Defeats all of the way today for Cardiff City I’m afraid. The first team’s unbeaten run of seven matches came to an end with a 4-2 defeat against West Brom at the Hawthorns which was enough to make the Baggies the latest leaders of what is proving to be an open Championship promotion race so far.
One side conspicuous by their absence from the list of early pace makers is Cardiff City who had barely made it into the top ten on the back of that pretty long run of matches without defeat and now they’re out of it again after today – although it should be pointed out that we are only six points behind West Brom with the first quarter of the season almost completed.
I think a lot of City fans probably would have predicted the two changes Neil Warnock made to the side which won that strange game against QPR on Wednesday. Callum Paterson and Junior Hoilett for Lee Tomlin and Josh Murphy respectively was a reflection of the need for the sort of additional defensive security required when visiting one of the division’s high flyers.
I listened to the majority of the game as I was driving back from the Under 18s match with Charlton which didn’t kick off until 1.15 and so am reliant on the views of others to an extent regarding the game.
It’s tempting, and justified in some ways I feel, to have a go at City after today’s defeat, but it’s only right as well to record that the view that came over in Radio Wales’ coverage backed up Neil Warnock’s opinion that some of the football his team faced in the first half was “the best they’ve played against this season”.
A concerning fact about our first eleven fixtures is that we’ve only played three of the current top ten so far, so, on that basis, it’s not too much of a surprise that West Brom were a step up from what we’ve faced so far, but I must say that I agreed with our manager when he said that anyone finishing above them is likely to go up automatically.
So, any criticism needs to be tempered by a realisation of what we were up against. However, I am going to repeat something that I noticed in the early games we played and that is the failure to recognise the standing we should have in this division now – instead, there has been a temptation to fall into “plucky little Cardiff City” mode -as I said in a messageboard post just after the game, I believe we go into too many games in this division with an attitude akin to a “minnow” facing a big club in a Cup tie.
After what sounded like an encouraging start where it was said our physicality caused the hosts a few problems, West Brom settled down to, seemingly, play the sort of progressive football that we-re either incapable of or unwilling to play. Their first goal arrived shortly after Charlie Austin had been denied by a fine last ditch save by Alex Smithies and it was a beauty curled home from twenty yards by Matheus Pereira, a Brazilian midfielder on loan from Sporting Lisbon.
The rest of the first half made for painful listening as City creaked and groaned at the back in the face of concerted and inventive pressure, but, just when they thought they would reach the sanctuary of half time only the one goal down following more heroics from Smithies, Pereira capitalised on a mistake by Leandro Bacuna to set up another loanee in West Ham’s Grady Diangana (why don’t we make more use of the loan system when we’re in the Championship?) who fired home low across the keeper from a distance that was similar to the first goal.
Kevin Ratcliffe on Radio Wales was critical of Smithies for both goals and while I accept the second one didn’t look that good as far as our keeper was concerned, I think that, just as with the first goal at Hull last weekend, our former defender is being a bit harsh on him. A front on view of the first goal confirms that Smithies didn’t get anywhere near the shot (it’s hard to think of any keepers who would have done) and my feeling with the second one was that it was always just out of his reach.
Anyway, the feeling at half time in the media was that City were staring down the barrel of a thrashing, but, in the event, the second half saw an improvement in their display and a slight decline in West Brom’s.
That said, the impression I was getting was that City hardly had West Brom panicking and what we were getting was an exercise in keeping things respectable. However, the game then burst into life with three incidents which had a very big bearing on its outcome.
Now, I tend to be sympathetic to Robert Glatzel in much the same way I was towards Kenneth Zohore because leading the line at Neil Warnock’s Cardiff City is a pretty thankless task given the poor quality service you get and the low number of opportunities that are created for you. However, having seen a video of his headed miss from a cross from Hoilett I think it was, it is a shocker as he heads well wide from a completely unmarked central position .
Ironically, Glatzel then found the net with another header from a Marlon Pack free kick, but was denied by an offside flag and the feeling that this just was not City’s day only intensified within a minute when Austin made it 3-0.
Unfortunately, this was a goal which brought back all of the early season doubts about the Flint/Morrison central defensive partnership as the former reacted slowly to a flick which sent Austin clear of the latter and he was able to run about fifteen yards and fire past Smithies from the edge of the penalty area – Austin is a “fox in the box” striker who is hardly known for his ability to score the sort of goal he did here because he lacks that explosive pace to take him clear of the last defender, but that is what he did here.
Glatzel made way for Danny Ward and within no time, he had combined with another substitute, Nathaniel Mendez-Laing, to score what seemed to be no more than a consolation. However, when the third sub, Josh Murphy, swung over a corner in the eighty sixth minute, Ward rose unchallenged to head in via a post and suddenly a fixture which had ended 3-3 in two of the previous three matches played at the Hawthorns had the potential to add a third one.
There was a sixth goal in the game, but it came from Albion’s Romaine Sawyers as City pushed men forward, as they had to do. No blame should be attached to the team for letting in a further goal under these circumstances, but it is the thirteenth one we’ve conceded in six, winless, away games this season and that compares very, very poorly with the twenty three conceded in the same number of matches during our promotion season – what odds that Neil Etheridge and, maybe, Sol Bamba will be back in the starting line up when City resume fixtures against Sheffield Wednesday after the second international break?
A few hours earlier I had watched the Under18’s lose their third game of the season when Charlton won a close and pretty entertaining game 2-1. The Under-18 League 2 (South) table has an odd look to it at the moment with five sides well clear at the top with excellent records while the other five, including City, lag a long way behind them.
The reason for this disparity must be that the South Section dominated the Northern one during the early season period when matches are between clubs in the rival sections (there’s a similar programme to end the season as well) and what it means is that, even this early in the season, the chances of City being able to retain the title they won last year must be very remote.
Charlton are one of those five pace setters and came into the game with an impressive record of won four and lost four from their first eight matches, but City generally had the better of things here early on. In saying that, it was more a case of almost but not quite, rather than efforts on the Charlton goal as the slight Ntazana Mayembe was preferred as attack leader to the more powerful Syiabonga Ligendza (who operated on the right wing) and he found himself being eased off the ball in promising and well created situations by a pair of strong centrebacks.
Keiron Evans brought a decent diving save out of Charlton’s impressive keeper Harvey and then showed the lack of poise in a good position that was probably one of the differences between two evenly matched sides when he allowed Mayembe’s pass to get away from him.
Chances were thin on the ground though in a match which Neil Warnock would not have enjoyed much because both sides wanted to “pass, pass, pass” – our manager gave a real insight into how his mind works in this interview about Gavin Whyte during the week.
The visitors had shown little in attack in the opening thirty five minutes or so, but Bradley Stewart, who I was seeing play for the first time, was forced into a good save and, from that point on until they scored, Charlton began to dominate.
There was a header not far over and what turned out to be a sighter for Charlton’s Henry as he curled a free kick a yard or so high and wide, but when he got a second opportunity, he went for a bit more pace and found the net from a free kick about twenty two yards out – although having got his left hand to the shot, perhaps Stewart would have been disappointed not to keep it out.
City’s response was impressive as Rubin Colwill hit a lovely first time effort from about twenty five yards which just needed a bit of fade on it to have brought the scores level, but instead it past about a foot outside the post, but, again, a lack of a sure first touch when in a scoring position and an inability to get a pass quite right denied them from a couple of other opportunities.
Cardiff carried their strong finish to the first half into the second period with Mayembe, now playing on the left as part of a reshuffle caused by Ryan Kavanagh’s replacement of Evans, firing in a powerful angled drive which Newman tipped over the bar. A lovely, fluent passing movement then opened up the Charlton defence down their right, but some last ditch defending meant it only resulted in a corner for City.
However, they were not to be denied and this latest corner brought the sides level. Visiting goalkeeper Newman had been decisive in coming for and catching corners up to now, but Kavanagh kept his kick lower this time and it found its way to the far post where left back Sam Parsons made a difficult chance look easy by volleying the chest high ball into the net from ten yards.
For the next quarter of an hour or so I felt the game was there to be won for City as they forced the pace. Eli King, who had disappeared without trace it seemed last season after being touted as one of the Academy’s best prospects a couple of years ago, formed a good midfield combination with the energetic Harry Pinchard and Colwill, but it was the latter who really came to the fore now with his skill and vision as he turned in what was the best performance I’ve seen from him.
Unfortunately, with Isaak Davies absent, City lacked the attacking focal point that may have capitalised on Colwill’s probing and there was a contrast in how Charlton were able to cash in on their one, short, period of superiority in the second half to come up with the winning goal.
City looked like they had survived when Stewart saved from a Charlton sub who had been put clean through and then Taylor Jones made a goal saving tackle after the ball rebounded from the keeper’s stop, but the visitors worked a short corner routine shortly afterwards which ended with Billy French heading in from point blank range.
It was all fairly comfortable for the visitors after that, apart from right at the death when sub Cian Ashford got in a shot which Newman had to dive to turn around the post. Defeat was tough on a City team which, I thought, probably just about edged the game in many respects, but Charlton had that bit of confidence that comes from the sort of run they’re on and so I suppose they expected to win more than their opponents who now only have two victories to show from eight matches.
I’ve already mentioned that Rubin Colwill was very good today, but he may have been beaten to a City man of the match award by captain Joel Bagan who was a picture of poise and effectiveness as he never put a foot wrong in the middle of the home defence.
Just a few words about Blaenrhondda FC, who are settling in quite nicely following their promotion to the Premier Division of the Highadmit South Wales Alliance League. Today they beat previously unbeaten Cefn Cribwr BC 2-0 at home to move up to fifth in the table.
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.
Thanks, Paul.
Having seen nothing of the game I’m not going to contribute much, just the thought that three games in eight days probably was a step too far. With Neil not prepared to take a chance on the fringe players there is little scope for rotation. With Ralls unavailable, Pack, himself just back from injury, and Bacuna have had a heavy workload. A lot has also been asked of Gavin Whyte.
It’s a shame that Glatzel didn’t take that chance, he’s likely to lose his place now and even if he doesn’t he will be under a lot of pressure to perform.
The break may, or may not, help but it should give calls a chance to recover and for Pack and Bacuna to recharge their batteries.
I was at the game yesterday, and my overall thoughts are as follows:
1. The Hawthorns is a classic old fashioned type of ground that was packed to the rafters yesterday making for a fantastic atmosphere. Albion fans noisily supported their team. We had a go too, but for much of the first half were the quieter set of fans, reflecting what was happening on the pitch.
2. Three hard games in seven days seemed to take it’s toll. In the first half especially we gave a very good Albion team far too much time on the ball, and didn’t press as hard and long as we’ve done recently. It reminded me of how hard we worked against QPR 2nd half, and so we possibly paid the price today.
3. Both Albion goals were taken very well and I wouldn’t blame Smithies for either. In fact he pulled off two more outstanding saves in the first half to stop us going further behind.
4. We had started pretty well and got into some decent shooting positions, but they all went massively high and wide. The best first half effort I recall was from Whyte who fizzed a low shot, which I thought was going in, but Albion keeper Johnstone just got a diving hand to it, to divert for a corner. Albion quickly took control though. I really liked Semi Ajayi when I saw him play for Cardiff and he looked to have a great future. I was sorry to see we let him go, while acknowledging we were very well-blessed with centre-halfs at the the time. I thought Ajayi had an excellent game in the heart of the Albion defence, especially first half, defended well and looked very assured on the ball.
5. We seemed shell-shocked going two down. We continued to give Albion too much time and space, and when we had the ball, no-one made any movement for our man in possession, and so we invariably conceded the ball back cheaply. That’s when we looked tired, especially players like Pack, returning from injury and playing three games in a week.
6. We were much improved second half, attacking the goal in front of the Away fans. Then two crucial events which had a massive bearing on the game.
Firstly following superb build-up and cross from Hoilett, Glatzel looked bound to score from the centre of the six yard box, unchallenged into a gaping goal, but somehow managed to head wide, which looked more difficult to do. Then when it looked like he’d made amends soon after by heading in from a free-kick, the linesman flagged for an offside against Morrison!
7. We were immediately punished when Austin gave Flint the slip to steer the third past Smithies one on one.
8. Ward came on for Glatzel and showed the power of the right substitutions. He is a clever player, although it almost seemed as though the West Brom defenders hadn’t worked out who was supposed to be marking him as he easily lost his marker for his two goals.
9. West Brom were wobbling and we were building pressure. Going into injury time, Murphy had time and space to deliver a cross into their box, but under no pressure he hit the ball too long and high and it went for a goal-kick. We felt that was our last chance gone, as West Brom were still managing to look pretty good in possession. As it happened they caught us pushing forward to get their fourth.
10. I heard a few despondent comments from City fans on the way back to the train station, saying we hadn’t played well for a while and this was just another of those.
However, this was our first defeat in eight games, and West Brom have only lost once all season, and have probably deservedly gone back to the top of the table. And we are only six points behind them. A look at recent results in the Championship only goes to prove once again, what an open league it is, where even the bottom team can beat the top!
11. Finally a good word on the organisation for away fans to and from the train/tram station to the ground with polite and helpful train staff, and a return platform system that seemed to give away fans priority on return trains into Birmingham!
To coin a phrase from Neil Warnock, earlier in the season, “We played well for twenty minutes.” This time, however, instead of it being all together at the start of the game, it was split between the start and end of the match. In fact on 28 minutes I turned to my mate and remarked: “What was promising is now poor.” I must say this, and it’s not in hindsight, that I expected a going over at the Hawthorns once the formation became evident.
Readers of this page will know my thoughts on the 4231 played by City, a team ill equipped to play it, whereas QPR played it to perfection at CCS recently. At the risk of sounding like a cracked 45, our version of the 4231 leaves huge gaps in front of our two fullbacks that the might of Wigan and Reading have cruelly exposed. After reverting to a 4411 (Middlesbrough/h); 4141 (Hull/a) and 4141 (QPR/h) resulting in 7 points, why on earth adopt our shaky 4231 against the high-flying WBA, a team with two pacey wingers, and present them 30 yards of space to utilise in front of Peltier and Bennett? It was a recipe for disaster and so it turned out. Sure we were up against a side fancied for promotion but that doesn’t excuse yesterday’s performance. I can remember us going to Crystal Palace (in the Malcolm Allison days of Div 3) yet we came away with a 1-0 win in a top of the table end of season encounter. It’s all about the mind-set. Certainly, if we like Warnock said were going to have a go at it this season, a la Burnley, then this summer and opening 11 games, has been the tamest of attempts to do so. The score was 4-2 but it could have been 6 or 7. In fact I felt the game was lost before it had started. The logic in this change of formation was beyond me on two counts. (1) Why change a system that was working? (2) Why adopt a system that would play into the opposition’s hands? It might have been, “the best football we have faced this season,” but part of that was down to gifting the opposition a formation that played into their strengths.
Smithies: I have been impressed with him after his shaky start but was surprised to read the Echo giving him a star-billing 8 out of 10. True he made two absolutely world class saves in front of the City fans in the first half but was culpable for two of the goals. Goal #2 … he went down slowly for a shot that went across him; Goal #3 … he went down early and only had his legs to try to save a shot that was subsequently placed to his left.
Glatzel’s miss: I’ve heard it described as a, “sitter.” That it was not. From my position behind the very same goals that the chance fell, it seemed the ball, played in from the left, clearly had far too much pace on it and gave the striker no time to adjust his jump. My feeling was that the cross was whipped in and Glatzel just happened to be able to get his head on it but unable to direct the header. A more measured cross that offered Glatzel room to manoeuvre and it would have been an awful miss.
It was a disappointing day at the office for City, for sure, but one that was virtually guaranteed before they left CF11. Sadly we are a dinosaur in a sea of antelopes.
Thanks Paul.
Sorry but like Colin and yourself my information limited to some of the Radio Wales commentary which suggested we were well outplayed.
Very grateful to other contributors for their detailed analysis which makes absolute sense in respect of individuals and set up etc.
In summary agree we are about where we deserve to be and cannot compete with a certain type of opponent. I don’t have much confidence in us doing much better than battling draws on the road and relying on our home form to keep on the periphery of the play-off slots.
Time for a break and reassessment with Ward deserving of a go from the start and also hope that Tomlin can continue to feature prominently as can’t see any creativity otherwise. Presume Ralls will be back soon as, despite the result, he was a missing link last Wednesday too and badly missed. Sounds like we would still have been well-beaten yesterday though even if he had been playing.
Ever hopeful of some recharged batteries after the break but fear that our fundamental approach will not be enough this year based on evidence of first quarter of the season.
Great stuff from one and all! Big thanks from me.
Steve P nails it – this is already shaping up to be the tamest of attempts at “having a go”…and that tameness, as seems always to be the current case, lies in our pre-season.
No real smartness in identifying excellence, and no will to shell out for it.
One of my frequent questions (admittedly from geographical distance, but not from emotional distance) is “What the heck do we do with our ‘parachute payments’?”
Our esteemed Blogmeister usually guides me…I barely have the will to conduct an intelligent investigation on my own behalf.
Lindsay,
Parachute payments? We’ve had quite a few years of those and certainly that money must be on the way to £100m by now. Am I too harsh to say I think we know where it’s going? Suffice to say it’s not going on the team.
Wolves spent £110m when they went up and subsequently qualified for Europe. The following summer they spend another £90m and now beat Man City 2-0 away. Losing to Wigan and Reading, using an inadequate formation based on the players in our squad, is clearly a far more sensible approach according to the hierarchy at CCFC. Warnock says Tan, Dalman and Choo are doing a wonderful job, Tan says Warnock is the best thing since sliced bread whilst the Club is now starting to go backwards. A brutal assessment, true, but one I think is nearer the truth than comments coming out of City. Something has to change for change to take place.
I’ll take a bit of a back seat here in light of the two excellent summaries we have from people who were at the game and just offer a few random thoughts;-
1. I agree with the points Blue Bayou makes about the Hawthorns – that was certainly my experience inside and outside the ground when I went to the 3-3 Premier League game five years ago.
2. I think Steve’s “dinosaur in a sea of antelopes” is a very effective way of putting over the way in which our football feels old fashioned and ineffective in the modern game for many of our fans.
3. Interesting to read Blue Bayou’s comments about Semi Ajayi. It annoys me that we let a player go like that without giving him a single chance in the first team and shows the limitations of our policy which, broadly speaking, appears to say that we don’t consider players for first team football unless they’re over twenty five. Truth is though, the player Blue Bayou described (“assured on the ball” – a footballing centreback) would, in all likelihood, get short shrift from our manager.
4.Although very helpful, Blue Bayou’s and Steve’s view of the game differs in terms of how full or empty they see our glass at the moment. My own view is much like Huw’s – I think being six points off the top greatly flatters us based on what we’ve seen so far and, as I mentioned in a messageboard post I did over the weekend, although I accept that we’ve lost some big players since, when I think of where we were as the final whistle blew at Old Trafford in May and where we are now, I can’t help but think that our summer buys in the transfer market have left us a lot weaker than we needed to be.
5. Regarding Glatzel’s miss, having seen the extended highlights now on the club website, I must disagree with Steve – I think the commentator on the website may have got it right when he said Glatzel jumped too early – also the offside decision to rule out his header shortly afterwards looked a very , very tight one.
6. Regarding Lindsay’s query about parachute payments, I read something on Twitter this morning which claimed that only Brentford, Bristol City and West Brom spent more than us this summer and I suppose that the club may have kept money back in the event that they would be found to be liable for the full amount in the Emiliano Sala transfer – I’d also like to think that the club debt will have been reduced in the last year as well.
7, Finally, I wonder if it’s time for Neil Warnock to start questioning his decision to start every match with two wingers? I don’t think they are repaying our manager’s faith in them this season and haven’t been doing so for quite a bit longer than that.
Thank, Paul.
I’m not sure that being fourth in the ‘big spenders’ list does us any favours – either we’re wasting the dosh, or we’re wasting the talent (Bobby Reid? Madine?)
In my stressed-out view, we are badly run and badly managed…think of Leicester, Burnley, Bournemouth, Wolves…even Brighton, skin of their teeth last season, but they go and appoint a worldly, intelligent, broad-minded Manager, buy wisely, and promote youth.
So unlike our own dear Club.
Hello Paul and others – What a cracking week for sensible comments and opinions. As someone who did not know what was taking place at the Hawthorns until the match was virtually over, it really has been good to have the thoughts of two of those who actually were at the match.
I have now had the chance to watch some 25 minutes of the game on the City TV channel and whilst we were somewhat deficient in our defensive play (an understatement), there was some promise in attack. Which brings me onto the point that you were making about NW’s obsession with wingers. Time for a change – I think so. How about a front three of Glatzel, Ward and Whyte, with Ralls, Bacuna and Pack in the middle. Accepting that our German may have missed a golden chance on Saturday, he did ‘score’ with a fine header and had a tremendous shot saved by Johnstone. And Ward certainly knows where the goal is by his efforts in the last two games. I believe that the two together could well cause problems for many a Championship defence. Then there is Whyte. a player who is improving the more game time he receives.
Having sorted out our offensive department, goodness knows what we do about the carthorses further back!!! Suggestions please?