Is it possible to be happy with your team when they lead 2-0 at half time and then concede five minutes into added time to finish at 2-2? The obvious answer to that question is no, but today’s 2-2 draw at Leeds for Cardiff City has to be viewed in a positive light I feel as it was a very testing season opener against a newly relegated side who are tipped by many to regain the Premier League place they lost in May.
For forty five minutes, City were very good today, they defended intelligently and with character to deny Leeds attacking momentum even though they had most of the ball. City belied their image of being feeble in front of goal by scoring twice from what I would say was only three worthwhile opportunities in the match.
It was always going to be tough after the break though, especially as the home side reduced the arrears early in the piece and from there, it became a siege on our goal. A siege which, to be honest, needed a combination of what was Jak Alnwick’s best performance for us so far by a distance, desperate, last ditch blocks and some luck to ensure that we led going into added time.
One of the features of the opening weekend of the EFL was the number of matches which went on for ages as a result of a clampdown by officials on time wasting. In truth, I don’t think you can really get too wound up by anything which tries to ensure that you see as near as damnit, ninety minutes football (City fans were originally going to be charged £47 for a ticket to today’s match), but I think we should all prepare for goals in City games against and, hopefully, for beyond the hundred minute mark (as I type this the board has gone up showing an extra 13 minutes to be played at the of the Sunderland v Ipswich match over the coming months
So, conceding in the ninety fifth minute is going to be pretty small beer I reckon by the time we get to May- nevertheless, we’ve all lived our lives thinking that when the clock ticks past the ninety minute mark as you’re team is holding a single goal lead it feels like you’re almost there, I’m not sure that we’ll ever get used to the new reality that it now means nothing of the sort.
Anyway, back to today’s entertaining affair at Elland Road, so many games that your team plays can be analysed in a glass half full or empty perspective depending on your feelings regarding a variety of things like, for example, your manager, Board, team’s league position, style of play and kit! My view as I’m writing this though is that, on the first day of the season, with a new manager and what are generally reckoned to be a good set of recruits including a much heralded return for the club’s best player of the twenty first century, I really should be accentuating the positive!
Erol Bulut’s first selection for a competitive match contained a surprise or two. We knew already that Alnwick would be playing because Ryan Allsop’s injury from the Wycombe game looks set to keep him out for about a fortnight, but the absence of Sheyi Ojo from the twenty man squad was a surprise (as far as I can tell, our manager gave no explanation for it after the game) and, possibly, the inclusion of Josh Bowler from the start was as well – the Forest loanee had only trained with his new team mates for a few days after all.
With Bowler on the right, Karlan Grant on the left and Aaron Ramsey through the middle supporting striker Ike Ugbo, there was no starting place for Callum Robinson and I’ll return to him later.
One of the things that struck me in our pre season was that we seemed a more organised side and there was evidence of that in the opening half today as it seemed everyone looked aware of their duties when we weren’t in possession (Leeds had seventy two per cent of the ball).
When we did have the ball, we passed it quite nicely, as we did for most of our pre season, but, as was remarked upon by the Sky commentators, it was noticeable how many players we got in the box on the rare occasions we were able to mount attacks – something which suggests we are also fitter than last season..
After a pretty even first quarter of an hour, Leeds had a good spell of five minutes when Wilfried Gnonto, who was playing through the middle, began to look like he could cause us the sort of problems he did in the FA Cup replay on the same ground last season, but City responded in the best possible manner by ending their goal drought which was stretching towards the three hundred and fifty minute mark.
Bowler had seen very little of the ball until then, but he was in the perfect position to score a goal which owed much to creativity and coolness on our part, but also some distinctly dodgy defending by the home team as captain Joe Ralls’ fine pass sent Callum O’Dowda into a huge gap down the Leeds right. A Sky graphic had shown that City had only just shown that we had not touched the ball in Leeds’ penalty area until then, but as soon as he became the first of our players to do so, the Irishman pulled the ball back to Bowler whose shot from around the penalty spot was blocked only for Ugbo to show good awareness by calmly returning the ball to the winger who side footed past the helpless Meslier in the Leeds goal from ten yards.
Leeds centreback Hjelde was having an uncomfortable time of it (he was substituted at the interval) and a mistake by him presented Bowler with the ball inside the Leeds penalty area soon afterwards. However, disappointingly and unusually, the new man’s first touch was poor and the. chance had gone as quickly as it had arrived.
Around this time came the moment that Bulut thought had a major influence on the outcome as Ralls’ problematic hip packed up and he had to make way for Ebou Adams. As the game became more of a battle for City in the second half, Adams’ qualities came in handy, but, in a team that have not enjoyed much of it in recent years, it seems to me that one of the lessons of the last few games is that we can show an element of control when Ramsey, Ryan Wintle and Ralls are together in our midfield, but it’s rarely there with any other three man combination we use in midfield in that area – in that respect, this “dominant” midfielder we’ve read so much about in recent weeks cannot come soon enough..
Nevertheless, City we’re able to double their lead with another goal which featured some nice build up play, some more ropey defending and a pleasing number of blue shirts in the opposition penalty area. Bowler and Wintle worked a one two that opened up the Leeds backline a little too easily and the ball found its way to Ramsey whose shot was half blocked into the path of Ugbo and the striker, so much more impressive than he was pre season, scored easily from four yards.
Alnwick had made the first of his fine saves to deny Crysencio Summerville at this point and although Leeds stepped up the pressure in the minutes before half time, the break came with them showing little sigh of solving the conundrum City we’re setting them.
Sides that are a couple of goals down at half time tend to make a big effort in the minutes straight after the interval and, if that can be repulsed, then the rest of the match often turns out to be pretty comfortable. So, Leeds needed a fast start to the second period and they duly got it when captain Liam Cooper nodded in a corner on forty nine minutes.
Ordinarily, such a goal leads to plenty of recriminations in the defending team, but it really was a prodigious leap by the home defender which he hurtled into with no thought for his own safety – indeed, Cooper damaged an ankle in scoring and had to leave the pitch when play resumed three minutes later.
The game had changed now though and City either stood back or were forced back as Leeds poured all over them and Alnwick took centre stage with his best save being to turn a Gnonto effort on to the woodwork, closely followed by an effort to deny Dan James.
It looked like an equaliser had to come and when it did, City could begrudge their bad luck, but also have to admit it was a quality finish by Summerville after the ball broke to him sixteen yards out with deflections off as many as three defenders.
Daniel ,Farke, the Leeds manager thought it was a “scandal” that his team didn’t win, an understandable response from his perspective I suppose, but this is a Cardiff City blog and I think there were grounds for encouragement in today’s performance. That said, I don’t think a top half Championship side would have been quite as powerless in the face of an onslaught as we were – other teams would have found ways to lift the siege from time to time.
I’ll finish on the game by saying that Callum Robinson was thought to have a minor injury that explained his non selection, but it was a surprise that he did not come on. So you have to wonder how fit he was – It seems odd to have a player like Robinson on the bench and then not use him. This gives me a chance to get on my hobby horse and have a moan about the non inclusion of Academy products Rubin Colwill and Keiron Evans, both of whom are creative Robinson type players – you would have thought one of them could have been named on the bench if Robinson wasn’t going to be able to be used.
Away from the first team, the under 21 side played at Haverfordwest today in the Nathaniel MG Cup and made it through to the Third round against a weakened home team by winning 4-0 with all four goals coming from Cian Ashford who has made a fast start to the season – let’s see him play a part in the League Cup against Colchester in a few days time as a reward!
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!
