a few come along one after another. Following City’s ponderous early season football, the last 3 games (3 wins, 8 goals scored and none conceded) have seemed like an oasis in a desert. Criticise me if you will, but it has looked like our Manager has finally hit upon a formation and I-IX after he has exhausted every other thing he could think of. Though it must be said his library of ideas was hardly expansive. To me, when his job was in grave peril, after the dire Coventry performance he thought, “What the heck!” and gone for broke. Now Ojo, on the left and taking on full backs virtually every time he has had ball; the mobile Ralls/Vaulks central midfield partnership; and a Moore/Harris strike-force we are now, at last, even starting to look like a team with a coherent strategy of play rather than simply a collection of 11 disparate individuals. It is so pleasing, admittedly after a decade, to have in the young Harris the nearest thing we have had to a player making the runs Chopra did. All we need to do now is make more of the talents of Wilson and we will be more than ready for the final two-thirds of the 2020-2021 Championship season.
The one single aspect of City’s vital transformation has been with Ojo restored to his natural side the times opposition defences have been turned. The winning goal at Watford was a case in point. All the beaten defender could do to halt the Ojo run was to put the ball behind for a corner from which the towering Moore hooked in a Morrison knock-down from 8 yds. 0ne-nil to the City! In short Ojo is a vastly different player on the left. Again, the tempo of the Watford game, as the Luton and Huddersfield games, was infinitely better than the early season offerings.
The Smithies/Morrison/Nelson axis is a foundation most teams in the division and two or three in the PL would like. Bacuna has calmed down his defensive play whilst making a telling contribution further forward. Bennett, at this level, we know, is a class performer. Moore, finally with the correct service, is looking the real deal. With Harris also pulling defenders out of the middle his fellow-striker is getting that extra yard of space. And isn’t he making the most of it.
In a petulant second half two players Cleverley (for a stamp on the stricken Ralls) and Vaulks (noted on the City commentary) should similarly have had a red card. Why it stayed in the ref’s pocket only he will know. Deeney also got away with a yellow on two occasions whilst Ojo saw a yellow for a perfectly good tackle.
In a sentence this was a perfect away performance. Overall we were fairly comfortable and good value for the win.
Now the City Manager has the correct book in his grasp I just hope a battered, old moth-eaten one, discarded on the shelves, will not take his eye off the volume which has produced the three latest, excellent wins. Only 4 teams have a better goal-difference than City’s +8. No mean feat after the sterility of much of the opening third of the season. We can but hope that City’s bus-driver neither takes a wrong turn nor the bus blows a tyre on the rest of the journey.
Thanks Paul.
Like you I again only managed to listen to radio commentary and then watch the brief Sky highlights.
Looked a bit one way traffic but think full viewing would have highlighted a sterling defensive effort and continued fluency at the other end of the pitch – as per last few matches.
Steve’s comments above confirm the images and clips seen and think we all agree that the pacier midfield, proper wing play from Ojo and a striker bang in form and assisted by a willing sidekick are all the main contributory factors. Without being greedy I think that if we can just get Wilson firing in some lethal crosses and set pieces we will be adding the additional firepower to pose even more of a threat.
Also amazed by this turnaround in form and hoping we can keep it up over the next string of tough matches.
71 years old and read reports while in spain good articles paul very enjoyable …. but please have a rest promoting the book or begging for patrons we all know about it by now and sure some of us will take the offers but constant use of the column is becoming a litttle boring now ….apart from that good work o your future reports .
Thanks for the replies everyone. Unfortunately, I did a long response to your messages and somehow it got lost in the ether! So, here’s a very quick version of what I said, Blue Bayou, agree with you about Radio Wales and, broadly speaking, about Neil Harris, but I was beginning to switch sides after the Coventry match. Barry, I put on the messageboard I use that I would be happy with a total of eight/nine points from the six matches which began at Watford – that may leave us further behind the top six, but I think that, coming on the back of good wins over Luton and Huddersfield, it would give us the confidence to kick on over the rest of the season. Colin, I think we’ve gone back to basics to a large degree, Neil Harris was quoted somewhere recently as saying that he picks Pack and Ralls for games where we’re likely to have more of the ball and Ralls and Vaulks for the ones where our opponents will have more possession – I quite like Pack, but I’d like a more mobile, quicker version of him a lot more.
Steve, it cannot be a coincidence that our improved performances and results have coincided with the inclusion of Mark Harris. I’ll admit I doubted whether he had it in him to play like he has done at Championship level, but his mobility and willingness to get into the channels have helped transform our attacking play and Keiffer Moore has certainly benefitted from his presence in the side – like you, I feel a downside has been that Harry Wilson has been marginalised somewhat. Huw, Ojo was another one I had doubts about and he still can be a bit frustrating to watch at times, but, overall, I think I’d mark him down as the most effective of our wingers so far this season and three goals isn’t a bad return either.
One last thing, BJA, I received a notification that you had sent something from my e-mail software, but, for some reason, it doesn’t seem to have found its way onto here – there’s definitely something not quite right on here at the moment.
Hello Dave, welcome to the Feedback section and thank you for your kind comments. However, I have to tell you that I will not be stopping the plugs for my book and requests for Patrons in the near future. I’m still proud to say that, unless requested by the person posting the message, I’ve never felt the need to remove any replies I’ve received in the eleven and a bit years of this blog’s existence, so this is the first complaint I’ve received about my fund raising requests in the last three seasons where the patron scheme has been operating – if I receive more of them, then I’ll reconsider, but, for now, it seems that it’s only you who has an issue with them. What I will say is that, in the past two seasons I’ve stopped posting the Patreon links/Patron requests after Christmas/New Year and I plan to do that again this season.
As for the book, I’m going to keep on plugging it until the fiftieth anniversary of the Real Madrid matches in March at least. Although I’ve had some very helpful suggestions from readers of the blog on how to expand awareness of the book, for now the only ways I can publicise it are through the blog and its Twitter page from which I regularly get new followers who would not be aware of the book without me advertising it in my blog pieces.