Well, the managers come and go, the names on the team sheet change, but when it comes to Cardiff City playing at the stadium which bears their name, it’s the same old, same old, same old story – we’re crap and we know we are.
Each of the same olds I used above signifies a season of the dross Cardiff have served up at home since our Play Off defeat by Fulham which ended the elongated 19/20 season and I fear that 23/24 is going to stretch the truly miserable sequence to four years if today’s 2-1 loss to a QPR side who have had a nightmare run over the past ten months and started the season by shipping four first half goals at Watford last week is anything to go by.
I’m hoping that I’m reading too much into today’s result against one of the few sides who have been tipped to finish below us this year, but I strongly suspect I’m not.
As I saw it, it was vital we start the home season off with a win given how things have gone on our own ground in recent years because a failure to win in a game that we were widely expected to take three points from would only bring back demons which, if his post match comments are anything to go by, our manager thinks are real and an issue he has to overcome before his team can progress as he wants them to.
The game last week at Leeds saw us spend the large majority of our time defending and the possession stats were almost 75/25 in favour of our opponents. It’s true that having a lead to defend in the second half probably skewed those figures more in Leeds’ favour, but, from what we’ve been told, it was a typical Bulut type showing – concede the initiative to your opponents and then break with speed and numbers when the opportunity arises.
However, in his pre game press conference on Thursday, Bulut talked of the need for a different type of approach from his team today where we were more on the front foot and in our opponent’s faces. It all seemed pretty obvious to me, especially when you consider that QPR’s levels of self belief must have been on the floor and opposition heads would have dropped pretty quickly if we’d scored early on.
So, we were told by the manager what he, apparently, wanted, but what we got was completely different – at least up until about the seventy minute mark.
City fans have grown used to seeing their team starting slowly in home games (here’s a quiz question I cannot answer myself but maybe someone else can- when is the last time City flew out of the traps and made a fast start that rattled their opponents in a home game?), but today was so disappointing in so many respects.
I noticed that someone on the messageboard I use wrote during the first half that City were “passive” – that was the exact word that I came up with at about the same time as he did as I watched us playing what looked like a counter attack set up without the counter attacking. We were just sitting back letting this side that are relegation favourites walk all over us.
On the rare occasions we had the chance to counter attack we were so slow and our passing so laboured and inaccurate that QPR were only troubled twice in the first half when Ebou Adams had a shot deflected over after a scramble in the six yard box and Ike Ugbo probably should have done better with a chance he turned wide from six yards after a Mark McGuinness header.
Another cause for concern was that so many of those I think of as our more reliable players like Ryan Wintle, Perry Ng and Callum O’Dowda were having such poor games.
The last named was culpable for the first goal as City were sloppy for the umpteenth time as O’Dowda hesitated from a throw near our corner flag and allowed Paul Smyth to get past him and roll over a cross that Sinclair Armstrong tapped in from six yards. It was all too reminiscent of the two goals against Colchester on Wednesday and perhaps the most concerning thing was that the personnel involved were completely different (all four goals we’ve conceded in our last two home games have come down our left).
Jak Alnwick had already been forced to tip over a header by Steve Cook when the veteran defender had been left unmarked from a free kick as the visitors were given all of the time they needed to gain confidence when I’m sure they had been expecting a far sterner examination in the opening stages.
The second half brought no improvement, there was the same sluggishness and lack of cohesion from a team in which maybe only Mark McGuinness and Aaron Ramsey could feel fairly satisfied with their play in the first hour.
When Ramsey hit the bar with a curling shot from twenty yards it came completely out of the blue because it was so much against the general flow of the game, but soon after, the Welsh captain carelessly conceded possession which enabled the visitors to break on one of those quick counter attacks we were supposed to be showing and Armstrong was able to play in Kenneth Paal who confidently put away his chance.
Mind you, QPR’s task was made all the easier by Dimitrios Goutas, seemingly brought in to provide a calming, experienced presence at the back, diving into a tackle like a complete novice and ending up being absolutely skinned.
It had now got to the stage where City were hearing opposing fans oleing as their written off team began to start taking the piss a bit – this was supposed to be an upbeat occasion where Ramsey was welcomed back and we celebrated with three points, the fact it all went so wrong only heightened the sense of disappointment.
Callum Robinson was introduced for an injured Adams and he at least provided some energy and thought, but it was the introduction of a youngster who was making his league debut that provided the catalyst for City’s “Grandstand finish” – you know, the bit at the end where we knock lots of dead balls into the box and everyone begins to think we can save something from a dismal afternoon/evening, but we hardly ever do (even when we did manage to pull back a two goal deficit against the jacks last season, we promptly sat back and allowed them to score a winner).
I can’t believe any City fan felt that Ollie Tanner would be coming on in our second league game this season and would represent our best hope of creating a goal, but he made a big difference and, forget about tactics, forget about systems, he showed that he wanted to be out here-, so many others spent the first hour and more looking like they couldn’t wait to get off the pitch.
Ugbo tapped in following good work by O’Dowda to get one back on seventy eight minutes and the big moment when City could have levelled came when Ng crossed and McGuinness flicked a shot against the crossbar from eight yards.
After that there were numerous corners (I see little sign of any improvement in our attacking set pieces so far this season) and balls into the box, but nothing came of them and the ten minutes of added time passed by much too quickly as far as City we’re concerned.
Looking on the boards and a few of the post match quotes, I’ve not come across anyone saying we were unlucky because we hit the woodwork twice – the consensus is that we got exactly what we deserved, just like we have done in the vast majority of the umpteen defeats we’ve suffered at home in the past three years.
I’ll finish on today’s game by mentioning Erol Bulut’s post match comments about the team being nervous in the first half and that some of the them were still carrying mental scars from two years of relegation struggling.
I’m sure many will disagree with our manager there and with me when I say that nerves could be responsible for the some of the listless and careworn football we saw from City today. I was saying at the back end of last season that we’d got into the territory where our consistent under performance at home over a long period meant that serious thought should be given to using the services of a sports psychologist – we’re putting ourselves at a huge disadvantage with our long term inability to cash in on what should be the advantage of playing at home.
Today’s been one of those days where all of the teams I have wanted to win were beaten and that stretches to City’s under 18s who have been talked up a lot, including by myself at times, as one of the better groups we’ve had at this level down the years, but today they lost 3-0 at home to Birmingham in their first league game of the season.
Finally, the start of the season is the time I ask readers to show their support by making a voluntary donation towards the blog’s running costs and to help towards things like book projects that I’m working on. Back in 2018, the blog would not have survived without the contributions of some of its readers as I just did not have the financial means to pay the web hosting bill I received that summer.
Since then, my finances have improved and, with me now receiving the state pension to go with my works one, I can say that there is no longer any need for anyone to donate towards running costs – touching wood, the blog will never ever be in a position again where it’ll need help from readers to survive.
So, with nothing in the pipeline in terms of new projects this year, I can say to all readers, and especially those who do still donate towards the blog, there is no need to do so this year at a time when many need every last penny to make it through the cost of living crisis.
That is not to say you cannot still make a contribution if you want to – they can be made through cash, bank transfer, cheque and PayPal. Many of you who do contribute will already have my bank details, but anyone wishing to make their first contribution can contact me at paul.evans8153@hotmail.com for more information.
As always a big thank you to all those who have made donations in the past and especially to those who still do (particular thanks go to the Owl Centre for their continued very generous sponsorship), a happier Cardiff City season than last time around to all of you!
Prior to reading Buluts comments I told the wife. City need to get rid of all players who were there under McCarthy. He destroyed us and they still have that hangover. Then Bulut came out with his comments.
Harsh as it is. NG didn’t move ball quickly. McGuinness takes ball into other players space before passing. Grant was rubbish.
Ramsey was put in that position for 2nd goal because grant was jumping with Ugbo in box. If he held his position he would have picked up the loose ball.
Many times in the game Ramsey was looking for a pass but those forward were standing still. LAZY
A terrible result and you’ve done well to get a full report out when it can be summed up by those three words only.
Bulut’s spoken about 3+ new faces in before end of transfer window and I expect he’s confident – why else would he sanction Bagan’s loan move away? – but if he doesn’t get them, then we’ve seen in first 3 games how fragile we look defensively.
Two of the goals we’ve conceded (2nd against Leeds and 2nd against QPR) have seen several players rush towards the ball which leaves wide open space for the next attacker to pick on.
Two of the goals we’ve conceded (both goals yesterday) started on individual errors.
It’s not good when half the goals appear to be errors in defensive system and half seem to be errors in individuals – there’s too much to fix.
Our CM position needs fixing (statement copied and pasted from last number of seasons).
We did create several chances, some of our players off the bench looked very hungry and our starting striker has scored two in two games. Some positives on a dreadful day.
Good morning Paul and everyone – I’ll get this off my chest whilst I am in the mood – same old, same old, yes in performance, but in the starting eleven there were six who were making league debuts at home, and Alnwick had only played a couple when Allsop was injured. So what went wrong with our new “team”.
If Dai W had seen the game he would have been bellowing out instructions to pass forward, not sideways or backwards, and it seemed to this observer that the team were “scared” to make a mistake. Our healthy possession stats with almost two thirds of the ball really caused the opposition no great trouble, as it was relatively easy to find a team mate with the ball if you didn’t pass forwards. A lack of ambition, or ability on the part of attackers to find space. In any event, for most of the game we were poor.
Our Manager’s notion that our full backs push on inside did not work. And as you rightly state, the goals we are conceding are coming from our left sided defence where O’Dowda seems to be receiving no cover from the abject Grant. And Ng, who I respect as a full back, seemed unable to link with Bowler who looked somewhat lost and had no effect in the game whatsoever. No, that’s not quite correct because when young Tanner was introduced, Bowler moved to the left hand side of the pitch and the youngster thrived in the number of minutes he was given. Mr. Bulot, do NOT send him out on loan, we need him. A I have mentioned before, there is a touch of Grealish about him and I believe he could have a bright future.
There were some miserable attempts on goal from Ugbo and Colwil, both international players, who given the opportunity, really should be able to turn a shoot on target. If they were at school, and I was Headmaster, a spell in detention would be ordered.
I understand that we are seeking three new players this week. An effective left winger or left back to allow O’Dowda to play in a more forward position would be good and also a striker who is able to make runs into open spaces. And before Leicester, a thorough review of yesterday’s proceedings and some harsh words on what went wrong.
Thankyou Paul, and good afternoon to fellow MAYAns.
I am not surprised Paul that you suggest that the big Greek acted like a novice defender… he has not impressed me at all from the limited amount I have seen of him.
BJA is almost right in saying I would be bellowing ‘play bravely… don’t keep passing square and backwards in an effort to boost the team’s possession stats… better lose the ball in an effort to score goals’.
I am reminded of a cartoon from years ago when Hungarian refugee Joe Bugner was Britain’s great heavyweight boxing hope. He had a superb physique and real punching power, but as a boxer he was strangely negative and constantly grabbing opponents into a clinch.
The cartoon has stayed in my memory all these years. It showed Bugner between rounds, being fanned with a towel as he sat on his stool, and his trainer saying to him… ‘I’ve got a great idea kid… the next time he hits you, you hit him back!’
Were that trainer not Steve Morison Mk 3*, but instead a voice of common sense sat in the current City dugout, he would be shouting the footballing equivalent … ‘look gents, the purpose of the game is to score goals in the net at THEIR end of the field, not in ours’.
I have just watched (as I write) Liverpool score the opener at the Bridge. Fast forward movement and a long pass forward into space… and Salah and Diaz (and space) do the rest.
As for other City individuals, I said a couple of weeks ago that Grant has his ice in the wrong place: it is in his lemonade when it should be in his veins. I still think Bowler is a proper player… but maybe the reason that his career at Forest has not been stellar like his fellow winger Brennan Johnson, is one of motivation/self motivation, because I judge him as just as talented.
As for Bagan, I am disappointed he has gone to Belgium, because I have always thought him pretty decent.
DJ says that half the goals we concede are down to errors in our defence. I bow to his wisdom, but I am surprised it is not 80/85 per cent.
Pr is right in decrying McCarthy’s disastrous spell, but we must not rid our team of all his signings… I see Mark McGuinness as a future captain, and one of only two or three guaranteed names on the team-sheet. But he must stop passing back, and being a coward in a defensive wall.
And I am sure I speak for all of us in saying that if Tanner is loaned out then we should all turn our attention to another sport: one where common sense has not flown out the window.
Finally, I envy BJA for his school experience. He must have had an enlightened headmaster. For in my old co-ed grammar school, a flogging in front of all us assembled boys**, would have been the order of the day.
* I fear our man Bulut is comfortably Steve Morison Mk 2. He has a much more impressive persona than the ‘is what it is’ man, but it looks like he is similarly contaminated with this modish negative nonsense.
** all the girls were always sent out of the hall, quite why I am unsure… perhaps in case seeing such S&M homo-eroticism might corrupt their future sex lives?
TTFN,
Dai.
It would be wonderful to see Cardiff justifying all our hopes to have a successful season after all the problems that have bedevilled the club in recent years.
I am of the opinion that Mr Bulot is a good appointment but he will require more than one season at the very least to achieve the struggle of a top 10 finish!
My prediction is that Cardiff will achieve only 2 points from the first 12 available and that after 10 games we will be lucky not to be struggling in the bottom 3
Cardiff have some really good and skilful players but there are others who would struggle and not achieve any success in lower leagues. Many unfortunately seem out of their depth and are very fortunate to be playing at this level. This represents a huge challenge to the manager and he will need a lot of support to frankly move them on and get them off the wage bill at a time when resources are very limited. At the same time getting new replacements that most importantly want to play for the club and not just go through the motions for a few minutes in each match is essential.
Psychology is all important in terms of choosing players in the first instance and getting the team mix right…….Arsene Wenger is the outstanding manager and person who realised this was key to achieving success.
I do hope that Mr Bulot is given as much support by the Board to achieve his and our aims.
Unfortunately there is no magic wand and this is likely to be a very testing time for everyone associated with the club we love.
I sincerely hope that my predictions and thoughts will prove to be incorrect and that the team will prove me to be woefully wrong once more.
Thanks Paul and all.
Summed up well with all your comments and obviously a huge disappointment after all the pre- match optimism.
Why we couldn’t get going was a mystery and not sure the “ nerves” issue rings true. Surely too much experience out there. And QPR should have been pegged back due to their thrashing last week but we just let them control the middle of the park and wait for our mistakes which inevitably occurred.
Ramsey a class act, but so little movement from others to respond to his promptings. I was really expecting a lot from the new wingers after recent reports and performances, but think that Tanner did more in 20 minutes than the other 2 combined in the previous 70!
Definitely more urgency towards the end with Robinson and Tanner on the pitch with O’ Dowda looking much better pushing up. However, as Paul stated, same old same old and been here so many times last season when we were chasing for a point at least.
Manager has hopefully had a quick wake up call and will sort it out,
but we could be way off the early pace setters before things click into place. Something obviously still missing with the overall speed, directness and tactics that needs urgent work otherwise the air seeping out of that bubble of optimism!
A recent advert that could interest Championship managers.
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Our helpful staff will guide you through 45 minutes of non pressured football as you transition from low confidence bunglers to slick superstars!
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Morning everyone, nice to see some of you making your first contributions of the new season even if the circumstances could be better. I must say first of all that, for me, Barry’s brief contribution, although a bit cruel, was absolutely spot on – I’ve said before that managers who have won away say as a matter of course that the ground they’ve just picked up three points at is “a hard place to come to”, Gareth Ainsworth and plenty of managers before him over the past three years would have been unable to keep a straight face if they tried to spin that line in their post game interview following a win at Cardiff City Stadium.
DJ, three days later and it still feels like, to use your words, a “terrible” and “dreadful” result – agree completely with the rest of your comments, even the bit that says there were a few positives, but they nearly all came after the seventy minute mark, our huge problem is what goes on (or doesn’t go on) in the first three quarters of most of our home matches.
Pr, Grant was one of the players I had in mind when I talked about some of them looking like they didn’t want to be out there – do think he, and Bowler, were a bit wasted stuck out on the wings all game though. Maybe it’s my age, but I don’t get what the attraction is with these inverted full backs unless it’s to get Ng into that area about thirty five yards from goal where he can knock some lovely crosses in (like the one when McGuinness hit the bar), but apart from that, Ng doesn’t provide much danger for opposing defences when he gets forward. On the other side, O’Dowda is a more effective attacker when he stays outside rather than wanders inside – I’d rather see him as the guy on the left touchline than Grant, Meite etc.
Sorry Royale, I only noticed your message this morning (I had to approve it for some reason). I reckon attitudes have changed since Covid put an end to the City going habit for such a long time and the fact that since the gates have been open to attend games again we’ve had nothing but garbage to watch (or close to nothing anyway), it’s just not the same as it was before. Most of us have been watching the club for a very long time now, can anyone think of a single home game in the past three seasons that they’d place in any list of the best, say, thirty City games they’ve seen?
BJA, I must say there’s very little I disagree with in any of your comments, having already mentioned our inverted full backs, there’s not a great deal more I can say about your message because you’ve said it already. I will say that I agree completely about Tanner, on that showing and, to a lesser extent, his one against Colchester, you cannot send him out on loan. I keep on coming back to Tanner seeming to want it so much more than about half of the starting line up – what is it about Cardiff City Stadium in recent years which makes so many of our players look so cautious, intimidated and slow?
Dai, I remember Joe Bugner used to drive my Dad mad! I think he paid a bit of a price for, effectively, ending “our Enery’s” career with the British public, but, even in my late teens could see that there was a potential world champion there if it wasn’t for that six inches between his ears. On that theme, I’m not saying City have a bunch of brilliantly talented footballers on their books, but I really do believe that we’re now in a position where, for a significant portion of he starting eleven anyway, playing at home is becoming a real issue. I mentioned on the messageboard yesterday that the likes of Ng, Wintle and McGuinness have been here quite some time now, yet they’ve still to experience a period where, statistically, a win rather than a defeat was the most likely outcome of a home game they were involved in – I bet there were some in the side who after about ten minutes of QPR looking far more confident and comfortable than us were thinking “here we go again”.
Roger, while I have tended to concentrate on the significance of Saturday in terms of the long run of failure at home that we’re enduring, you are entirely right to highlight the significance of the defeat in terms of our season even if it has barely started yet. Our first two home games stood out as the ones which gave us an opportunity to pick up some points in what looked like a very testing start to the season and now one of them has been lost. I find it hard to disagree with your two points from our first four games prediction and I’d add that it’s to see us getting even one from the next two games (Ipswich and Swansea) – I think we should be beating Sheffield Wednesday, but then I thought we should be beating QPR. You also make a good point about psychology – despite the fact it was a siege in the second half at Leeds, the attitude of the team look spot on, I don’t think you can say the same for QPR, it was so disappointing to see the complete lack of impact from our starting two wingers.
Huw, looking at our fixtures up to the end of September, I’d be very pleasantly surprised if we aren’t a long way off the early pace setters by then- we face Rotherham on September 30 at home and I think, if we can’t beat Sheffield Wednesday in ten days time, we could be going into it still looking for our first league win. The only other thing I’ll say is that Robinson has to be starting every game for me.
One last thing, Dai, I wouldn’t watch the highlights of City’s women’s game on the weekend on the club website if I were you. They won 2-1 against Spurs Under 21s which seems like a good result to me, but there was some classic cases of playing out from the back going wrong in there!
Loved your closing para Paul re women’s football… and your impish suggestion at the end. I promise to take a look… even though I know the images might give me nightmares in the week to come.
And talking of women’s football… I have just sent this note to a friend of 53 years standing, living in Harwich…
‘…
We both tipped Spain to win the Women’s World Cup before a ball was kicked, in my case not because I share your admiration for their tiki-taka, but because they have the three or four very talented players who are game changers.
England were very lucky to beat Spain 2-1 after extra time a year ago in Brighton in the quarter final of the Euros… and I fancy they won’t beat them on Sunday either.
That is assuming England beat the Matildas tomorrow… which is far from a given.
The first of two things that scream out at me at the end of this Spain v Sweden game is this: what kind of football coach defends a corner by not keeping at least one player on the edge of their penalty area…?
The Swedish coach should be sacked. Gross incompetence. It strikes me that half these football coaches are paid megabucks for having just one skill… viz… the brass neck to put their two index fingers to their temples to tell their players to concentrate in the closing minutes… you even see coaches of school teams on the local park now emulating these famous coaches.
Me? Were I a FIFA law maker, I would make such a gesture as unacceptable as we now regard those players waving an imaginary card: both should receive censure from the referee. In the case of the index finger malarkey, for no other reason than it is an insult to the intelligence of both players and spectators.
And the other great thing to take from this game is just as the 1958 FIFA World Cup saw the emergence of a once-in-a-generation genius in the 17 year old Edson Arantes do Nascimento… who became the greatest world footballer of the 1960s… I think we are seeing the same here in the emergence of the 19 yr old Salma Paralluelo.
…’
TTFN,
Dai.
P.S. Apols for the otiose ‘either’ at the end of my second para of my letter above.
P.P.S. Just seen the CCFC women’s game you flagged up.
Jeez… I now feel quite nauseous.
But here I must level with you: my queasiness may be less down to their kamikaze football at both ends of the pitch, than my trying to work out what WERE the dimensions of the pitch exactly…?!
I have not felt so seasick since my last encounter in Barry Island with their House of Mirrors on the Sunday School outing in 1957.
I could not make out why there were goalposts everywhere… enough to make you think that the Hackney Marshes had grown a Cambrian outpost… and only at the end (with the handshakes) did it become apparent to me… idiot me had been counting the frames of the bus shelter dugouts as goalposts…!!
But gee… it was staggeringly disorienting while it lasted. I urge all MAYAns – of a masochistic bent – to experience this House of Mirrors sensation… but not on a full stomach.
DW
I know what you mean Dai, I found it very hard to get my bearings first of all when watching that video and, at first, didn’t realise just how bad the first goal was – I may be wrong, but I think the women’s team have won all of their pre season matches, although the fact that they lost players to Cheltenham Town’s team in the summer, does rather put their success in the Welsh domestic game into some sort of perspective.
I’ve not watched as much of the Women’s World Cup as I would have wanted to, but I saw most of the Spain game yesterday and they definitely were deserved winners – they’ve also impressed me with some of the stuff I’ve seen from their earlier games. I’m not sure what to think about England, they’ve seem to alternate between good and ordinary in successive matches – that means they should be ordinary today and I think they’re probably going out if they are. However, England do seem adept at “finding a way” like so many tournament winning teams do from time to time on their way to glory – it’s a heart and head thing for me, as usual my heart is saying anyone but England, but my head says they’re going to win it.
Thanks, Paul.
Just getting ready for the game in Sydney. It kicks off in 25 minutes.
I have £3 on both Russo and Kerr scoring in 90 minutes… at 18/1. Knowing my luck, it will be 0-0 going into extra time.
Even if England lose, were I head honcho of the FA, I would put Serina in Mr Southgate’s role. She impresses me.
I tell ya two footballers who have impressed me in the last week… Mark Harris followed up his first goal for Oxford last week, with two last night…!! OMG… please don’t do an Eoin Doyle on us, Mark. And did you notice that ex-County Mickey Demitriou also scored two last night… for his new club Crewe, against – yes you have guessed – ‘The Port’*…!!
I mean to write a longish piece on the Matildas – whatever the result – or, more accurately, also on the song ‘Waltzing Matilda’. If it is any cop, I will post it to you Paul, in the hope that fellow MAYAns will appreciate it.
I know that this is a Cardiff City/Rhondda Fawr blog, but as we are all Welsh, we know that we Taffies above all, are folk who usually contain multitudes.
Right… off to concentrate on the game.
* I am too much of a traditionalist to call them ‘The Exiles’.
TTFN,
Dai.
Well, well, well…
My £3 bet came up trumps… I almost never bet, as I usually cannot win an argument… let alone a bet.
But talking of betting… I will bet you a Pound to your penny, that Erol Bulut will not learn the lesson from Sarina*. And the lesson is… EMBRACE THE LONG PASS.
Millie Bright plays a long pass straight out of the Charlie Adam playbook. She had a stormer… and I reckon rivalled Lauren Hemp and Lucy Bronze for the ‘woman of the match’ award.
Bronze has easily been my favourite England player, in the decade since she was first capped in 2013.
I may have tipped Spain to win the trophy before a ball was kicked, and if they do win on Sunday, it won’t be because their tiki-taka style has proved their system superior. But rather, because they have some exceptionally gifted players… I note that nine Barca players are in the squad in Oz, and several of those were also on duty when they crushed a very good Chelsea side 4-0 in the Women’s Champions League final of 2 years ago… I saw that whole game, and the gulf in class was remarkable.
But rest assured I would love to be wrong on Sunday. At times like these, my Britishness outweighs my Welshness.
If we** are to win, Georgia Stanway and Keira Walsh will both need to get their finger out. Neither have been anything like the player they were in the Euro 2022 tournament.
*I rushed my last to you as I was in a hurry not to miss the big kickoff… and on reading what I wrote, I now note that there were two spelling howlers from me… I typed the names ‘Sarina’ and ‘Demetriou’ wrongly… even though I genuinely knew how to spell both. Apols.
** deliberate. I am no Denis Law who famously played golf rather than watch the 1966 World Cup on TV. Me? I cried tears of joy that day.
DW.
The only live women’s pro game I’ve ever seen is still the Champions League Final played at Cardiff City Stadium in 2017 and I was not impressed Dai – you could tell after about half an hour that no one was going to score. So many women’s games I used to watch around that time seemed to end up 0-0 or 1-0 and it was clearly harder to score than in the men’s game. Since then though, I think the women’s game has made great strides and I just watch a game of football now, not a women’s game – actually, that’s not quite true, you can tell the differences between the sexes quite easily when it comes to goalkeeping (think Mary Earps is a fine women’s goalkeeper though).
For some reason, I don’t have the same antipathy towards the English women’s team as I do towards the men and, just as with the Euros, I won’t be bothered if they win and I think they will just about manage to do so because they’re peaking at the right time whereas I thought there was evidence of tiredness in the Spanish team against Sweden.
Women’s team sports have really come on – the Ashes rivalled the men’s version for drama and the sense of there having been an opportunity missed, but to run what I’ve seen described as he best sports team in the world so close was a great credit to the English women – the standard of catching in the women’s game has come on leaps and bounds in the last year or two, as has the power hitting.
Great news yesterday in that Mark McGuinness has signed a 4 year contract.
I genuinely see him as our next long term captain.
Hopefully this will keep Sheffield Wednesday away from our door. Their fans will be gutted, as many expected and wanted them to swoop around now.
DW