In his press conference before Cardiff City’s home game with Middlesbrough today, Neil Warnock talked about giving the club’s supporters something to shout about.
The remark may have been prompted by a start to the season which could charitably have been called low key. Even for a side that struggles to gain plaudits in a world where the media and many supporters feel they play football that is behind the times and compliments on the entertainment offered are virtually non existent, Cardiff’s football has been functional and stolid – some may say that if any set of fans were in need of something to shout about this season it was Cardiff’s.
So, were they given something to shout about today? Well, that’s a tough one to answer in many ways. To try and illustrate what I mean, I’m going to put myself in the position of a Cardiff fan who has seen all of our games so far this season apart from this one and is learning of the outcome of the match by visiting, say, the BBC website’s report on what happened.
The first thing this supporter would feel would surely be pleasure that City had won, but then as they took in the data which described the nature of the victory, then I’m pretty sure that they would conclude that it was a pretty typical Cardiff City 19/20 game – in short, they would feel they hadn’t missed much.
For a start, there was the score – 1-0. Then there was the nature of the goal – an own goal from a set piece in the first couple of minutes. They might then take in the match stats – there would be some surprise that City’s possession count was as high as forty six per cent and they may have concluded that the fact that Middlesbrough had eleven shots to our nine and eight corners to our three meant the visitors had done most of the attacking, with the fact that there was only one on target goal attempt in the whole game (the own goal wouldn’t count as an on target effort, so I think it must have been a pretty tame effort from about twenty five yards by Omar Bogle in the first half which Darren Randolph in the Boro goal dealt with easily) rather underlining the impression that this was not a bad game to miss.
If by chance, this person then clicked on the link for Sky’s highlights of the game, they would have seen a goal nodded into his own net by striker Ashley Fletcher as he guarded the near post from Josh Murphy’s corner with no Cardiff player within a couple of yards of him and that was the only highlight worth capturing in the first half according to Sky.
The video included four incidents from the second half – two misses by Omar Bogle (one a header which glanced off the crossbar and over), a shot not too far over by Boro’s George Saville and a Callum Paterson header which landed on the roof of the net. It all amounted to one minute twenty seven seconds of video action which, once again conveys a certain message about the quality of the entertainment on offer.
The thing is though, I don’t think any of that was fair summation of what I saw today at all. For me, this was City’s best display of the season so far and, with the boost of an early goal behind us, it felt to me as if we were in control for the whole ninety minutes.
To try and back up what I say, Alex Smithies, retained in the starting line up despite the fact that Neil Etheridge was fit again after having played in the Development team’s 3-2 win at Sheffield Wednesday last Monday, can have had few more quiet afternoons than this one – off the top of my head, I can only think of a dash off his line to dive at the feet of Britt Assombalonga in the first half as a testing moment for the keeper.
Smithies’ lack of involvement was a testimony to a defence that were dominant throughout, with Lee Peltier, Sean Morrison and Aden Flint all turning in it does what it says on the tin type performances. Joe Bennett was more lively than he has been and, in the first half especially troubled the club he started his career with as he got forward to good effect – once putting over a low cross which Joe Ralls should have made more of after one of our best passing sequences of the season.
That miss apart it was another seven or eight out of ten type performance from Ralls who has been our most consistent player this season in my view and this time the midfield man’s performance was all the more praiseworthy because, according to our manager in his post match interview, he was playing with an injury.
If Ralls is our most consistent player, then Leandro Bacuna has been running him close in recent matches. He and Ralls have been an effective combination since they were teamed up after the Reading game and, with Marlon Pack training again (I wouldn’t be surprised to see him play for the Under 23s at Coventry on Tuesday and then, possibly, in the squad for Hull next weekend), Neil Warnock is going to have a harder decision to make than I for one was expecting him to have when Pack is ready for selection again.
On the right wing, Gavin Whyte was a lot of people’s man of the match. There was the usual tracking back and unselfish work for the team from him backed up by what for me was his best attacking display so far. For the first time in a game, I thought he showed evidence that he can be a good attacking player at this level and it seemed to me that his crossing was better than it had been. However, despite all of the good things he did, when you think about it, there still wasn’t a great deal of effective end product from him, but, at least, today offered hope that this situation can and will change.
Josh Murphy forced the early corner which led to the goal and he could claim an assist for it, but, in truth, I think it was more down to an aberration by Fletcher than brilliant dead ball delivery by Murphy. After this great start, Murphy was, like he so often is, fitful, but, apparently, his substitution at half time was down to him not being well – like Robert Glatzel who had to miss the match, it seems Murphy was suffering from a stomach bug.
In Glatzel’s absence, Omar Bogle performed so many of a centre forwards set of tasks well, but should really have found the net from at least one of three very presentable scoring opportunities he had. First, he took too long to get his shot away in the first half, then, surely, shot with his wrong foot soon after the break after being played in by a lovely pass from Ralls and finally when he headed against the crossbar.
That last opportunity came from a fine cross by the man who replaced Murphy, Junior Hoilett who, it seems to me, is head and shoulders above the other wide players we have when it comes to delivering a quality cross,
There were quite a few improved performances from members of the City team, but those caveats I had expressed about how Bogle and Whyte did rather characterises the side in that, for all of the improvement and commitment shown today by them, that little bit of a killer instinct which turns decent chances into goals and promising crossing instances into genuine goal threats is still in very short supply.
It could be that upcoming matches will prove that today’s win was not the turning point that I came out of the ground thinking it might be. I say that because the fact has to be faced that Middlesbrough weren’t very good today and they should have been put out of their misery by a second goal from City – I just can’t help thinking that there are many sides in this division who would have been able to go 2-0, and more, ahead if they were enjoying the same amount of control as City had today.
Although Whyte more than justified his place in the team today, I don’t think the same can be said of Callum Paterson who, according to Danny Gabbidon on the Radio Wales phone in today was, perhaps, being played in the number ten role for what he can give to us defensively.
I see the 4-2-3-1 formation we use as allowing us to have four players who are primarily attacking players (or at least that’s what happens when it is used by other teams), but is this true when Paterson and Whyte occupy two of those positions given the work they have to do when it comes to defensive matters? I’d say that with us it’s more like two or three attackers, not four when the formation is used.
Therefore, when you consider that many sides play with five defenders and two in midfield shielding that back line it’s asking a lot for a team fielding just two or three players with a real licence to attack to be prolific goalscorers – it’s a case of sheer weight of numbers prevailing.
Consequently, when you consider the lack of numbers we get into the opposition penalty area from open play and the sort of quality of finishing we saw when opportunities did come along, we looked like a team who, really speaking, are only likely to win games by 1-0 yesterday.
No doubt, Lee Tomlin, back today after missing last week with whiplash effect caused by a car accident he was involved in, would have been brought on if we had been struggling for the goal Fletcher, obligingly, provided for us, but it is an indication of the type of thinking that prevails in the dug out at Cardiff that he stayed sat on the bench in a game where we had an early lead to hold on to.
There is a debate to be had as to how effective Tomlin would be if he was given a run of, say, ten matches in the side, but, for now, he is the player we have to rely on as a possible provider of the sort of qualities normally associated with the modern day number ten position.
In his first season with us, Neil Warnock used Hoilett in that role at times with some success, so he would be another possibility, but, increasingly, the signs are that Callum Paterson is his first choice in the role (a situation many fans predicted before a ball had been kicked this season).
Two seasons ago, it could be argued that Paterson’s selection in a position just behind our lone striker was justified because of the number of goals he was scoring, but the Scottish international has not scored for us in 2019 and without that ability to find the net with a strike rate of something like one in every four or five matches, it is hard to see how his continued selection there can be vindicated.
The only way I can see for justifying Paterson over Tomlin or maybe Hoilett in the number ten role is that the man in possession of the shirt can defend better than the other two – put Tomlin or Hoilett there and I believe there might have been more chances created for us to get that killer second goal against Boro, but would their presence have decreased our chances of holding on to our 1-0 lead? It probably would have done, but, if Paterson cannot rediscover his scoring knack, we are surely going to need more creativity to start being considered as real promotion contenders.
To finish on an encouraging note though, I described the performances in our last two matches as tiny steps forward, well today I think we took a bigger one – perhaps the description that I heard a fair bit of today whereby our season will be what is being called a “slow burner” is appropriate?
After last week’s very good display against Leeds, there was, perhaps, an even more promising one today from our under 18s. Down 2-0 early in the second half at Crystal Palace, City struck back to win with goals by Harry Pinchard, Rubin Colwill and Ntzana Mayembe.
Once again, can I make 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 so far 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.
I get very despondent when after getting a win I feel so empty. Middlesbrough I though were clueless and how we didn’t score more goals is down to way the team plays because it seems that every chance is either scuffed or missed completely
That tells me that the forwards are not good enough for this league. The idea of playing Bogle & Madine in any of our games is showing just how un prepared we were for this season especially when something happens to glatzel .
It’s the same in midfield no creativity except when tomlin is in the team, nobody seems to see the defence splitting pass.
I cannot believe Murphy is still picked as he cannot beat a man and bar for the corner which the silly defender put into his own net with no one near him that was about his limit. Yes he may have been ill so maybe it was a good time to leave him out .
I am not a bacuna fan but he had a really good game and if he continues in that vein then I could change my mind.
Paterson is nowhere near the player of the last championship season but I can see he is there to defend more than attack.
So back to the game, it was so poor that there is a good chance because we won that people will start believing in fairy tales. Take it from me we haven’t played any decent team yet except for Fulham who had 10 men for most of the second half yet nearly beat us.
I pay for my season ticket for entertainment , unlike NW I would prefer attack rather than defence and there lies a story. We have 4 defender plus bacuna and Ralls along with Paterson all defence minded. All capable of scoring in their own right but the way we are set up means that has no chance of happening . Whyte who had a really good game is also having to defend. Then we have Murphy who cannot defend for toffee so putting someone like Hoilett in and adding the defending that glatzel has had to do in the last few games tells me we are not going to score from open play . Our last goals have been a penalty and own goal.
Having watched the derby fiasco who were there for the taking and this game I can only assume that until a team scores against us are we really going to attack them.
Boring boring boring football and back to the top line a total lack of enjoyment
Thanks Paul.
Another excellent summary – you have again called it just right.
Stats told one story but feeling at the ground was of some improvement and more control than in other recent home matches.
I also think your comments on all the individuals mentioned was spot on. Good defensive effort with Flint in particular looking strong.
Ralls and Bacuna are forming a good partnership in midfield but we are clearly lacking creativity and, apart from a Tomlin, not sure where this will come from.
Bogle offered lots of running and effort and should have done better with at least one of the chances he had. Agree that whoever is playing up front will struggle with the lack of quality crosses and/or through balls.
Our hard running style and effort should see us all right in most home games and we will pick up some points away, but fear it will not be consistent enough to mount a real challenge without a significant improvement.
However, some good progress on a baking afternoon where a few of us were “ slow burning”. Now for the long haul over the Autumn,but at least we can see some green shoots!
Morning all and another thank you to Paul for your excellent match report.
Late to the party this week as I had a touch of the ‘Josh Murphy’s’ yesterday. Suppose I have to give a free pass for his first half performance but I still have grave doubts about his commitment and desire. I think most fans will forgive a player’s limitations if they can see he wants to play for the club, Murphy hasn’t convinced me he does. After the first couple of games that I saw Bacuna play for us I also had doubts about him but in fairness those feelings have been dispelled by his later performances. I was definitely wrong (not the first and won’t be the last) I’m pleased to say and I’m quite looking forward to a midfield of Bacuna, Pack and Ralls.
I’ve read a lot of negative comments about Saturday’s performance, makes me think that those people haven’t witness the dross that we played in August. I’ll agree that Boro were a poor side and were woeful in defence and that a good side would have racked up a Man. City-type scoreline but we were actually passing the ball to players in blue shirts!!
Except for a period in the first half when our midfield was pulled out of position thus creating acres of space I thought we might struggle but that seemed to get sorted and except for the fear that, because we didn’t get a second, we would chuck away two points late on I didn’t think we were under a lot of pressure.
Perhaps if the boss had introduced Tomlin for Patterson things would have been easier, it seemed the ideal opposition for Tomlin’s eye for a pass to create havoc.
Morning everyone and thanks for your replies. Barry, I’ve had a feeling that I’ve been very negative on here this season and so was pleased to have something a bit more positive to write about. I came out of the ground thinking that Saturday had been better than the other games I’ve seen, but I must say I heard, seen and read a lot of opinions like yours over the past thirty six hours or so. I’m going to take the view that getting a win was the most important thing on Saturday and, hopefully, it will lead to both better results and a higher standard of play, but,even if it does, the attitude of our manager is not going to change and, essentially, I’m sure we are going to keep on seeing what is a defensive approach to selection and tactics.
Huw, your attitude is more in line with mine than Barry and Colin’s are, but you conclusion that we will not mount a challenge without significant improvement also shows your doubts. On that score, eight games in is one of those stages where you can make more accurate predictions about number of points won etc. because it’s exactly a sixth of the way through the season. I think up to now, the reaction from fans to what we have done has been mainly a negative one, but five more returns like the one we’ve had from our first eight matches would give us seventy two points and that’s been enough to secure a top six finish in eight of the last twenty five seasons, so, in terms of points needed at least, our improvement would not need to be that great.
It’s pure speculation entirely on my part Colin, but I always think of Murphy being left out of the squad completely for that crucial game at Fulham last season, I have to wonder what something like that to his attitude towards both manager and club. There was actually a time in the first half when I remarked to my mate, albeit as a joke, that the crowd would start to get out the Oles soon given the way we were passing the ball. I thought that was another aspect of our game that was better than it has been and, for myself at least, all I want to see is better quality passing that our norm – I’m not looking at us playing like Fulham did down here recently, I just want us to be in control off the ball a bit more.
Thanks one and all – but, especially for those notes of optimism…much needed!
From here in the East, I can only see a Warnockland, whose very heart is occupied by a far-flung Centre-Forwards’ graveyard – decent, competent, strikers, with goal or two in them, arrive in his care…and the goals dry up.
But then, I’m not a fan of the geezer.